Have you ever questioned, “Why do your arms feel heavy and weak?” Weakness and fatigue are terms that are often used as if they imply the same thing. But in reality they describe two various sensations. It is essential to know exactly what you indicate when you state “I feel my arms weak” or “My arms too heavy to move” due to the fact that it can help you and your doctor limit the possible causes of your symptoms.
Why Do You Feel Your Arms Heavy and Weak
- Weakness is an absence of physical or muscle strength and the feeling that extra effort is required to move your arms, legs, or other muscles. If muscle weakness is the result of pain, the individual may be able to make muscles work, but it will hurt.
- Fatigue is a feeling of tiredness or fatigue or a need to rest due to the fact that of absence of energy or strength. Tiredness may result from overwork, poor sleep, worry, dullness, or absence of exercise. It is a symptom that may be caused by health problem, medicine, or medical treatment such as chemotherapy. Anxiety or depression can also cause fatigue.
Both weakness and tiredness are symptoms, not illness. Because these symptoms can be caused by numerous other health problems, the significance of weakness and tiredness can be figured out just when other symptoms are examined.
General weakness in arms typically takes place after you have done too much activity at one time, such as by taking an extra-long exercises. You may feel weak and worn out, or your muscles may ache. These sensations normally go away within a few days.

In uncommon cases, generalized muscle weakness might be caused by another health issue, such as:
- A problem with the minerals (electrolytes) discovered naturally in the body, such as low levels of potassium or sodium.
- Infections, such as a urinary tract infection or a respiratory infection.
- Problems with the thyroid gland, which regulates the method the body uses energy.
- A low thyroid level (hypothyroidism) can cause tiredness, weakness, lethargy, weight gain, depression, memory problems, constipation, dry skin, intolerance to cold, coarse and thinning hair, brittle nails, or a yellow-colored tint to the skin.
- A high thyroid level (hyperthyroidism) can cause fatigue, weight loss, increased heart rate, intolerance to heat, sweating, irritability, anxiety, muscle weakness, and thyroid enlargement.
- Guillain-Barré syndrome, an uncommon nerve condition that causes weakness in the legs, arms, and other muscles which can progress to finish paralysis.
- Myasthenia gravis, an uncommon, chronic disorder that causes weakness and fast muscle tiredness.
Arm muscles weakness that is slowly getting worse requires a see to a doctor.
Abrupt muscle weakness and loss of function in one area of the body can indicate a major issue within the brain (such as a stroke or short-term ischemic attack) or spinal cord camera.gif or with a specific nerve in the body.
What Other Say
- So that was good, but ever since I’ve had three or four more episodes of unexpected arm weakness– once again, both arms at the same time. One time I was pushing the baby’s stroller up a small slope, but the other times I was basically not doing anything– once at my desk and when getting dressed. And maybe it’s my creativity, but my arms seem to be getting a little weaker in general. I’ve discovered it while cutting the lawn.
Of course I looked up this symptom on the Internet. I discovered a bunch of posts by people who reported the precise same thing, but the frustrating thing is that regardless of all sorts of tests none appear to have gotten a diagnosis. - Strange since I have had a couple episodes that were similar. It occurred during the night and I felt a weird, weak sensation in my arms and although I could raise them, it took additional effort and I felt like I did not have normal control. I never did anything about it because I was all right in the morning.
What concerns me is that a good friend of mine had this sensation as if her arms were extremely heavy and she couldn’t raise them. Her sis proded her into seeing a doctor. The doctor called an ambulance right away and sent her to the Emergency Room. She ended up having a stent put in her heart. Years before she had had breast cancer and got very aggressive chemo along with a mastectomy. She was alerted that the chemo could harm her heart, but she was separated and raising two children alone and decided the most vital thing was to stay alive enough time to raise her boys. She now is 67 and has four grandchildren. The heavy arms in addition to a general tiredness were symptoms of an imminent cardiovascular disease. I believe her sis had simply seen a television show that mentioned this as an indication of a cardiac arrest in women.
