Armpit pain

definition

Armpit pain can have many causes. From an anatomical point of view, the armpit is the cavity under the shoulder joint that is formed by various muscle groups. Since many important structures and conduction pathways for the chest and arms run in the anatomically close vicinity of the shoulder joint, pain, diseases and injuries in the armpit area should be taken seriously.

Causes of armpit pain

The causes of armpit pain can be serious and harmless. In this area, in addition to the joint structures, tendons and muscles of the shoulder girdle, numerous nerves, blood vessels and lymph vessels run on both sides. The armpit is also a focal point of many lymph nodes that collect lymph from the arms, chest, and neck structures.Since the causes are numerous, the exact type of pain, duration of pain and accompanying circumstances must be inquired about at the beginning of the diagnosis, as they limit the potential causes many times over.

Possible, often harmless causes of pain under the armpit are injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system in the shoulder area. This can affect the humerus, shoulder joint, shoulder blade or collarbone. There are also frequent strains, tears or tension in the muscles that make up the armpit. These include in particular the chest and upper back muscles, as well as the so-called "rotator cuff" of the shoulder.

Read more about the topic here: Rotator cuff tear

Pain under the armpits can also be due to inflammation. In most cases, inflammation is caused by pathogens that have penetrated the skin or lymph nodes and cause painful reddening with swelling. The skin is a frequent gateway for bacteria, viruses and fungi. The likelihood of infection is increased, particularly after minor injuries, for example after shaving. Since the lymph nodes in the armpit represent a central collection point, pathogens can also get into the armpit in this way. Painful swollen armpit lymph nodes are often found after a viral infection, for example after measles or Pfeiffer's glandular fever.

In rare cases, the lymph nodes can swell without inflammation. This can lead to an uncomfortable, painful feeling of pressure. Such a swelling may appear for no reason or as a result of a malignant disease in the drainage area of ​​the axillary lymph nodes.

Pain in the armpit from tension

Tension or strain in muscles near the armpit can cause pain under the armpit. These include the muscles of the rotator cuff, the pectoral muscles of the chest and the large back muscle, the "latissimus dorsi".

Especially with jerky and incorrect movements (such as throwing sports), the shoulder muscles in the limb can be painfully damaged by jerky movements, which can also lead to tension.

Pain in the armpit from the thyroid gland

Pain under the armpit is rarely caused by the thyroid gland. Nowadays, thyroid surgery for hyperfunction, lump or cancer can be performed through an armpit access route. A scar on the neck is avoided, but postoperative pain and inflammation in the armpit can occur.

Armpit pain can also occur as part of thyroid cancer. The cancer can infiltrate the surrounding lymph nodes, causing them to swell. The pressure on surrounding structures can cause slight pain in the armpit.

Read more about the topic here: Signs of thyroid cancer

Pain under the armpit, under the right armpit

Pain under the armpit is unilateral in almost all cases. Since it is mostly local events, an infestation on both sides is unlikely.
In athletes, pain in the right armpit can indicate exercise-related symptoms. In most people, the right arm is dominant and therefore more often injured. Lymph node swellings and local inflammation also occur in most cases on one side, for example on the right.

Breast cancer and its treatment always include the armpit and its lymph nodes.

Pain under left armpit

Symptoms that originate from muscles are generally less common on the left side. On the left side, inflammation and discomfort of the soft tissues in the armpit are in the foreground.

In rare cases, internal organs can also project pain onto the body surface. This can often be observed in heart attacks, which can lead to sharp pain in the left arm, armpit or lower jaw.

Read more on the topic: Signs of a heart attack

Concomitant symptoms

Concomitant symptoms vary widely with the underlying cause of the armpit pain. The accompanying symptoms often provide the decisive clues for a final diagnosis. If the patient reports of a recently shaved armpit and now itching, pain, swelling and redness under the armpit, an inflammation is likely.

Also read our topic: Inflammation of the armpit - how dangerous is it?

Inflammations that arise in other ways also trigger the typical signs of inflammation of redness, swelling, impaired function, overheating, pain.

Muscular complaints, which are very often found in the armpit, are associated with pressure, touch and movement pain. In the case of strains, muscle soreness or tears in a certain muscle group, the corresponding movements are restricted and usually painful. Movement-dependent pain is also often present in diseases of the joint or the bones involved.

