There can be many reasons for pain in the upper arms. Fatigue and overwork or frozen nerves in the shoulder are the most common disorders that cause this pain. Most often arm pain is a symptom of problems in the cervical spine. This problem should ideally affect the neck; however, the pain can transmit to the arms, wrists, and shoulders. This condition is usually caused due to the constant wear and tear of muscles caused by the overuse of the muscles.
However, your problem seems to be a case of pressure palsy. Pressure palsy can occur due to prolonged pressure on any body part that causes the nerves to get pinched. The flow of the blood reduces due to this prolonged pressure. When you rest your head on your arm for a long period of time, the blood circulation to the limb gets affected and you experience a numbing of the arm or slight pain. This numbing and pain in the arm usually lasts for a few minutes; however, in certain cases, it can get prolonged, and the pain remains for months. Fortunately, the longest stint of pressure palsy is usually 2 to 3 months, and it rarely ever goes beyond that. The pain in such a condition varies from person to person, depending upon the exact location of the depressed nerves and the location of the pressure palsy. Sometimes, the pain is so severe, that moving even a single muscle seems to be a very difficult job. For people who suffer from this condition, performing simple actions like holding a pen or writing can become very painful.
Along with the impairment of fine motor actions, the arm may feel lifeless. Although the weakness and the pain go away gradually, for the time that they remain, they cause a lot of discomfort. Fortunately, for most of the people, pressure palsy symptoms get better rapidly. Still, there are many who suffer from permanent nerve damage because of their habit of tucking their arm under their head while sleeping. More than the amount of pressure, it is the amount of time that the nerve is compressed, that makes pressure palsy severe. A lot of people who suffer from brief bouts of pressure palsy recommend therapy from a chiropractor. A complete alternative therapy, chiropractic therapy has been able to successfully cure the arm pains of many people suffering from pressure palsy. To prevent such pain in the future, place a pillow under your head for support instead of your arm. Keep your arms tucked in your sides while you sleep.
answered by M W