Arm pain can be terribly irritating and interfere with motion and concentration. It can be caused by arm strain due to lifting heavy loads, it can be the result of joint strain or rotator cuff injury, and it can be something as simple as sleeping in a position that causes you to strain or pinch your arm at night.

In addition to the arm pain, you might experience swelling or stiffness. What can you do to alleviate your arm pain and other symptoms without having to resort to powerful synthetic drugs?

First, just rest. Refrain for at least a couple of days from any activity that might stress and further strain your arm. If you are not sure which activities are straining your arm like that, err on the side of caution--don't worry about being "lazy". Any activity that you suspect, cut out for at least a couple of days.

You can also try to apply ice to the sore area of your arm. Apply an ice pack or simply wrap ice cubes in a towel and apply that. You should especially do this if you experience swelling in your arm. You should apply the ice for 15 or 20 minutes at a time, at least three times per year. For the first two days that you are doing this, don't do or ingest anything that could cause or aggravate inflammation--hot showers, drinking alcoholic beverages, drinking coffee, etc. Some of the things you should avoid for these two days might be a regular part of your daily life, but you can go for 48 hours without them. You should also not smoke for the duration of the time that your arm is in pain.

After this period, assuming the swelling is down, you can start applying heat to your arm pain, such as heat pack. You can also begin doing easy exercises to get your arm's tendons and muscles stronger again so that you prevent future injury. Don't forget to remove all of the jewelry on that arm and that arm's hand if you experience swelling, so that you minimize the chance of strangling or diminishing blood flow.

If swelling continues, try wrapping your arm in a compression bandage. If you experience tingling or your fingertips get very cold, the bandage is too tight and you need to loosen it. Keep it on for up to three days and see if your swelling goes down, and if it doesn't go see a doctor.

Try to elevate your arm when you apply the ice every time you have a chance. Elevate it above your heart so that you will stimulate more blood flow to it and therefore minimize swelling. It's okay to get and wear a sling if you feel that this is helping you.

Massage your arm gently and frequently for five to 10 minutes at a time. However, if it causes more pain for you to do this, don't do it. This might mean you have a serious injury, more than just arm pain, and you should see your doctor.