Less common causes of arm pain

Less commonly, arm pain may be caused by one of the following conditions or injuries:

• de Quervain’s tenosynovitis – inflammation of the tendons on the inside of the wrist
• cervical rib – where you have an extra rib above your normal top rib, which may cause pain, tingling or numbness in the arm
• inflammation of the nerves in the arm (known as ‘brachial and ulnar neuritis’) – this may occur after shingles
• damage to the nerves connecting the spine and the arm (a ‘brachial plexus injury’) – this can be caused by over-stretching the arm or shoulder and most often occurs during contact sports or a motor vehicle accident
• arthritis of the elbow – which can cause the elbow joint to become inflamed (swollen, warm and painful) and feel stiff
• a broken arm, usually caused by a fall onto an outstretched arm