Pain on my arm, slightly under armpit... need some help.

arfandy said:
Dear BCMembers,

Couple days ago i was playing defensively against hard smasher. During my backhand return, i accidentally hurt my arm..above elbow, on the muscle about 5cm under armpit.......
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Hi there,

If this is the area as what you've explained (a picture will certainly help), then i will assume its an injury involving your tricep muscle. The injury most probably happens as the result of overstretching your tricep muscle as it's contract at the end sequence of your backhand swing since vast majority of injury to this muscle occur when it is contracting while being stretched. Injury that leads to inflammation hence pain and restriction of movements to any part of this muscle structure can yield the same symptom regardless if it is injury to its tendon that attached to the shoulder joint (tricep tendonitis) or rupture to the muscle fiber itself (Tricep Strain).

Normally, a partial injury with proper treatment done during the acute phase (ice compression and rest), anti inflammatory drugs with proper physio will yield a good outcome within few several weeks. However if symptoms continues despite you've already taken certain steps as being advice then further investigation need to be carried out for proper diagnosis hence proper course of treatment and management can be outline.

If possible, seeking treatment from an orthopedic doctor is important and performing a MRI will be the best imaging investigation in this case ( since magnetic resonance has better contrast output for mass like muscle, tendon, nerves etc comparing to CT Scan, Ultrasound and X-ray) to facilitate the nature of your injury (site location and severity if your condition is deteriorating or not improving). This investigation also will also help to rule out near or total muscle rupture which has a different outcome of management as well as to rule out other provisional diagnosis that also can have a near symptoms as what you've described.

It is very imperative for you to have a clear idea of the PROPER diagnosis of the nature of your injury if your condition is not improving regardless of whatever opinion and advice you've been told. By seeing a doctor will definitely help you. On top of it, if it is truly an injury to your tricep muscle and regardless of what diagnosis it is, massaging it will just make your injury worst (since you will just excreting more pressure to the muscle fibers that will ignite more inflammation) and i don't recommend you to do this. Constant ice compression (not exceeding 10 minutes per application) will be the best pain and inflammation reliever for you now while arranging for appropriate investigation and management if symptoms get worst. Bandage the area of pain also to confine the inflammation area and take as well any prescribed NSAIDS if given to alleviate any pain experience.

Since it has been already been few days since the injury started, the course of the healing outcome can only be determine by your prompt action in reducing the inflammation from getting worst and by observing the severity of your present symptom and movement will eventually give you some clue to what extent most likely your injury will be. If it does not getting better smoothly, as i said seek expert medical advice for proper diagnosis and treatment.

SS
 
Here's a pic, show us where your pain is.

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despite only NOT able to do smashing (or any arm movement that requires fast responses), i still doing some regular weekly (only once a week, instead of twice before the problem) weight lifting (seated shoulder presses, front raises (5kg), single arm row (5kg), concentration curls (5kg), & overhead triceps extensions(5kg)), can't do much push-ups nowadays but still within just fine. no pain comes during/after doing all these repeated routine. is it, MAYBE, the reason the pain lasted for a month now? i was planning if the pain persists for another 4-5 months, then i'll have to visit Bangkok soon and get proper med check-up.
 
Very clear that the first step to recovery has not been observer.

RICE. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. In a but shell stop taxing the related muscle.

You sound like you are training towards a certain goal thus anxious to keep going at it despite the paim. Some times taking 1 step back is necessary to take two steps forward.

Focus on other parts of your body / aspects of your game during this period.

If no improvement after two weeks of rice, then u have a healing issue
 
Thanks. I'll try to R.I.C.E my current self for few weeks and see how thing goes. In addition to applying Ice pack, i also apply Heat pack on the muscle, followed by some Counterpain gel to the affected area & been doing since beginning. Hope Heat Pack isn't the wrong treatment for muscle relaxation.
 
arfandy said:
Thanks. I'll try to R.I.C.E my current self for few weeks and see how thing goes. In addition to applying Ice pack, i also apply Heat pack on the muscle, followed by some Counterpain gel to the affected area & been doing since beginning. Hope Heat Pack isn't the wrong treatment for muscle relaxation.
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If there is still pain, DONT and NEVER heat pack it as these will flare up the inflammation more.

You must understand that the pain, swelling and thus restriction of movement at the affected area is the result of inflammation process that follows due to the injury that happens. This inflammation is a results of a complex biological reaction triggered by inflammatory mediators released from the injured tissue and also from the vascular response at the injury site . This is how clinically your body react in confining a threat in which the nature of the threat here is an injured tissue around your tricep muscle.

Since the severity of the swelling that happens (as a result of fluid leakage from your blood vessels triggered by the inflammatory mediators from the injured tissue) will be the biggest threat that can determine the course of your recovery, if you apply ice at an optimal time frame ( ~ 10 minutes preferably per application), this will enough to constrict the blood vessels along at its course at the injury area ( in which the arteries and capillaries) in your hope to reduce the swelling from deteriorating by restricting fluid leakage that consist of antibodies and protein from further accumulating at the injury site.

If you apply heat and you are doing the opposite approach where by heat application, the blood vessel will further dilate thus making the inflammation process even worst.

SS
 
arfandy said:
It's been 4 weeks now, and i still can't do smashing. Forehand/backhand clear is okay now, flat drive, defense, are all okay. Only problem, when i smash... my arm would hurt like being punch. Is it normal for muscle torn to last months?
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I kind of have this problem too last weak but not as severe I couldn't smash or clear as I pronate forward my shoulder and under my arm hurts too. Some of my friends said that I might've changed my swing without noticing :0
 
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