My wife has a boil under her arm pit and now is draining but is very tender and painful around the boil area and she's unable to lift her arm past her shoulder and is very painful to use her arm for anything is this normal ?

Hello Anon

Thank you for writing.

These boils can very very painful and tender. So this is normal.

Do not pop or lance the boil yourself. This can spread the infection and make it worse. If the boil does not drain on its own or it is very large, you may need to have it drained or lanced by your doctor.

Whether the boil drains on its own or was lanced by a doctor, you must keep it clean. Wash it with antibacterial soap and apply a medicated ointment and bandage. Clean the affected area 2-3 times a day until the wound heals completely.

Your wife can call her doctor if she is still in pain in the next few days.

Best,
Susan