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Pain In Left Shoulder,sharp Pain To Arms,pressure In Chest Near Left Shoulder,breathlessness,

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Posted on Wed, 16 May 2012
Question: Hello, For about two years now my left shoulder has been hurting me badly, it could have been from lifting weights at the gym or lifting heavy objects at work.
But when the pain first began it started out as a dull pain in the armpit area. Then progressed to a sharp pain shooting down my arm. Pressure in the chest near the left shoulder. Sometimes pain shooting up my neck.
Then about a year after the symptoms slowly started to go away. Then I slipped and hurt my shoulder again. Now I get the same symptoms but worse. I also get tightness in my chest and it is hard to breath in and when I do I feel pain going through my chest shoulder and arm. It sometimes feels like I am having a heart attack ( I am 21 years old, caucasion, semi slim body, blood pressure usually around 110 over 70 while resting. Resting heart rate is about 90. I work out regularly with arobic workouts. So Its hard to believe that I am having a heart attack however maybe the injury is pushing on the heart making it work harder) Do you think that an injury could be causing a heart attack?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Ramesh M.Vachharajani (42 minutes later)
Hi XXXXXXX

From your history it is clear that it is related with your left shoulder, or of cervical vertebral region. You had injury in the past which might have caused some damage to your shoulder joint or cervical vertebrae, causing stretching of nerve routs,may cause pain in shoulder, armpit and left arm.

Now as you again got injured which might have precipitated your damage and worsened your already existing pain. Your shoulder joint is affected, there may be tearing of joint ligaments causing severe pain, at rest or/and while movements. At the same time you think about some injury to cervical region, which again cause nerve route pain causing pain in arm, armpit and upper chest.

It is less likely that injury to shoulder can cause heart attack. Your pain at present is most probably due to injury.
If the thoughts about heart attack linger within you may go for ECG and feel free with the result.

For the injury, I suggest you to get an examination by local doctor, get an Xray of the joint and necessary treatment.

I will be available if you have any follow up queries.
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Ramesh M.Vachharajani

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :1969

Answered : 17663 Questions

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Pain In Left Shoulder,sharp Pain To Arms,pressure In Chest Near Left Shoulder,breathlessness,

Hi XXXXXXX

From your history it is clear that it is related with your left shoulder, or of cervical vertebral region. You had injury in the past which might have caused some damage to your shoulder joint or cervical vertebrae, causing stretching of nerve routs,may cause pain in shoulder, armpit and left arm.

Now as you again got injured which might have precipitated your damage and worsened your already existing pain. Your shoulder joint is affected, there may be tearing of joint ligaments causing severe pain, at rest or/and while movements. At the same time you think about some injury to cervical region, which again cause nerve route pain causing pain in arm, armpit and upper chest.

It is less likely that injury to shoulder can cause heart attack. Your pain at present is most probably due to injury.
If the thoughts about heart attack linger within you may go for ECG and feel free with the result.

For the injury, I suggest you to get an examination by local doctor, get an Xray of the joint and necessary treatment.

I will be available if you have any follow up queries.