A HEART ATTACK OR JUST BACK PAIN?

Understanding Heart Pain: Symptoms, Causes, and Solutions

A heart attack… angina… death… these are the mortifying associations instantly evoked from our subconscious mind by pain or pressure in the left-hand side of the chest. This fear is legitimate: the price for defying such symptoms for the sake of showing off may be your own life.

Signs and Diagnostics of a True Heart Attack

A true pain in the heart usually comes with nausea, cold sweat and the fear of death.

A true pain in the heart usually comes with nausea, cold sweat, and the fear of death. Note that the general sick feeling and the anticipation of an imminent disaster are even more important than the pain itself and its echo in the left arm or the neck. Don't delay: promptly call the ambulance and take an aspirin or, if you have been in this situation before, a prescription drug.

Сердце очень хрупкая вещь: оно бьётся. 

      Ц. А. Меламед, латвийский писатель

An electrocardiogram and special blood tests properly performed at the hospital will show the condition of the heart muscle. Major damage would indicate blood supply problems, the demise of heart cells, and an urgent need for an intervention. Cardiologists and heart surgeons would then examine the status of blood vessels and use the most appropriate method to restore blood circulation. If the heart muscle shows no damage, a so-called stress test is performed (the heart behavior is monitored under an increasing physical load or special medication). Should some vessels underperform, the heart betrays them by the signs in the cardiogram or otherwise.

Pain in the Chest – Symptoms and First Aid

Now imagine that your examination says you are fine. All the tests come back clean, there is nothing wrong with your heart, and the doctor says your pain has a "musculoskeletal" origin. You come home, sit down in an armchair, and the dull needle pierces you again under the left shoulder blade so you cannot even breathe. No cold sweat, no mortal fear, right, but not too pleasant either. The pain resonates in your left arm and even in the neck. What can you do? How do you cope?

The human heart is the gift of God, so treat it with great care. 

 Pharaoh Amenemope, 10th century B.C.

A few years ago, a friend asked me whether I could recommend a good cardiologist for his wife who suffered from recurring pain in the heart area, sleep problems, and vertigo. Despite the absence of any ECG evidence, she was certain she had a heart disease. I suggested an examination. Just as I expected, the thorax segment of her spine turned out to be tightly squeezed by spasmed muscles. A couple of years ago she got into a serious car accident and had problems turning her neck for a few months. After a slow but complete recovery, she forgot the incident and was wondering now why I was asking about it. Instead of lengthy explanations, I just performed a few manipulations to release the squeezed joints in the thorax section. Was she amazed! The heavy feeling in the chest and head was gone, and she started breathing freely. It was probably the nicest surprise in her life.

The Unforgiving Muscles

Defensive spasms of traumatized muscles may cause symptoms of a heart attack in older people. 

The secret of this miracle was quite simple. Even if we forget about our once-injured muscles, these muscles never forget about us. An injury causes a defensive spasm that at the initial stage helps immobilize the traumatized joint and reduce pain and inflammation. Later, however, that same spasm becomes a trap. In children, who do a lot of running and jumping, these "traps" uneventfully disappear on their own. With age, however, when physical activity falls prey to our comfortable lifestyle, they stay with us for life and even keep growing like spots of rust on a steel surface. It takes a professional to unlock their ruthless jaws that squeeze our joints and blood vessels.

Escape from the Trap

A manual therapist may eliminate chest pain in a single session by releasing a compressed joint.

What is needed in this case is a short forceful action on the pinched joint that often causes a small "pop" and makes the patient feel immediate relief. This procedure is called a musculoskeletal manipulation. The manual therapist has all the competence to answer the question "What is to be done if my heart pain is not heart-related?" His task (or mine, for that matter) is to determine the structure of musculoskeletal compressions in the thorax segment, as well as their connection to the neck and the lower back. Then he decides on the most efficient, safe, and painless sequence of manipulations, prescribes medication to reduce pain and inflammation, and, if needed, selects the right physical therapy and exercises. A proper course of treatment may noticeably improve spine mobility, breathing, sleep, and blood pressure after the very first session.

Self-Treatment

What if there's no doctor within reach or he is not available until the end of the week? Can you do anything on your own? You certainly can. First, find the most comfortable position for your back, as this is where the pain is born. Turn over slowly, stretch your shoulder muscles and shoulder blade muscles. Take four 200 mg Ibuprofen pills a day. Since a muscle spasm is responsible for the pain, try applying some dry heat, and give your muscles a rub with a menthol or pepper ointment.

Once the acute pain is gone, learn an exercise program to carefully stretch and mobilize muscles near the thorax segment of the spine.

Once the acute pain is gone, learn an exercise program to carefully stretch and mobilize muscles near the thorax segment of the spine. You better start in the privacy of your home. Listen attentively to the voice of your muscles and that of common sense. It is safer to begin your exercises while lying on your back on the floor. Breathe deeply, slowly raise your hands right above your head from the sides, then extend them in the air. As you stretch your muscles you reduce swelling and facilitate blood flow. This relaxes muscle spasms and releases blocked joints, the principal reason for the pseudo heart pain.

The right combination of self-help and early professional assistance will give you every chance to avert danger if your heart attack is real or improve your condition if the pain is caused by a muscle spasm.