Nerve-related arm pain
What is nerve-related arm pain?
Nerve-related arm pain can range from mild discomfort to more severe, disruptive symptoms. While it can be worrying, most people improve within a few weeks, with significant recovery in 4-6 months.
Referred arm pain often happens when nerves in the neck are affected or irritated. It can also occur due to shoulder problems. However, not all arm pain is caused by nerve issues.
Symptoms of referred arm pain include:
- Pain in the neck, shoulder, or arm.
- Burning, shooting, or electric-shock-like pain in the arm, hand, or fingers.
- Numbness, tingling, or unusual sensations in the arm or fingers.
- Difficulty moving the neck, especially when looking up or turning to the affected side.
- Severe pain that may wake you from sleep.
- Raising the arm (e.g., placing your hand on your head) may temporarily ease the pain.
Call 999 or go to A&E if you experience:
- Sudden weakness or difficulty coordinating your arms or legs
- Sudden loss of feeling (numbness) or persistent pins and needles in your face, arm, or hand
- New onset of fainting, double vision, or difficulty speaking or swallowing
- An “electric shock” feeling in your neck or back that may radiate into your arms or legs
3 FACTS ABOUT NERVE-RELATED ARM PAIN
Disc bulges are seen as normal. They occur all the time and we usually do not feel them. Most disc bulges shrink over time. Surgery is considered if there is pressure on the nerves that is not resolving. It can help relieve pain in the arm but long term there is little difference between those having surgery and those who persist without.
Learning to relax and move the neck in all directions is safe and healthy for the neck. Nerves particularly love movement as it increases the blood flow to them: which helps with recovery.
Scans are important but only in a minority of people. They may be indicated if there has been a traumatic injury or a loss of sensation and power in the arms. A thorough clinical exam, such as one carried out by your GP or physiotherapist, can provide information about the likely cause of the arm pain, as well as the health of the nerves potentially involved. Scans, when carried out unnecessarily, have been shown to actually worsen people’s recovery, as they can show scary sounding changes such as disc degeneration, arthritis and disc bulges, which are common, even in people without neck pain.