Muscle pain in left shoulder and chest

Chest pain is frightening and must be taken seriously. So know this: If you are having severe discomfort in the chest—especially if the chest pain is radiating to your neck, jaw or arms—and it’s accompanied by shortness of breath, dizziness and sweating, call 911 immediately. Some people (especially women, diabetics and older adults) may not have chest pain at all during a heart attack, but they may have the other symptoms listed. In that case, it’s still best to call 911.

Table of Contents Show

The Three Most Common Causes of Noncardiac Chest Pain
Cardiac Pain That Isn’t a Heart Attack
Know What Is a Heart Attack
Symptoms of left arm pain
Causes of left arm pain
Is it a heart attack?
Treating left arm pain
How do you know if chest pain is muscular?
How do you know if chest pain is muscular or heart related?
When should I worry about chest and shoulder pain?
What part of left shoulder hurts during heart attack?

But sometimes chest pain isn’t a heart attack. It might have a different cardiac cause or be totally unrelated to your heart. Here are three clues that it’s not a heart attack:

Pinpointed chest pain. If a sharp pain seems to be coming from a very specific location, it’s probably not heart pain. The pain associated with a heart attack is generally dull and diffusely located in the chest.
Chest pain that shows up in different areas. For example: One day your chest pain is on the right side of your chest, and the next day it’s on the left side of your chest. Heart pain can radiate into the arms, jaw and between the shoulder blades, but it rarely moves from place to place on different days.
Chest pain that gets worse when you take a breath. This could be anything from pericarditis (a swelling of the membrane surrounding the heart) to a cracked rib.

If you are experiencing chest pain like this, call your doctor to make an appointment.

Chest pain that isn’t a heart attack can be heart-related (cardiac) or not (noncardiac).

The Three Most Common Causes of Noncardiac Chest Pain

Gastrointestinal pain. This is the most common type of noncardiac chest pain. It can include acid reflux, esophageal spasm and acidity.
Muscular/skeletal pain. This pain is caused when you pull a muscle or injure a bone. It often occurs after patients have done physical activities such as working in the yard.
Lung pain. A condition like pneumonia or pleurisy, which is inflammation of the tissues around the lungs, can cause pain in the chest that is sometimes mistaken for a heart attack.

Cardiac Pain That Isn’t a Heart Attack

Cardiac pain, or angina, refers to discomfort in the chest because of something going on with the heart. The first thing a cardiologist will try to determine in a patient with cardiac pain is whether the pain is caused by clogged arteries.

Several conditions of the heart can cause cardiac pain but aren’t related to clogged arteries, including:

Pericarditis: inflammation of the two thin layers of tissue that surround the heart
Dissection: when the aorta splits and causes severe chest and back pain
Myocarditis: inflammation of the heart muscle
Cardiomyopathy: diseases of the heart muscle

Know What Is a Heart Attack

A heart attack requires immediate emergency care. Symptoms include:

Discomfort in the form of tight, heavy pressure or a dull, burning sensation in the chest
Pain that radiates to the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw or back
Pain that is hard to precisely locate with a single finger
Sweating
Nausea
Dizziness or faint feeling
Shortness of breath

If you have any of these symptoms, call 911.

Want to know more about your risk for heart disease? Take a free HeartAware online risk assessment. Learn more about our cardiac care at UNC REX Healthcare and UNC Medical Center or find a cardiologist near you.

Pain in the arms is a common complaint. We use our arms a great deal in everyday life, and the muscles, joints and tendons inside them can all be the cause of this pain. However, arm pain is not always caused by a problem with the arm itself, and may come from elsewhere in the body. In this case, it could be a sign of a more serious underlying condition. If you feel pain in your left arm in particular, it is important to be vigilant because this can be one of the symptoms of a heart attack. It is therefore important to learn to recognise the symptoms in order to tell if a pain in your arm is a cause for concern, and to know when you should seek urgent medical assistance.

