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Here are a effective natural treatments for Armpit Pain
Armpit pain or a general pain in the underarm area can be caused by a number of different reasons. Our underarm areas contain many lymph nodes that can become inflamed and infected, which can cause pain in your left armpit as well as in your right armpit. There are also many muscles, tendons, and nerves in the armpits which can cause discomfort or pain in the underarm area if they are damaged or inflamed.
Many people become very anxious if they have armpit pain, especially if it’s accompanied by a lump or swelling. In most cases, the cause of the underarm pain is harmless and will go away on its own. Of course, there are serious conditions involving pain under the armpit, and you should always seek medical attention, especially if the pain doesn’t go away.
In this article, I’m going to look at the causes of armpit pain and what natural treatments you can use to relieve underarm pain.
Causes of Armpit Pain
Some people experience some discomfort or slight pain under their armpit, whereas for some the underarm pain is severe. What are the causes of discomfort or pain under the left armpit or right one?
Swollen Lymph Nodes
Swollen lymph nodes can be a reason for armpit pain. Part of the body’s immune system is thelymphatic system comprising of lymph nodes in different areas of the body. One of those areas is the armpits. Dr. Jennifer Robinson on WebMD says that infections can cause the lymph nodes to swell and that can cause pain.1 So, tenderness and pain in underarms can be a sign that your body is fighting an infection.
Dr. Robinson also says that if you have a hard lump under your armpit that doesn’t move and doesn’t cause pain, you should see a health care provider.
Another condition connected with the lymphatic system that can cause underarm pain is lymphangitis. This is caused by a streptococcal bacterial skin infection. Dr. Jatin M. Vyas from Harvard Medical School says that some of the symptoms of lymphangitis are fever, enlarged and tender lymph nodes in the armpit, elbow or groin, red streaks from the infected area to the armpit or groin, and pain.2
Armpit Rash
An armpit rash can also be a reason why you have discomfort or pain in your armpit. Of course, you will be able to see the rash and it could be accompanied with red itchy patches and flaky skin.
There are many reasons for an armpit rash that causes pain in the underarm area. WebMD says that some of these are:3
- Dermatitis or psoriasis
- Fungal infections
- Candidiasis
- Ringworms
- Staphylococcus infection
To help treat your underarm rash you can use some coconut oil on the affected area. Coconut oil has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and moisturizing properties4 that can help to relieve armpit pain that is caused by a rash.
Coconut oil also helps to topically treat candida (yeast) infections.5 All you have to do is apply coconut oil to the underarm area several times a day to treat the rash and relieve the discomfort or pain. For more information, read my ultimate guide about using coconut oil for yeast infections.
You can also add 2-3 drops of tea tree essential oil to 1 tbsp. coconut oil and apply to the affected area. Tea tree has many antifungal properties that can help to kill infections and soothe the pain that is caused by a rash in the underarm areas.
Aloe vera can also help you treat armpit rash that is causing you pain in that area. Aloe vera has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory effects and you can use it to treat various skin problems including underarm rash. For more information, please read my article about the benefits and uses of aloe vera for skin.
Sometimes your deodorant can cause a sore rash under your armpit. Coconut oil can be used as an ingredient in a natural deodorant. If you are interested in switching to natural deodorants to avoid armpit rash and discomfort, you should read my article: The Best Natural Home Remedies to Get Rid of Underarm Odor.
Pulled Muscle
A pulled muscle can cause you severe armpit pain. Pulled muscles usually happen when you strain your arm too much, for example, when exercising or lifting heavy items, or from doing a repetitive action over a long period of time.
To relieve the underarm pain caused by a pulled muscle, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases recommend resting the affected arm. Then to ease the pain, you can apply an ice pack for 20 minutes 4 – 8 times a day.6 Remember never to apply ice directly on the skin. You should be aware that a cold treatment should be used for 24 to 48 hours after an injury. After this period you need to use heat therapy, as I’ve mentioned in my guide about cold and heat therapy for pain.
