Pain that occurs when the arm is lifted is mainly due to the following reasons. The first is a localized trauma or sprain or contusion, which results in limited movement and localized pain and swelling. The second condition may be caused by frozen shoulder, also known as periarthritis, which causes adhesions and contractures of the ligaments and joint capsule around the shoulder joint, resulting in limited shoulder lifting activities or pain in the shoulder joint. The third type of pain is caused by rotator cuff injury, which can lead to pain when lifting the arm. After the painful arm lift occurs, the patient can apply local heat and massage to relieve the pain, or use topical ointment to assist in the treatment.