Pain in Upper Right Arm Between Elbow and Shoulder: Why It Happens & What Helps You Keep Moving
We’ve all had those days where we were more active lifting, carrying, working in the garden, losing track of time playing pickle ball, or deeply engaged with work on our computer.
When we finally stop, we notice a new sensation, pain in upper right arm between elbow and shoulder.
The pain isn’t at the shoulder joint or the elbow joint, so it often feels confusing to experience this “in between” pain.
You might even be wracking your brain…
Is this my shoulder?
Did I strain something?
Why does my upper right arm between my elbow and shoulder hurt?
When it comes to this in-between upper arm pain, the discomfort can be coming from different locations.
It might be referred from your:
Neck
Shoulder
Shoulder blade
Rotator cuff muscles
Or even from stress
Once we can pinpoint the likely source of pain, it’s often very treatable and it doesn’t need to stop you from doing the activities you love.
In this post, we’ll look at:
Where exactly is pain in upper right arm between elbow and shoulder?
Common causes of pain in the upper right arm
Why pain in the upper right arm is often worse with certain movements or at night
When to be concerned (and when not to panic)
How physical therapy helps right upper arm pain
What you can do right now for pain in your right upper arm
Where exactly is the pain in the upper right arm between the elbow and shoulder?
The region between the elbow and the shoulder, the upper arm, is called the humerus. It’s a long bone that forms one half of the shoulder joint and one half of the elbow joint.
Many muscles surround the humerus, some of which you might already be familiar with. The primary three muscles are the:
Biceps
Triceps
Deltoid
In addition, we have smaller muscles of the rotator cuff that help stabilize the shoulder joint, as well as muscles that cross from the elbow to the forearm and help rotate the forearm into palm-up and palm-down positions.
Injuries to the biceps, triceps, and deltoid can all cause pain in the upper arm.
We can also experience pain in the upper arm that is referred from the rotator cuff muscles or from the neck via irritated nerves or joints.
Because there are so many possible contributors, identifying the exact source of pain can sometimes feel like peeling back the layers of an onion.
That doesn’t mean we can’t make progress. Regardless of the origin of the pain, we can use movement as a guide to help direct treatment. Often, restoring movement in joints that are stiff while improving strength and stability can have significant and positive effects on upper arm pain.
Common causes of pain in the upper right arm
While there are many causes of pain in the upper right arm, there are a few I commonly see.
Muscle strain, tendon irritation, or overuse
This can occur with repetitive lifting or overhead reaching, yard work, strength training, and racket sports like pickleball. Overuse strains often happen when you haven’t done an activity for a while—like yard work for a few months—and then jump back in at a level your body isn’t ready for.
Shoulder-related pain referring into the arm
The tendons of the rotator cuff often refer pain to the mid-upper arm. Irritation of these tendons can be due to overuse, strain, or traumatic injury.
Neck or nerve involvement
Irritation of the joints or soft tissues in the neck, or irritation of the nerves in and around the neck, can cause referred or radiating pain into the upper arm.
Posture or movement habits
Sometimes posture and habitual movement patterns can lead to overuse and irritation of the muscles and tendons around the shoulder and upper arm.
As you can see, there are many potential contributors to upper arm pain, and several of them can overlap.
While pain in the upper arm can be frustrating and may limit your active lifestyle, it doesn’t always mean there’s tissue damage.
Why pain in the upper right arm is often worse with certain movements or at night
Some common patterns that can increase upper arm pain include:
Reaching, lifting, or pulling
If you have a sudden increase in shoulder use such as starting a strength training program, group exercise class, new job, new hobby, or returning to an activity after a season away, the increased demand on the muscles around the shoulder and shoulder blade can lead to irritation.
Most often, my patients don’t need to stop activity completely. Instead, they benefit from temporarily modifying load and/or volume to allow muscles and tendons to adapt. Once tissue capacity improves, they’re usually able to gradually return to their desired level of activity.
When lying on one side or sleeping
When we have irritation to the upper arm, it can often become more aggravated with sleep, particularly as a side sleeper.
If you lie on your painful arm, in this case your right arm, the weight of your body on your right arm and shoulder can be irritating. Unfortunately, many people also feel upper arm pain when lying on their left side.
