Arm pain after sneezing

Arm pain after sneezing: What does it feel like?

Strangely enough, arm pain and sneezing can be linked.

Different people can experience different types of arm pain when they sneeze; some feel pain and loss of sensitivity in their elbow after letting out a big sneeze, and some have a pain that radiates across their shoulders and all the way down their arm. Arm pain associated with sneezing usually doesn't last for longer than a few seconds, but it can sometimes continue for minutes and can move down the arm to the fingers.

For some people, the physical sensation they get after sneezing is a tingling in the chest and arm. For this reason, some people relate arm pain from sneezing to potential heart problems, or they may even worry they are suffering from a heart attack.

The pain in this case usually stems from the neck and travels down the arm to the fingers, which is similar to the pain experienced due to heart diseases. However, these two conditions are not connected in most cases, as arm pain while sneezing is usually caused by back problems rather than any cardiovascular condition.

Causes of arm pain after sneezing

Medical experts say that arm pain experienced after or during sneezing is most commonly caused by a trapped nerve in the back, arm or neck.

This pain can also possibly be caused by vertebrae dislocation and other problems of the spine. Sneezing can cause an increase in the pressure exerted on the displaced vertebrae, affecting the nerves in the arm too, and in turn causing arm pain to occur at the same time as the sneezing, or shortly after.

Certain back and neck injuries can weaken the spinal column. This structural deficiency usually goes unnoticed until a sudden action (like coughing and sneezing, or even vigorous laughter) occurs and jostles the affected bones or tendons, causing pain to radiate through the back and shoulders and down the arm.

When we sneeze, the muscles in the upper back tense up. During particularly long bouts of sneezing like we may experience during allergy season, or during fairly severe sneezes, the muscles can contract intensely and may lead to muscle strain. This in turn causes the muscles to ache as they try to restore themselves, and unfortunately this ache can also radiate to the arms.

Treatment for arm pain associated with sneezing?

Treatment for arm pain associated with sneezing very much depends on the exact cause of the arm pain.

For persistent cases of arm pain while sneezing or after sneezing, you may benefit from seeking medical help so that a doctor can examine the problem and determine the cause. Once the doctor has determined where the pain originates, how often it occurs, and how long it lasts, they can make an accurate judgement about the cause and will prescribe an appropriate course of treatment.

Under your doctor's supervision, pain relief medication can be taken to alleviate the pain caused by a trapped nerve. Strained muscles or inflammations can be treated with cold or warm compresses. Sufficient rest is also advised to aid the healing process.

It is important to determine the cause of the arm pain caused by sneezing, but if your frequent sneezes are caused by allergies, you can also receive treatment for them to prevent frequent sneezing (along with other unpleasant symptoms). This would also help alleviate the strain on your nerves and muscles.