Pain in the arms - what could this sympathom mean?

What causes post-exertional hand pain?

The most common cause of pain is inflammation.
It is extremely rare that pain in the periphery of the body can arise from pathological excitation of a tiny part of the brain, but this is a case more likely for Dr. House than for ordinary medical practice. Tumors stand apart, which are rare, but require urgent medical intervention. By the way, with them the pain rarely depends on the load. Otherwise, everything is prosaic. Inflammation occurs due to:

injuries during intense physical activity, from fractures to microdamage to muscle fibers;
compression of the nerves responsible for transmitting impulses to the hand area due to diseases of the spine or metabolic disorders, manifested in edema and microcirculation disorders (thyroid pathologies, diabetes mellitus);
metabolic disorders that cause salt deposits in the joints;
inflammation of a bacterial nature, which happens rarely.

Old fractures, carpal tunnel syndrome, edema of pregnant women, any other diseases and conditions in which the hands hurt after a workout or other, perhaps routine, load comes down to these four reasons.

What actions are most likely to cause sore throat?

It is worth highlighting the work in which the fibers lengthen - this happens when performing eccentric exercises. They contribute to the formation of a large number of microdamages to muscle tissue, after such sets you have to think about how to reduce muscle pain after training and alleviate the condition.

During the recovery process, intensive cell proliferation occurs in the injured area, which promotes muscle growth. Therefore, this type of physical activity is popular in powerlifting, weightlifting and similar sports.

Eccentric exercises (push-ups with a slow lowering of the body and rapid extension of the arms, squats with weights or on one leg and many others) remain in demand, as they bring many benefits in addition to increasing muscle size:

develop flexibility;
speed up metabolism;
contribute to the development of strength.

Training focused on the eccentric phase is not recommended for people with joint diseases or those who have suffered an injury.

Preferring these types of physical activity, you need to take special care to prevent post-workout pain. Following the sequence will help: a long warm-up, then stretching, and then the main complex. The final exercises should be relaxation exercises (or cool down). The last stage is often neglected, but this is wrong. Its importance is as great as warming up, since it helps the body smoothly adjust from intense activity to calm functioning. During this period, the heart rate and breathing slow down, sweating decreases, and the skin cools. A cool-down may consist of slow stretching and leisurely walking.

What to look for before visiting the clinic

The hand consists of 27 bones, not counting the sesamoids, connected by numerous joints and surrounded by tendons, ligaments and muscles. All of this can hurt. Moreover, the cause of the pain may be outside the hand. Therefore, it is necessary to describe the pain as accurately as possible at your first visit to the doctor. For example, complaints “a bone in the hand hurts” or “the hand hurts after a fracture of the elbow” will allow the doctor to immediately prescribe treatment. These are characteristic symptoms. Of course, more detailed diagnostics will be needed, but pain can be alleviated without harming the patient on the first visit.

It is more difficult with symptoms that are characteristic of many diseases. The complaint “the hands are swollen, numb and painful” suggests that a neurovascular bundle is pinched somewhere. This is a consequence of several diseases that are treated differently. A more precise description may help the doctor:

which of the following is more pronounced (more disturbing),
what time of day does it hurt;
when did it start
what provokes
after which it passes;
what chronic diseases does the patient have?
one arm or both hurts,
were there any injuries?

Another question is relevant for women: is there pregnancy? In this condition, against the background of general fluid retention in the body, tunnel syndrome sometimes worsens, which the woman might not even be aware of before conception.

Not all questions require the participation of a doctor. If your wrists hurt after yoga classes, it’s best to start by talking to a trainer. With a sufficient level of qualification, he will be able to change the training program, relieving the disturbing joint for 1-2 weeks. When the pain goes away, you can return to exercises, paying attention to the correct execution of asanas and the preliminary warm-up.

Symptoms and treatment of deforming osteoarthritis of the hands

Since in the later stages, carpal osteoarthritis is practically untreatable, it is very important to notice the first signs of the disease in time.

In recent years, osteoarthritis, affecting a variety of joints, has become increasingly common. According to expert estimates, it affects 10-13% of the population. Most often, the disease starts in people over 40 years of age. And with each subsequent year, the risk of developing the disease increases.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis of the hands is one of the varieties of this group of diseases. With it, the cartilaginous tissue of the finger phalanges gradually deforms and collapses. The insidiousness of the disease is that it begins unnoticed, with mild and short-term pain in the area of the hands and fingers (during physical activity, climate change), to which few people pay attention. However, over time, the pain increases and becomes constant, deformation occurs in the small joints of the hands, which are regularly under load. In the early stages, incipient osteoarthritis is indicated by crunching of the fingers, swelling in the joints and an increase in their volume, discomfort when moving the fingers and limited mobility of the hands, and curvature of the joints. If you notice such symptoms, consult a doctor (general practitioner, rheumatologist) as soon as possible. Diagnosing deforming osteoarthritis of the hands and fingers is quite easy - sometimes just a visual examination by a specialist is enough. In some cases, an x-ray may be needed to accurately determine the stage of the disease.