Ugh! Feels like a lose-lose situation, especially when sleep is such an integral part of the healing process.
There are ways to help support your right arm so you can get more restful sleep.
If you’re a side sleeper, my primary recommendation is to lie on your left side and place a pillow in front of you so your right arm can rest on it. This supports the arm in a more neutral position, which often feels much better.
Pain that comes and goes without a clear reason
Sometimes, pain comes on out of the blue and, as hard as you try, you just can identify any activity or position that would have irritated your right shoulder and caused an increase in pain.
When this happens, I like to zoom out and help patients to see how much load their nervous system is under in the other areas of their life.
If you’re constantly pushing yourself and your body without adequate rest, nutrition, hydration, recovery, or support, your nervous system may try to get your attention and encourage a change, often through the experience of pain.
When to be concerned (and when not to panic)
Symptoms that warrant medical evaluation
While most pain in the upper right arm between the elbow and shoulder is musculoskeletal and treatable with physical therapy, it’s important to seek medical evaluation if you notice:
Pain following a significant fall, accident, or direct trauma
Sudden, severe pain with loss of strength or inability to lift the arm
Progressive numbness, tingling, or weakness in the arm or hand
Unexplained swelling, redness, warmth, or fever
Pain that is constant, worsening, and not influenced by movement or position
Night pain that is severe and unrelenting, especially if it does not change with repositioning
A known history of cancer, infection, or systemic inflammatory conditions combined with new arm pain
These symptoms don’t automatically mean something serious is happening, but they do deserve timely medical assessment.
Symptoms that are uncomfortable but typically not dangerous
Many people experience upper arm pain that feels disruptive but is generally not a sign of serious injury, including:
Pain that comes and goes depending on activity or position
Discomfort with reaching, lifting, pulling, or sleeping
Achy, sore, or tight sensations in the upper arm
Pain that improves with movement, warmth, or gentle activity
Symptoms that fluctuate during times of increased stress, fatigue, or reduced recovery
These patterns are commonly related to muscle, tendon, joint, or nervous system irritation and often respond very well to physical therapy.
How physical therapy helps right upper arm pain
During your first physical therapy visit, we take time to assess your neck, shoulder, and elbow for mobility, strength, control, and coordination. We also talk about your typical movement habits and daily demands, and observe these movement patterns looking for any differences in movement quality between your right and left arms.
Because no two bodies or people are the same, your plan is always based on what shows up in your movement assessment. It’s individualized for you and your goals and designed with your activity preferences in mind, so you can stay as active as possible while you heal.
What you can do right now for pain in your right upper arm
If you’re wondering what you can do right now to reduce pain in your upper right arm, here are a few ideas.
Relative rest vs complete rest
I rarely recommend complete rest. This is where self-awareness becomes important and where you get to stay in charge of how you respond to your pain.
When it comes to relative rest, I often use a stop-light approach to help determine which activities you can continue and which might need to take a temporary break or modification.
If your pain is:
Low: carry on with activity
Moderate: proceed with caution and consider modifying intensity, volume, load, or range of motion
High: you’re not necessarily causing damage, but you may be further irritating your arm, so it’s best to modify or avoid the activity temporarily
Gentle movement
Moving your body in ways that feel good, especially movement that increases your heart rate and breathing, and that gets you outside (if that’s safe for you to do) releases feel-good hormones that can help reduce pain.
Noticing patterns that aggravate or relieve pain
Leaning into curiosity and awareness of what you’re feeling in your body is a powerful practice. The more you notice what feels supportive vs aggravating, the more you can adjust your movement patterns to reduce irritation in your upper arm.
Where to find physical therapy in Bend, OR for pain in your upper right arm between your elbow and shoulder
Pain in the upper right arm between the elbow and shoulder doesn’t have to limit your active lifestyle.
If you’re in or near Bend, Oregon, I offer personalized physical therapy treatment to help relieve your upper arm pain and support your return to movement.
You can get started by learning more about my physical therapy services in Bend, OR or by getting in touch with me.
If you have questions, I’d love to connect, hear how your upper arm pain is affecting your well-being, answer your questions, and explore how I can help.
You can schedule a free consultation here.
Disclaimer: this post is intended for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. If you are experiencing pain, it is always in your best interest to consult with your medical doctor and/or your physical therapist.
