Signs and symptoms of an arm injury can develop suddenly in response to an acute trauma or may develop more slowly over time. Common symptoms of an arm injury are as follows:

• Pain in the shoulder, upper arm, elbow, forearm, wrist or hand
• Weakness in the muscles of the shoulder, arm or hand
• Difficulty moving the shoulder, elbow, wrist or hand in one or more directions
• Pain with movement or at rest
• welling or redness around the injured area
• Feelings of instability in any of the arm joints

ANATOMY OF AN ARM INJURY

The arm consists of many complex structures–any of which could be injured. The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint supported and moved by the deltoid muscle, the rotator cuff muscles and muscles of the upper arm like the biceps and triceps muscles. Tendons and ligaments surround the joint. Long muscles extend down the upper arm toward the elbow joint and move the shoulder and elbow. The elbow joint consists of the articulation of three bones–the humerus, ulna and radius. Many muscles attach and insert near the elbow and thus there are several tendons and ligaments nearby. The forearm consists of the radius and ulna bone which connect the elbow to the wrist bones and at least 15 muscles travel through this area.

As you can see, there are quite a few ways to injure your arm. The location of the injury and the structures involved dictate the symptoms as well as the functional implications of the injury. The bones can experience a fracture, the joints may be affected by conditions like osteoarthritis, sprains can affect the ligaments and strains and tendinopathies can affect the muscles and tendons throughout the arm. Some injuries can be pinpointed through careful clinical testing such as palpating for painful tissues or testing the muscles but in some cases imaging such as an x-ray, CT scan, ultrasound or MRI may be recommended for a clearer answer.

Here are some common arm injuries treated by physical therapists:

• Rotator cuff tears
• Shoulder dislocation
• Arm bone fracture
• Cubital tunnel syndrome
• Tendinopathies like golfer’s or tennis elbow
• Ligament sprain

If you decide to work with a physical therapist to help correct your arm injury issues, your entire treatment plan could consist of around 8-20+ different physical therapy sessions that will each last 60-90 minutes. Once you complete your customized rotator cuff physical therapy treatment plan, you will be able to continue to do the prescribed stretches and exercises utilized during your rotator cuff PT sessions yet in the comfort of your own home.

WHAT PHYSICAL THERAPY TREATMENTS ARE BEST FOR AN ARM INJURY?

The answer to this question is truly individualized and depends on many factors such as the type of injury you have sustained, the severity and chronicity of the injury, and other personal factors like your prior activity level and other medical comorbidities. It also depends on whether or not you’ve undergone surgery as a post-surgical protocol may guide your course of care.

Your physical therapist will design an individualized treatment plan for you, however, these are some of the more common arm injury treatments offered by physical therapists and which you might experience when working with your PT:

Modalities and manual therapy techniques to reduce pain and inflammation and promote tissue healing in the earlier stages of healing

• Bracing, taping or splinting may be used to protect healing tissues and reduce discomfort in early stages of healing or as you return to activity
• Education about your injury, the stages of healing and what you can do to participate in your recovery and prevent future injury
• Muscle strength, endurance and power training to improve muscle performance for return to normal activity
• Tissue and joint mobilization, mobility and stretching techniques to restore normal range of motion and flexibility
• Motor control and coordination training to ensure proper muscle activation around the arm
• Sport and work-specific training exercises to prepare the arm to return to your prior activities and limit the risk of future injury.