Symptoms of left arm pain

Pain in the left arm can be acute (when it comes on suddenly and lasts for a short time) or chronic (when it lasts for over three months). It may come on gradually or suddenly, be severe or moderate, affect only one part of your arm (e.g. under your arm or in your upper arm) or your whole arm. It may also be accompanied by other symptoms (e.g. pain or a tightening sensation in your chest, or pins and needles), which should be taken seriously.

Causes of left arm pain

The causes of left arm pain can vary. The most well known of these is a heart attack. In this case, the arm pain may be accompanied by pain or a tightening sensation in your chest, pain in your back, neck, shoulder or jaw, nausea, shortness of breath, dizziness or fatigue. Left arm pain can also be caused by angina. This has similar symptoms but they only last for a few minutes. Pain may also be the result of having tense muscles due to stress. Similarly, an injury or a problem affecting your bones, joints or soft tissue (e.g. a fractured shoulder, arm, wrist or hand, shoulder or elbow tendinitis, bursitis, or a slipped disc) can cause arm pain, as can poor blood circulation and sleeping with an incorrect posture.

Is it a heart attack?

A heart attack happens when the muscles in your heart are starved of oxygen due to a problem with your blood circulation, such as a clot, for example. Pain in the left arm is the best known symptom of a heart attack. When someone is having a heart attack, this pain comes on suddenly, gets worse with exertion and eases off at rest, and is generally accompanied by other symptoms. These might include chest pain or a burning or tightening sensation in the chest, numbness or pain in the arm, back, neck, stomach, or jaw, and nausea, shortness of breath, dizziness or fatigue. If you experience any of these symptoms together, you should call for urgent medical assistance as you could be having a heart attack.

Treating left arm pain

If your left arm pain is benign, you can initially treat it by resting, applying a cold compress to the painful area and elevating your arm. If the pain is caused by a fracture, your arm will have to be immobilised in a plaster cast for several weeks. If it is caused by a musculoskeletal issue (one that affects your bones, joints or soft tissue), treatment may include painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs, rest, and physiotherapy. Using one of the OMRON HeatTens range of pain relievers can also help to relieve muscle and joint pain using a combination of soothing heat and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS). If the pain is caused by an underlying heart condition, the treatment may involve taking medication for pain relief, in addition to making some radical changes to your lifestyle. Finally, if someone is having a heart attack, they must receive immediate medical treatment because heart attacks can be fatal and sometimes require surgery if medication alone does not dissolve the clot that is causing the problem.

References:

Wexler, A. (2017). Why do I have a pain in my left arm? Retrieved from www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317652.php

Pietrangelo, A. (2016). Why is there pain in my left arm? Retrieved from www.healthline.com/health/pain-in-left-arm#takeaway

New Health Guide. What causes pain on the left arm? Retrieved from www.newhealthguide.org/Pain-In-Left-Arm.html

How do you know if chest pain is muscular?

Common pulled chest muscle symptoms include:.

Pain in the chest that may be sharp or dull..

Pain in the chest that gets worse when you move your chest or upper spine..

Difficulty moving the chest or affected area..

Pain in the chest that gets worse when you sneeze, cough, or breathe..

Swelling of the chest..

Bruising on the chest..

The pain of a heart attack differs from that of a strained chest muscle. A heart attack may cause a dull pain or an uncomfortable feeling of pressure in the chest. Usually, the pain begins in the center of the chest, and it may radiate outward to one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.

When should I worry about chest and shoulder pain?

Call 911 or emergency medical assistance Shoulder pain accompanied by difficulty breathing or a sense of tightness in the chest may be a symptom of a heart attack and requires immediate medical attention.

What part of left shoulder hurts during heart attack?

For men: Pain will spread to the left shoulder, down the left arm or up to the chin. For women: Pain can be much more subtle. It may travel to the left or right arm, up to the chin, shoulder blades and upper back — or to abdomen (as nausea and/or indigestion and anxiety).