Shoulder Dislocation
If you dislocate your shoulder you will obviously have intense pain in under your armpit and shoulder area. You could also experience tingling, weakness, or numbness in your neck and arm.
In case of shoulder dislocation you should seek prompt medical attention.7 The Mayo Clinic recommends that to ease the pain of a dislocated shoulder you should apply ice to the tender area for 20 minutes every couple of hours. Do this for the first two days. Then switch to using a heat pack and apply for 20 minutes.
Brachial Plexus Injury
Brachial plexus injury is the term for an injury to the nerves that come from your neck to either side of your body. These nerves are responsible for movements in your arms. The nerves can get injured by any kind of trauma, for example, playing sports or being in a car accident. Brachial plexus injury will cause severe pain in all the areas where the nerves have been damaged, including pain under the armpit.
It is important to see a doctor in cases of injury to the shoulder because a brachial plexus injury can result in loss of movement in your arms.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
In rare cases, GERD can cause pain in the general underarm area. Dr. Mark Babyatsky explains that GERD can cause the diaphragm to become inflamed and this can affect the nerves in the spine causing pain in the arms and shoulders.8
There are many ways that you can treat digestive problems like GERD and heartburn naturally such asbaking soda, as well as other treatments.
It’s worth noting that GRED is also one of the causes for stomach pain after eating.
Breast Pain
According to the Breast Cancer Foundation, breast pain is classified as any kind of discomfort, tenderness, or pain in the breast or underarm region.9 Breast pain and underarm pain commonly affect women before their period.
The Breast Cancer Foundation reassures women that there are a number of harmless causes of breast pain and it is not usually a symptom of cancer.
Breast Cancer
It is important that all women regularly check their breast health to look for signs or changes. One sign of breast cancer is lumps in the breast, armpit or collarbone. The American Cancer Society says that sometimes swelling or lumps in your armpits can occur before you feel a lump in your breast.10 This is because breast cancer usually spreads to the lymph nodes first.
If you have swollen lymph nodes in your armpit or pain, you should have it checked out by a doctor. Breast cancer is more successfully treated if it is discovered early.
Of course, there are many reasons why you can have armpit pain, and more often than not the cause is something harmless. However, it is always best to speak with a health care practitioner if you have concerns.
There are other signs of breast cancer that you can read about in my article about the 5 unconventional signs of breast cancer.
Intercostobrachial Neuralgia
Pain management specialist, Dr. Jason G. Attaman says that armpit pain can be caused by Intercostobrachial neuralgia. This is damage to the spinal nerves that go to the arm and causes pain in the underarm region. This most commonly happens after breast surgery but the underarm pain can also be as a result of radiation therapy or trauma to the ribs.11
Waxing or shaving
Removing hair from the armpit can cause pain just after the process. The skin can also become infected, thus causing underarm pain. Waxing and shaving can also cause ingrown armpit hair that can cause bumps or pimples, underarm cysts and even infected boils. To soothe irritated skin after shaving and prevent armpit pain, you can apply a little aloe vera to the shaved area. You can also use othertreatments to get rid of razor bumps and razor burns.
How to Relieve Pain in the Armpit
Apart from the methods mentioned above on how to get rid of underarm pain, there are a few more home remedies that you can try if you have discomfort or pain under the armpit:
Warm Bath
A warm bath can help to relieve armpit pain. You can try soaking in a warm bath for 20 minutes. You can add to the bath 1/2 cup of baking soda or 1/2 cup of sea salt or Epsom salt. This can help to clean and remove toxins from the skin and soothe irritated skin.
Massage
You could try massaging some oil into the painful underarm area to get a relief. You could add 2-3 drops of lavender oil to 1 tbsp. coconut oil or olive oil and gently massage into the sore area. This can provide needed relief and increase blood circulation to the armpit.
Good hygiene
Always practice good hygiene and keep your underarm, and other areas that are prone to infection, clean and dry. Always shower and dry yourself thoroughly after activities where you sweat.
Here are a effective natural treatments for Armpit Pain
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