Why is my arm hurting?

For a year or so now, my hand and wrist hurt when I'm stirring something in the kitchen, trying to open a jar, and even when I'm trying to brush a random knot out of my hair. It would only come when I was doing these things, and then it would go away just as quickly. Well, the past couple of weeks this has been happening again. This time, however, it hasn't gone away and has spread all the way up to my shoulder. My fingers, wrist, elbow, and shoulder all hurt almost constantly. I've been told it's possibly carpal tunnel, but if it is would my elbow and shoulder hurt also? What could this be? Thank you!