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I Was Diagnosed With Bursitis Awhile Back But Not Sure If This Is Still The Issue Is There Any Sure Way To Tell
Posted on
Wed, 21 Sep 2022
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Wed, 21 Sep 2022
Answered on
Tue, 24 Sep 2024
Last reviewed on
Question : Hello 50 year old here I have been having on and off for some time now pain that comes in my left upper arm and sometimes right mostly left no other symptoms it hurts also when I touch it always in the same spot . I was diagnosed with bursitis awhile back but not sure if this is still the issue is there any sure way to tell
Brief Answer:
A physical exam will likely be needed
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
It is not common to have pain localized to this specific area, so it is hard to say from your description what this pain could be coming from. If it hurts when you touch that area, then there could be a strained muscle, or possibly a cyst under the skin. There are no bursa in this area that could cause bursitis. Pain from the shoulder could sometimes radiate to this area, but typically this would be made worse by movement of the shoulder, and would not hurt when you touch this area. Similarly, nerve pain from the neck or arm would not normally hurt when you touch this area.
So I think you will need to have the arm examined, and hopefully that will give some clues as to the cause. An ultrasound may also be needed to look for anything under the skin such as a cyst. Hopefully that will determine the cause and you can be treated for it promptly.
I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any other questions about that, and I would be glad to discuss it with you further.
Thanks.
A physical exam will likely be needed
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
It is not common to have pain localized to this specific area, so it is hard to say from your description what this pain could be coming from. If it hurts when you touch that area, then there could be a strained muscle, or possibly a cyst under the skin. There are no bursa in this area that could cause bursitis. Pain from the shoulder could sometimes radiate to this area, but typically this would be made worse by movement of the shoulder, and would not hurt when you touch this area. Similarly, nerve pain from the neck or arm would not normally hurt when you touch this area.
So I think you will need to have the arm examined, and hopefully that will give some clues as to the cause. An ultrasound may also be needed to look for anything under the skin such as a cyst. Hopefully that will determine the cause and you can be treated for it promptly.
I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any other questions about that, and I would be glad to discuss it with you further.
Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Kampana
Hi
I have recently had cardiac work up done in all normal I do have fybromyalgia would this be the cause as well? I have had this pain on and off for some time almost like a flare up
I have recently had cardiac work up done in all normal I do have fybromyalgia would this be the cause as well? I have had this pain on and off for some time almost like a flare up
Brief Answer:
Fibromyalgia is possible
Detailed Answer:
Yes, fibromyalgia can cause pain anywhere, though it would be rare for it to cause pain in one specific location like this. Still, if you already have a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, that is a possibility. How long have you been having this pain? If it has only been for a few weeks or shorter, you could try using a warm pad, and Ibuprofen, and see how it progresses. If it persists, or you've already had the pain for a long time, then I would suggest getting examined to try to figure out the cause more clearly.
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I'd be glad to help any way I can.
Fibromyalgia is possible
Detailed Answer:
Yes, fibromyalgia can cause pain anywhere, though it would be rare for it to cause pain in one specific location like this. Still, if you already have a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, that is a possibility. How long have you been having this pain? If it has only been for a few weeks or shorter, you could try using a warm pad, and Ibuprofen, and see how it progresses. If it persists, or you've already had the pain for a long time, then I would suggest getting examined to try to figure out the cause more clearly.
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I'd be glad to help any way I can.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
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