Having noticed severe pain on left arm,elbow & shoulder
Patient: Bicipital problem or shoulder problem? Last thursday went to gym did the 30 minute circuit, which exercises everything in 10 different machines. After doing the 3 leg machines which are the first 3 mschines, felt severe pain in right arm between above elbow and shoulder. Iced my arm all thursday night in bed. Friday when I went to work. Still had severe pain, hurt to even lift arm at any level. Saturday had mild-moderate pain in arm. Sunday and today barely any pain.. what would have caused this? Haven t been to gym since thursday. Should I have gotten it checked out? Who to see? What if I do nothing? Went to gym today, did biceps/triceps, no pain. Always wear a tennis elbow strap doing tricep exercises, otherwise pain in elbow joint. Currently no insurance. Doctor: Ok lets keep it simple and really specific for you.I dont like giving generic answers to my patients. so heres something to get your money's worth1) first are you relatively new to the 30min circuit or have you added seomthing in the regimen, if yes you have a   DOMS ( delayed onset muscle soreness).Postexercise muscle soreness, also known as delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), is defined as the sensation of discomfort or pain in the skeletal muscles following physical activity to which an individual is not accustomed to.The incidence of DOMS is difficult to calculate, because most people who experience it do not seek medical attention, instead accepting DOMS as a temporary discomfort. Every healthy adult most likely has developed DOMS on countless occasions, with the condition occurring regardless of the person's general fitness level. 2) then your next question would be, why does this happen?its caused by accumulation of waste by- products after muscle activity, these waste products can serve as a pain chemical.small tears in the muscle after an accustomed exercise is an additional factor3) doc what do i do?well DOMS just like in your case is a self limiting disease, meaning it wont get worse. it usually resolves in a week (max) so if the pain goes away on its own, best thing to do will be to stretch before you exercise, adjust the timer to 40mins initially, or switch to a more basic exercises for your arms first then switch gradually after a week to your preferred 30mins regimen. ( if you have a trainor now is the time to employ his/ her expertise)as of now no urgent need to see a doctor :) advanced merry christmas ( Dr. Charles, Orthopedic Surgeon)