Why Does My Arm Hurt When I Squeeze It?

Unexpected pain when you squeeze your arm can be concerning. The tenderness you feel is your body’s way of signaling that something is amiss beneath the surface. This sensation can stem from a wide range of causes. The origin of the discomfort could be within the muscle tissue, related to structures just under the skin, or referred from another part of the body.

Common Musculoskeletal Injuries

Arm pain that worsens with pressure is often from damage to the musculoskeletal system. A frequent cause is a muscle strain, or “pulled muscle,” which occurs when muscle fibers are overstretched or torn. Squeezing the affected area compresses these injured fibers, leading to a sharp increase in localized pain.

Another common injury is a contusion, or bruise, from a direct impact. This blow damages small blood vessels beneath the skin, causing blood to leak into the surrounding tissue. The resulting swelling puts pressure on nerve endings, making the area tender when squeezed.

Pain can also arise from tendonitis, the inflammation of a tendon. Repetitive motions can irritate tendons in the bicep, forearm, or shoulder, leading to inflammation and creating a tender spot. Applying pressure directly onto the inflamed tendon will aggravate the discomfort, which is confined to the specific site of the injury.

Lumps and Bumps Beneath the Skin

Pain from squeezing your arm can be due to a lump in the subcutaneous tissue just beneath the skin. One of the most common growths is a lipoma, a benign tumor of fat cells that feels soft and can be moved easily. While usually painless, a lipoma can grow where it presses on a nerve, causing tenderness when squeezed.

Another possibility is a cyst, a closed sac that can be filled with fluid, air, or semi-solid material. Sebaceous cysts form from blocked oil glands, while ganglion cysts are often connected to a joint or tendon sheath. These can feel firmer than lipomas and may become tender if inflamed or if they put pressure on adjacent structures.

A more painful lump is an abscess, a swollen, pus-filled pocket caused by a bacterial infection. An abscess is very tender and accompanied by other signs of infection, such as warmth, redness, and swelling. Squeezing an abscess is intensely painful because it increases the pressure within the infected space.

Potential Nerve Involvement

Pain is not always generated at the site where it is felt, as squeezing your arm might aggravate a problem in a nerve pathway. This discomfort often feels different from a muscular ache, presenting as a sharp, shooting, or electric-like pain, sometimes with tingling or numbness.

A primary example is cervical radiculopathy, more commonly known as a “pinched nerve.” This condition occurs when a nerve root in the neck becomes compressed or irritated as it branches off from the spinal cord. This compression can be caused by a herniated disk or spinal degeneration. Although the problem is in the neck, pain radiates down into the shoulder and arm, and applying pressure can trigger these painful signals.

When to Suspect a Vascular Problem

Arm pain that is sensitive to touch can be related to an issue within your blood vessels. One such condition is superficial thrombophlebitis, the inflammation of a vein near the skin’s surface, often due to a small blood clot. The affected vein can feel like a hard, tender cord, and this condition is less serious, often resolving with supportive care.

A more urgent condition is Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), which involves a blood clot in a deep arm vein. While pressure on the area may cause pain, DVT is distinguished by additional symptoms. These warning signs include significant swelling along the arm, not just in one spot, and skin that appears reddish or bluish and feels unusually warm to the touch.

A clot in a deep vein has the potential to break loose, travel through the bloodstream, and lodge in the lungs, causing a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. If your arm pain is accompanied by widespread swelling, discoloration, and warmth, you should seek immediate medical attention.