Completely different symptoms can be found in pain whose primary cause is not in the armpit area. In the case of a heart attack, for example, the pain in the left arm is only an expression of the pain in the chest, which is accompanied by tightness and shortness of breath.

Systemic malignancies vary greatly in their symptoms. Often the first physical signs are rapid weight loss, tiredness and a reduced general well-being.

Swollen lymph nodes under the armpit

The armpit is a very important collection point for lymphatic vessels in the body. The excess tissue fluid from the entire body collects in lymph node stations in the armpits and the groin and is then returned to the venous blood. The lymph nodes filter the tissue fluid for foreign substances and pathogens in order to sensitize the body to them and then to produce antibodies.
Swelling of the lymph nodes occurs in most cases as a result of infections with bacterial or viral pathogens. For example, in typical childhood viral diseases, viruses accumulate in the lymph nodes and cause swelling and slight painful inflammation there. In most cases, the swelling goes down after the disease has healed.

Lymph nodes can also swell with malignant diseases, for example of the breast. Malignant cells are transported by the lymph to the lymph nodes, where they cause small colonizations. When treating cancer, they must be removed as well, as otherwise malignant cells can spread quickly through the body via the lymphatic system.

Pressure-related pain under the armpit

A pressure-related pain under the armpit speaks primarily for a local inflammatory process.

Malignant diseases usually do not cause painful lymph nodes, which makes them very unlikely. More likely it is an infectious disease that can affect the whole body or just the armpit.

Musculoskeletal complaints can also include tenderness. In acute injuries to the bone or muscle, local inflammation often occurs as a reaction of the body. These also lead to pressure-dependent pain.

Pain under the chest too

Chest discomfort that is accompanied by pain under the armpit should definitely be clarified by a doctor. Again, only inflammation can be present. Breast inflammation can occur more frequently during the mother's breastfeeding period. In the case of largely painless changes in the breast, for example palpable lumps, a feeling of tightness in the breast or retraction of the nipple, cancer can rarely be present.

Even if benign nodules are significantly more common, hardening should be diagnosed precisely. If there are additional easily palpable, painless enlarged lymph nodes in the armpit, there is an increased suspicion of a malignant disease.

Pain under armpit when moving

Movement-related pain suggests a musculoskeletal problem, which includes muscles, tendons, the shoulder joint, and the bones involved. Rough violence, falls, jerky movements, fast sports or simply overloading the muscles can cause movement-dependent pain under the armpit.
In the case of bone fractures, the fracture points can be moved through movement and cause severe pain. Muscle and tendon injuries, on the other hand, quickly lead to local inflammation that is very sensitive to touch and pressure.

Pain under armpit after shaving

Many people regularly shave under their armpits. Razor blades and other sharp objects are often used for this, which lead to minor injuries to the skin. Apart from the small visible cuts, many micro-injuries of the skin occur unnoticed, which represent a potential entry point for germs on the skin surface. After shaving, minor or major inflammations and painful swelling of the lymph nodes can develop in the armpit.

Diagnosis of pain under the armpit

The diagnosis is largely made with the help of a targeted questioning and physical examination. Even if the causes of pain under the armpit are wide-ranging, the possible reasons can be narrowed down based on the accompanying circumstances. Depending on the suspected diagnosis, further invasive examinations may have to be carried out. Joint problems and muscle tears in the shoulder can be examined and treated in an arthroscopy, whereby a rigid endoscope with a light and a camera is inserted through the skin into the joint.

Diseases affecting the entire body may need to be examined more closely using blood tests or radiological imaging procedures.

Treating armpit pain

Treatment for armpit pain varies widely with the underlying cause and can be symptomatic or causal. A potential symptomatic therapy that covers many causes is the primary administration of mild pain medication. The most common representatives are paracetamol, ibuprofen or diclofenac. Causal therapies can only be carried out after a specific diagnosis has been made. Symptoms of the musculoskeletal system must be spared, immobilized or even operated on, depending on their severity.

Duration of pain

The duration of the complaints depends on the basic problem. In the case of diseases of the musculoskeletal system but also after infections with painfully swollen lymph nodes, the symptoms usually subside after successful treatment.
Malignant diseases often have to be treated for a long time so that the symptoms under the armpit can subside or persist, which varies greatly from person to person. Even with diseases of the muscles, joints and bones, pain can become chronic despite treatment and cause recurring complaints.