I tripped on a curb exactly 8 days ago and fell on my left side hitting my head, arm, rib. It was a very strong fall. The x-rays showed no breakage to arm nor rib, but I was in a lot of pain. The pain has subsided somewhat but I still have limited use of my arm, my left side still hurts and now my back hurts as well, which never did before. Is this a temporary situation or should I expect long term pain in these areas. Thank you!

I would go back to the doctor. You may have a cervical injury. Quite often you will initially feel arm pain with a neck injury, and it is not unusual for your back to hurt 3 days or more after a fall.

I really suspect that if you hit your head and injured your rib and arm on one side, that the jar was enough to cause neck problems. I am an advocate of immediate physiotherapy for these types of injuries. A neck or back injury can take 8 to 12 weeks to improve, but there can be long-term, lasting effects if the appropriate treatment is not received in the first 4 to 6 weeks.

Didi