Arm Swelling, Serious?

My right arm is ridiculously swollen and puffy and I’m not sure if it’s something to be worried about. It started yesterday which is about a day after I did my arms routine. It’s not painful. It’s just puffy and swollen, mostly around the elbow and higher part of the forearm. It’s swollen so much though that it’s beginning to feel tight.

I’m a bit new and I haven’t had any training injuries before so I don’t know what to make of this. I’m going to see a doctor if it doesn’t go down in a few days. However I’d like to know if any of you could give me a little insight here.

go to the doctor you might have pulled a muscle or broke a bone

From my understanding this is relatively common from unaccustomed intense exercise.

One of my classmates experienced this after his first bout of resistance exercise ever as a biceps endurance test - but he experienced quite a bit of pain associated with the swelling.

It usually goes away in a few days… but you’re right to go to your doctor if it doesn’t.
You could try the old RICE (rest ice compression elevation) if you’re particularly worried for the time being.

Yes. This is serious. Check for “bruising” or spidery blue veins you don’t normally see. This could be Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, cause by your muscle and rib in your shoulder pinching your brachial vein shut. This causes a blood clot to form so the arm swells up and the blood finds alternate routes, hence the “bruising”. I had this back in March and was hospitalized for four weeks.

If you notice any blue coloration you should go to the ER. Either way I’d recommend you get it checked out. Oh Thoracic Outlet Syndrome is kind of rare, but the ER doctor can identify the clot easily, but they won’t suspect TOS. Radiologists love it for some reason.

[quote]n3wb wrote:
go to the doctor you might have pulled a muscle or broke a bone[/quote]

Typically those would cause some pain… one would think.

Just go to a doctor. Why “wait” to see if it goes away?

agreeing with everybody here, but adding to it. if you’re still living with the parents/teen, insurance should (god help you i hope) cover it.

if you’re in college, hit the clinic.

if you’re poor, hit the pub clinic. then die of an infection probably, but at least they’ll tell you what the swelling was.

nothin to lose/no shame in hittin a doc up. unless you’re poor. then you’re gonna die.

Hey, I would be worried if it were my arm. But since it’s your arm, I’m not worried at all.