I have been to several doctors and always mention weakness & fatigue arm are always feel tire & heavy but never address. I’ve been diagnosed with several Fibromyalgia, Ostheo Arthritis & other itises. I do not know which ologist I should go to. Rheumatologist, Neurologist, Internist physiatrist, Pain specialist ets. taking a lot of meds.
Most Drs are not good at correlating symptoms and love to miss the correct diagnose . Aging down symptoms and think are judges ,concentrate on Psychological aspects that is the problem is in your head . Sometimes of course it is but many other times they have to listen and work together with the patients but diagnosis cost money as one needs treatment . It is a very false economy not to treat patients on time and very unprofessional,barbaric when Drs fabricate notes the next Drs read these false notes do not keep an open mind and conjer up more fabrications and the poor patients goes a very long time without the correct treatment as the eye is useless the mind is blind and these patients can not recover properly without a treatment and get down quicker next time and in turn the patients get weaker and weaker do not use enough muscles so now your diagnose is degenerative and as far the useless Drs are concern you caused yourself ,careless, uncaring ,unprofessional disgusting lot . They get paid to distroy patients lives !
I have been getting this for years…sudden onset of heaviness and weakness spreading down both arms simultaneously I suspect its a muscular skeletal thing as when i do more yoga it goes away for months. At moment it is bad and I think this is because because i am not doing any yoga and sitting hunched at my computer for hours on end. I have been following this for years on threads too, and as most people hgave had tests with no conclusions, I don’t bother my doc with it
I often feel really weak in the morning and it sometimes lasts through to mid-afternoon.
This morning I feel really weak and slightly disorientated.
My arms and my shoulders feel more weak than normal and I’m starting to feel depressed.
When I feel like this, I have little self-motivation and I just feel like laying down until the symptoms pass.
I have spoken to my GP about these symptoms but so far he has failed to help me.
Can somebody advise me how to deal with this?
Thanks.
Caro,
I feel sorry for what you were feeling when you wrote about ”sudden onset of heaviness and weakness spreading down both arms simultaneously” in October 2017.
I wonder if you have seen an improvement since that time or have the symptoms grown worse?
I was concerned when you said, ” as most people hgave had tests with no conclusions, I don’t bother my doc with it.”
I would suggest that you should ”bother your doc” because that is exactly what they are paid for, to help you to deal with your ailments.
I have been feeling weak since last weekend and the symptoms haven’t much so far.
I notice that it often leads to depression and then I feel down, sometimes for more than a day.
I was advised to try yoga but so far I haven’t tried it yet.
Anyway, I wish you well Caro
and please remember that your doctor is there to help you so try not to think of it as a burden on them because they are paid to help to ease the burden that their patients are bearing 24/7.
Take care.
Trevor, I’m feeling the same way. Several times this week, I’ve felt weakness in my arms in the morning. Other times, the feeling has passed on it’s own but today I can’t shake it. I’m also very tired, boarderline feeling depressed from lack of energy. Have you found any relief? Any possible diagnosis? Glad it’s not just me that this is happening to.
Since December of 2017 I have had right arm pain with the tingling in my right hand. I have had an MRI done multiple times, multiple ways. I have seen multiple orthopedics who have said different outcomes. One said nothing was wrong, one said I needed surgery on my rotator cuff and the other one said my rotator cuff looks ok but we need to do more tests. More tests means more blood work, more MRI’s, more xrays. This has been going on for so long. I have explained about my tingling, numbness, discoloration of my right hand being a different color than my left, colder than my left, heavy at times, weak, pain all the time, burning, feels heavy, like I have had a stroke. My days are horrible. I hate the fact that no professional knows what is wrong with me. There is something going on with my right arm that is going against my nerves. I am tired of the doctors not listening to me. I am right handed and need the use of my hand. Help me someone please….
Have you had a vaccine? Muscle weakness seems to be a common result and no diagnosis to confirm anything.