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Have Mild Chest Pain. Feels Like Muscle Pull. Have Troubled Breathing. Have 3 Herniated Discs In Neck. Heart Problem Symptoms?

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Posted on Sat, 19 Oct 2013
Question: 50 years old. Mild Chest pain on both sides of sternum. Feels like muscle pull. No pain down arms or legs. No trouble breathing at all. Somemtines upper chest muscle spasms a bit. It's annoying and makes me concerned! It comes and goes....might go for 4-8 hours with no pulling feeling and then comes backs again. Sleep can be annoying. Been going on for 1 week now. It is giving me aniexty (small panic attacks) which is worse.

It seems to have happened after a twisty romantic interlude 1 week ago. I do excercise daily doing cardio and some very light weight dumbell work. I just wnat to make sure NOTHING heart related....

I do have 3 herniated discs in neck (30 year injury) and, at times, when neck is "out", I get pinches in my chest, arms and legs. With self-traction, it usually goes away relatively quickly. But this time, after 1 week, it is still here with me...an annoying pulling sore feeling. I am more concerned.

Just in case, will go get my annual physical a bit sooner...this week; blood test etc....

Am I missing any heart problem symptoms? Does it sound to you like a chest muscle pinch?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Sukhvinder Singh (21 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
please see details.

Detailed Answer:
Dear Sir
1. An anginal pain is like a heaviness on chest. It is characteristically behind the breastbone but can radiate to lower jaw, both arms and umbilicus. It comes with exercise/ exertion/ using stairs/ carrying weights or emotional stress and goes away with rest. It may be associated with shortness of breath, sweating and nausea.
2. A pain which lasts for less than a minute or lasts for hours and days together, can be elicited by touch or pressure or particular movements, can be pinpointed with a finger is less likely to be anginal.
3. if the pain is there for more than a week and you are doing all kind of exercises (cardio + dumbbells) without eliciting or aggravating pain, then it is more atypical of anginal pain.
I hope this provides some insight into your problem. However this is only a historical perspective. This on it's own can not 100% rule out a cardiac cause for your symptoms. Do get examined also for ascertaining the exact cause of pain. This definitely requires a visit to your doctor.
Feel free to discuss further.
Sincerely
Sukhvinder
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Sukhvinder Singh

Cardiologist

Practicing since :1998

Answered : 1306 Questions

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Have Mild Chest Pain. Feels Like Muscle Pull. Have Troubled Breathing. Have 3 Herniated Discs In Neck. Heart Problem Symptoms?

Brief Answer:
please see details.

Detailed Answer:
Dear Sir
1. An anginal pain is like a heaviness on chest. It is characteristically behind the breastbone but can radiate to lower jaw, both arms and umbilicus. It comes with exercise/ exertion/ using stairs/ carrying weights or emotional stress and goes away with rest. It may be associated with shortness of breath, sweating and nausea.
2. A pain which lasts for less than a minute or lasts for hours and days together, can be elicited by touch or pressure or particular movements, can be pinpointed with a finger is less likely to be anginal.
3. if the pain is there for more than a week and you are doing all kind of exercises (cardio + dumbbells) without eliciting or aggravating pain, then it is more atypical of anginal pain.
I hope this provides some insight into your problem. However this is only a historical perspective. This on it's own can not 100% rule out a cardiac cause for your symptoms. Do get examined also for ascertaining the exact cause of pain. This definitely requires a visit to your doctor.
Feel free to discuss further.
Sincerely
Sukhvinder