Risk factors for carpal osteoarthritis can be either hereditary (including due to a “breakdown” in the type 2 collagen gene) or acquired. The latter include monotonous long-term stress on the hands (including computer work), excess weight, previous joint surgeries and injuries, some infectious diseases, stress, hypothermia, and endocrine diseases. For example, scientists have calculated that the fingers of a person typing 8 hours a day on a computer keyboard are subjected to a daily load of 16 tons! In addition, the risk of the disease increases with age - over the years, the cartilage tissue of the joints of the fingers becomes thinner, and its natural elasticity is impaired. In women, an additional risk factor is the postmenopausal period, during which a deficiency of estrogen hormones develops.

Osteoarthritis of the hands treatment

As mentioned above, with advanced stages the disease is almost untreatable. Unlike other joints, endoprosthetics of hand joints are not performed. As a result, the prospect of ending up in old age with non-functional hands due to an untreated illness is not so bleak. So the sooner osteoarthritis of the hands is diagnosed, the easier it is to cope with its manifestations.

Unfortunately, according to doctors, in the early stages of the disease only every fifth person turns to specialists for help. As the head of the department of metabolic diseases of bones and joints with the center for the prevention of osteoporosis of the Russian Ministry of Health, Professor Lyudmila Alekseeva, says, the treatment of this disease is always individual. It is a complex of drugs, physiotherapy and other medical techniques.

To relieve pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are most often prescribed - diclofenac, paracetamol, naproxen, ibuprofen, movalis, etc. Like all symptomatic drugs, they do not affect the cause of the disease in any way. It should also be taken into account that they have many unpleasant side effects (including increased blood pressure, damage to the gastrointestinal tract, destruction of cartilage, etc.), so they are recommended to be taken in short courses and only under the supervision of a doctor. In a number of situations, they, alas, do not help, and then the patient has to be prescribed opioid analgesics. There are also slow-acting drugs from the group of chondoprotectors - they relieve pain while slowing down the destruction of cartilage.

According to Anton Naumov, professor of the Department of Therapy, Clinical Pharmacology and Emergency Medicine at Moscow State Medical University, today the inclusion of drugs with chondroprotective effects in treatment regimens for patients with osteoarthritis is most promising. In very serious situations, when the pain is very intense, injections of hormonal drugs are used (due to serious side effects, such therapy is performed no more than 3 times a year).

In addition, patients with osteoarthritis of the hands are often prescribed warming physiotherapeutic procedures - magnetic therapy, laser treatment, shock wave therapy. Balneotherapy also has a good effect, so balneological sanatoriums are recommended for patients with osteoarthritis.

Therapeutic massage is also considered an effective method of treatment, which improves blood flow to damaged areas and relieves spasms (it is carried out during remissions or when there is no severe pain), as well as therapeutic exercises. For example, periodically squeeze with tension for a few seconds and then unclench your hands. Or rub your palms until warm. And yet, the doctor selects therapeutic exercises for each patient individually - they help restore joint mobility and strengthen muscles.

How to prevent the disease from occurring? Doctors recommend, first of all, to monitor your diet. The diet should have enough calcium and vitamin D. People over 40 years of age and all postmenopausal women should definitely take multivitamin complexes. Saturated animal fats, spicy, salty and smoked foods should be avoided. Fish broth and jelly based on gelatin or agar-agar are rich in natural chondoprotectors.

Doctors recommend that office workers take 15-minute breaks with a warm-up for their fingers (remember how in school: “we wrote, we wrote - our fingers were tired”?) every two hours. In addition, if possible, it is better to use a special ergonomic keyboard that ensures a physiological hand position while working.

How to understand why your hand hurts during exercise

The examination plan for complaints of pain in the hands must include an x-ray, which will allow you to assess the condition of the joints and surrounding tissues. A blood test may be required to rule out lupus and rheumatoid arthritis—autoimmune diseases that affect blood vessels and joints—as well as endocrine diseases—diabetes and thyroid pathologies. The level of uric acid, which is assessed together with X-ray data, confirms or refutes the suspicion of gout.

Unique methods and innovative equipment of the “Hello!” clinics allow you to quickly and accurately make the correct diagnosis, and most importantly, correctly prescribe the necessary course of effective therapy.

