What Causes Weakness And Pain In Arms?

Posted on Fri, 6 Jun 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 6 Jun 2014 Answered on

Thu, 26 Jun 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : My left arm always feels a lot weaker than right and can get a numb feeling to it, I often feel sharp pains or cramps over left chest area and back. These sensations tend to be more present when feeling anxious. Could this be nerve related pains and weakness? I have had these symptoms a long time,I often fear it's heart related, I get shortness of breath that feels like my back is tight, I do not get shortness of breath while exercising

Answered by Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (14 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Nerve related cause.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
Yes. It is likely to be a nerve related weakness either due to a nerve root compression or irritation. Since there is no shortness of breath during exercise any heart related cause is not likely. An MRI scan of the neck and the affected area will help in proper diagnosis.
I hope this answers your query.
In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out.
Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Dr. Praveen Tayal.
For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Praveen-Tayal

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar