Pain in upper arm - any ideas?? (While I attempt to make a GP appointment...)

[BigbreastsBiggerbeard]

There's a pain/discomfort that begins at my shoulder and runs down the middle of my upper arm (outside of the bicep) almost to the elbow. It doesn't feel like a muscle at all, more like a tendon. It's there all the time, even when resting, kind of a gentle throb.

There doesn't seem to be any movement I can't do, though I do some things carefully just in case. I've been rubbing volterol gel on it, though not sure it's doing much and anyway, that's for muscle and joint pains I believe. Oddly, the thing that seems to affect it most is playing a scrabble game on my phone!

Does anyone have any idea what this pain might be??

Yes I have this. Could be the same. AC joint rubbing on the tendon, possibly with bursitis. Ice works better than heat, but hest can help. I like the freeze patches best. NSAID patches were good. When it got really bad, I bought myself a hand held ultrasound device to reduce inflammation.
AC joint problems are really common cause of shoulder pain. Mine ran down the arm in thw same place. Your first call is probably physio. Dont leave it though. Good luck.

Interesting, thank you. I have a freeze spray at the moment, but will look at freeze patches. We used to be able to self refer for physio in my area, will see if we still can.

Weirdly I get this when my vitamin D is low. Get your levels checked maybe?

Tendonitis? Try an osteopath or deep tissue masseuse.

Sounds like repetitive strain syndrome. Have you been using that hand more than usual?

I’m with the previous op - low vitamin D. I suffered really bad with arm pain (thinking heart problems and all kinds of things) had full bloods done and had extremely low vitamin D that needed prescribed medication for 10 weeks! Shocked me! Now taking daily vitamin D and since the treatment never had the arm pain again. Ask the doctors to check your levels.

I bet its the beginning of adhesive capsulitis - frozen shoulder.

could be related to your posture,
could it be your neck?

try exercises
heat
cold
pain killers

and playing the game on your phone may well helped cause this?

@IHeartKingThistle - definitely not lacking in vitamin D, quite the opposite! Gp has told me to cut right back on the supplements as my levels are way too high. It's just that they taste like wine gums...

@irene9 - possibly. I have been using that hand a lot for scrabble game on my phone, though been doing that for a few years now. Perhaps that, in conjunction with whatever else is aggravating it, perhaps gym work, though I'm careful.

@MrsLargeEmbodied - I can't see how it caused it, as have been playing for years with no issues. Perhaps, with it now being an issue, that particular activity just makes it twinge more.