What Causes Pain in the Arm Muscles? Any Remedies?

The most common cause of muscle pain in the arm is inflammation of the muscles or tendons due to overuse. Relatively large muscles in the arm such as the deltoid, biceps brachii, triceps brachii, and brachioradialis are common culprits of pain. Additionally, inflammation at the tendon that continues from the muscle to the site where the tendon attaches to the bone often causes arm pain. Specific tendons may be affected based on the specific activity or repetitive motions like biceps tendinitis, lateral epicondylitis, and medial epicondylitis. For most of these conditions, stretching and rest are effective treatments. Other remedies include ice, compression, gradual return to prior activity levels and/or a short course of anti-inflammatory medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.