Hurts To Raise Arm Above Head. What Could Be Causing This Pain?

Posted on Tue, 31 Jul 2012

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 Answered on

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 Last reviewed on

Question : It hurts terribly to raise my left arm above my heaf do u know what causes this pain?

Answered by Dr. Dr.Raju.A.T (7 minutes later)

Hi,

Thanks for your query.

Pain in the arm on movement is usually seen in musculoskeletal problems.It could be due to inflammation or mal-alignment in the surrounding skeletal structures.

It could be due to

Shoulder joint instability
rib fracture or inflammation
tendon injuries
ligament shear
muscle sprain.

Pain in the left arm at rest associated with chest pain could be a sign of an impending heart ischemia.

Please come up with follow ups if any.

Hope I answered your query.

Wish you good health.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar