Written By: Chloe Wilson BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy
Reviewed By: SPE Medical Review Board
Pain in the forearm is a common problem, typically caused by an injury, repetitive overuse or nerve damage.
Around 5-10% of people will experience forearm pain each year, typically affecting their dominant arm.
There may be pain in the front or back of the forearm which might also extend to the elbow, wrist and/or hand.
Most cases of forearm pain will settle with a combination of home treatments and exercises, but in some cases, steroid injections or surgery may be necessary.
Here we will look at the common causes of pain in the forearm, how to tell which one you have and the best treatment options.
Forearm pain refers to problems in the area between the elbow and the wrist.
Damage to any of the structures in this region or nearby can cause pain in the forearm:
Pain in the forearm can develop from a number of reasons and is usually caused by:
Right forearm pain is more common than left forearm pain as more often than not, it is the dominant arm that is affected and 85-90% of the population are right handed.
Let’s start by looking at the most common causes of pain in the forearm, how they present and how to work out which one is causing your problem:
Forearm tendonitis is the most common cause of a dull, aching pain in the forearm.
Typically caused by repetitive overuse, forearm tendonitis occurs when there is irritation or inflammation of one or more of the forearm tendons.
Athletes, office workers and construction workers are particularly prone for pain in the forearm from tendonitis due to the repetitive nature of their activities.
With forearm tendonitis, there is typically an aching or burning pain in the forearm that gets worse with actions like gripping or typing and there is often some associated forearm weakness.
The three main types of tendonitis that cause pain in the forearm are:
You can find out more about how to treat pain in the forearm from these different types of tendonitis in the forearm tendonitis section.
Another common cause of pain in the forearm is brachioradialis muscle pain.
Irritation of the brachioradialis muscle causes outer forearm pain that radiates down the back of the forearm often into the back of the hand, thumb and index finger.
Common activities that cause pain in the forearm from brachioradialis muscle problems include holding a mug, turning door handles, shaking hands, using DIY tools and racket sports.
Brachioradialis pain is another repetitive overuse injury causing pain in the forearm but it can also develop after sudden overloading e.g. picking up a heavy object or a direct blow to the forearm.
You can find out more about brachioradialis pain in the forearm including the common causes, symptoms, diagnosis and best treatment options in the Brachioradialis Pain section
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common cause of tingling, numbness and pain in the forearm and hand.
It is caused by compression of the median nerve as it travels from the forearm to the hand through a tight, rigid tunnel at the wrist, known as the carpal tunnel.
Anything that reduces the size of the carpal tunnel e.g. swelling from overuse or hormonal changes, arthritis, wrist injuries or certain medical conditions, increases the pressure on the median nerve resulting in nerve irritation.
Common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include tingling, numbness and burning pain in the forearm, wrist and fingers that are often worse at night. You may notice also some weakness in the hand that make it difficult to do fine movements e.g. buttoning clothes, or causes you to drop things.
While carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms are typically worse in the hand, particularly the middle three fingers and thumb, there is often a radiating pain in the forearm too.
Compression or irritation of one of the nerves in the lower portion of the neck is another common cause of pain in the forearm, known as cervical radiculopathy.
Forearm pain from cervical radiculopathy may be caused by:
While the problem originates from the neck, symptoms of cervical radiculopathy can be felt anywhere along the path of the nerve between the neck and the hand.
Often, there is no pain in the neck itself, but there may be altered sensation e.g. tingling or numbness and pain further down the arm.
Pain in the forearm from cervical radiculopathy tends to be a sharp, shooting or burning pain, and you may experience sudden, intense sensations similar to an electric shock. There may be weakness as well as pins and needles and/or numbness in the forearm and hand. Symptoms of cervical radiculopathy often get worse when you move your head into a certain position or when sitting slouched for long periods.
You can find out all about how cervical radiculopathy causes pain in the forearm and the different causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options in the Arm Nerve Pain section.
Another possible cause of outer forearm pain and weakness is radial tunnel syndrome, aka radial nerve entrapment.
The radial nerve passes through a small channel on the outer forearm known as the radial tunnel approximately 3cm below the elbow.
Irritation and inflammation of the structures on the outer forearm can reduce the space in the radial tunnel which causes compression and pinching of the radial nerve. The most common cause of pain in the forearm from radial tunnel syndrome is repetitive gripping and twisting movements of the forearm.
Radial tunnel syndrome typically causes outer forearm pain, usually starting midway down the forearm rather than near the elbow. People often describe it as a burning pain or nagging toothache type pain that gets worse with gripping, lifting and twisting activities. The pain in the forearm from radial tunnel syndrome is often worse at night and there may be some weakness in the forearm and wrist.
Unlike other nerve compression problems, radial tunnel syndrome doesn’t usually cause any sensory changes e.g. tingling or numbness as the sensory part of the radial nerve doesn’t pass through the radial tunnel.
Find out more about radial nerve pain in the forearm including the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options in the Radial Tunnel Syndrome section.
Sudden pain in the forearm is often caused by an injury such as a fall or direct blow which damages the soft tissues or bone. Common forearm injuries include:
Some other less common causes of pain in the forearm are:
The best treatment for pain in the forearm will partly depend on the underlying cause but usually involves a combination of:
You can find out more about the best treatments for each specific cause of pain in the forearm:
Pain in the forearm is a common problem usually caused by repetitive overuse, nerve damage or trauma.
Forearm pain near the elbow is usually caused by tennis elbow (outer side), golfers elbow (inner side) or biceps tendonitis (front of elbow)
Top of forearm pain is usually caused by forearm tendonitis, brachioradialis pain, an injury e.g. fracture or radial tunnel syndrome
Wrist and forearm pain is usually due to brachioradialis pain (outer side), carpal tunnel syndrome (tingling and numbness in hand), intersection syndrome (back of forearm) or a wrist fracture from a fall
Thumb and forearm pain is usually due to brachioradialis pain or nerve damage
Nerve pain in the forearm is usually a burning, sharp or stabbing pain often accompanied by tingling or numbness, usually due to nerve compression in the neck, radial tunnel, cubital tunnel or carpel tunnel
Shoulder and forearm pain is usually caused by a nerve problem in the neck. It is very rare for a problem in the shoulder to refer pain below the elbow unless one of the nerves is involved
A sharp pain in the forearm is usually due to a fracture or nerve pain
Right forearm pain is much more common than left forearm pain as a vast majority of the population is right handed
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Page Last Updated: September 10th, 2024
Next Review Due: September 10th, 2026