Types of pain after training

The release of lactate directly depends on the intensity of the workout. However, inexperienced athletes often confuse intensity with efficiency. The established opinion that muscle pain is a sign of high-quality muscle work is fundamentally wrong. Don’t worry and stop exercising if you feel severe discomfort after the first time. It is important to understand a few points so that this does not happen again in the future:

Muscle pain is really not an indicator of the effectiveness of the exercise . Because it can be caused by various reasons and even consist of diseases existing before training. It is important to consult with your doctor and coach before setting Olympic records in the gym.
Lactic acid and glucose are substances not alien to the body. They are always present in muscles and tissues, and their single release means stress, but is quickly leveled out. Typically, a characteristic burning sensation appears at the end of the approach. At this point, the body is at its limit, pushing hard for the last rep, and lactic acid-induced pain sets in. At such moments, you can and should always stop . The body itself tells you your capabilities at this stage, and you definitely won’t become healthier by increasing repetitions or speed. Discomfort may last throughout the workout and for 2–4 hours afterwards.

But our body knows how to cope with stressful conditions. At the end of physical stress, the blood flow restores its previous speed and begins to flush out the resulting lactate reserves from the tissues. It goes away along with sweat and urine, and gradually the pain subsides.

pain during exercise

A slightly different mechanism for the increase and relief of pain occurs if discomfort occurs the next day and lasts about 1-2 days. This phenomenon is called delayed pain .

Delayed pain is unpleasant in the context of normal life activities. It is difficult to get up and go to bed, climb stairs and raise your arms. The worst thing is that such pain deprives you of any motivation to continue exercising. After a person begins to feel comfort in his muscles again, he comes to the gym and again may experience pain, since there was a long break between workouts.

Late pain is caused by microtrauma associated with myofibril ruptures. Immediately after the rupture, no pain is felt, but the next day a slight inflammation in the muscles begins. There is no need to panic in this situation. Inflammation of muscle fibers is not associated with infection and microbes. Discomfort is caused by tissue reaction to stress. After 1-2 days, the tears will heal and muscle mass will grow. You will be able to return to your normal lifestyle.

What will help restore your brushes?

For pain in the hands, it is important to eliminate the cause of the disease, if possible. The range of treatments available is wide, and the choice of specific procedures or medications depends on the final diagnosis. There are cases when simple methods help, for example, choosing the right sleeping position or buying an orthopedic mouse pad. Sometimes surgery is necessary. Most often, the prescription of anti-inflammatory drugs in combination with physiotherapy is considered sufficient.

If a chronic disease is detected, physical therapy, which is prescribed after the exacerbation is relieved, has a good effect.

When your hands become swollen, painful and numb during pregnancy, a consultation with an obstetrician-gynecologist is necessary. If the pain occurs suddenly and cannot be tolerated, you should consult a doctor immediately: help will be provided in the emergency room of any maternity hospital.

Treatment

Pain in the hand is a symptom, not a separate disease, so treatment is not limited to the use of painkillers and ointments. These methods only temporarily reduce pain, but do not get rid of their cause. As a result, the disease progresses, leading to loss of mobility and joint deformation. Dr. Bubnovsky’s centers help relieve pain and restore joint mobility.

The basis for the treatment of pain in the hands is the unique method of Professor Bubnovsky - modern kinesitherapy. Such treatment not only eliminates discomfort, but also normalizes blood circulation, relieves inflammation and restores affected functions.

Exercises using the Bubnovsky method are simple, accessible and have virtually no contraindications. Thanks to gymnastics, blood flow in the tissues of the joint improves, its mobility increases, and stiffness and tension in the hand go away.

The treatment program is prescribed by a kinesiotherapist after examining the patient and a series of myofascial tests. In this case, not only the state of hand function is assessed, but also the general condition of the musculoskeletal system. This approach makes it possible to prescribe personalized and most effective treatment. Classes are conducted under the guidance of an instructor. He controls the technique of movement and breathing, monitors the body’s reaction.

Exercises are performed in a certain sequence using various exercise equipment and devices. For narrow-local exercises, a decompression wrist simulator is used. Exercises on it strengthen your fingers, help eliminate excess tension in the hand and restore tissue nutrition. As a result of stretching the hand, the pain goes away.

The treatment is complemented by exercises on the Bubnovsky multifunctional simulator (MTB) and rehabilitation simulators. Exercises on them increase blood circulation in the muscles of the arm, strengthen the joints, and restore their mobility. Strength loads can be supplemented with massage, cryotherapy, electrophoresis and magnetotherapy.

Such an integrated approach affects the root cause of the disease and has a beneficial effect on the entire body as a whole.

What to do if your arm muscles hurt

In most cases, home treatment for arm muscle pain is possible. If they arise due to increased physical activity, you can help yourself in the following ways:

limit the movement of the injured arm using an elastic bandage or a special orthosis;
take a tablet of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory or pain reliever;
during muscle recovery after exercise, you need to drink more water;
In case of a cramp, you need to relax the limb and give a light soothing massage.

Read also: Hygroma after surgery
Pain due to inflammatory or infectious diseases can be relieved only by eliminating their cause. Treatment should be carried out by a doctor after examination and diagnosis.