Acute arm pain is commonly caused by injury or nerve damage, but can also be a sign of a heart attack. Athletes may experience pain from overuse or impact, while fractures and muscle tears can also cause severe pain. Nerve damage can result from compression or trauma. Left arm pain may indicate a heart attack.
The most common cause of acute arm pain is an injury resulting from some sort of trauma, although there are other causes. In some cases, it can be a sign of a heart attack, although this is less common than injury or nerve pain. If a nerve serving one arm becomes compressed or otherwise damaged, it can cause sharp pain in both arms. While overused muscles typically don’t cause this symptom, muscle fatigue can lead to muscle strains, which in turn cause sharp pain in both arms.
Athletes often experience severe pain in their arm from a fall or other impact. If the arm bears a load it is not used to, the muscles may not be able to support it, leaving the bones to do the work. If the bones are also unable to bear the load, they may crack or break. Those cracks can be quite painful, depending on the severity of the injury; minor fractures often heal on their own after adequate rest and treatment, and the pain will be mild to moderate. A more serious fracture can cause severe pain and may even require surgery to repair. Either way, a person experiencing this type of pain should visit a doctor to find out the best course of treatment.
Muscle strains and tears can also cause severe arm pain. A muscle strain occurs when the tiny fibers that make up a muscle begin to tear, causing severe pain in the affected area. If the muscle tears completely—that is, the muscle tears itself or a tendon—the pain will be considerably more severe. A rupture often requires surgery to repair, and the recovery period can last several weeks or months.
Nerve damage can also cause sharp pain in both arms. If a nerve is compressed, it can cause pain, tingling, numbness, loss of motor control, pain, and other types of discomfort. It is important to determine the source of the compression to treat nerve pain in the arms; common causes include a herniated disc in the spine, tight and tired muscles, a lack of proper conditioning in athletes, and even trauma or injury.
If sharp arm pain is present in the left arm, it could be a warning sign of a heart attack. The pain will often radiate down the arm and into the chest, shoulders and neck, or even the right arm. The arm pain will be accompanied by other serious symptoms, such as shortness of breath and tightness in the chest.
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