Does neck pain indicate heart problems?
One of my best friends is a surgeon and he is now working in Southmead hospital in Bristol on a spinal rotation. It is interesting chatting with him as he explains what he does and how they make decisions with their patients, long story short, they don’t like to operate and will try to use conservative measures where possible.
As an absolute last resort, they will operate to try and alleviate pain and give the patient a better quality of life.
I digress, we were chatting about referrals, and we got stuck on sciatica which is one of the most common referred pains in the body, referred pain means pain that is coming from somewhere else in the body. Sciatica is caused by a trapped nerve in the back but will cause pain in the leg.
We got on to chest pain and how when he was on A+E rotation he would see a lot of chest pain and very often this was referred pain from somewhere else in the body.
Of course, chest pain of any sort can be very worrying so let me try and explain the differences between serious and not as serious chest pain.
If chest pain is associated with shortness of breath or dizziness, then this is less likely to be due to a problem in the neck and will require medical assistance.
If the chest pain is tight but there is NO shortness of breath, then it COULD be referred from somewhere else. However, if you are at all unsure it is always best to check it out.
How does neck pain cause chest pain?
The neck is often referred to the cervical spine and is made up of seven bones called vertebra, these have discs in between them (think of the discs as soft jam doughnuts) with the nerves coming out of the sides.
The nerves run through the shoulders, top of the back, down the arms and across the front of the chest. If one of these nerves is compressed by a disc or tight muscle (often the scalenes or upper trapezius muscle) then this can cause a tightness across the chest or even a pain that can mimic chest pain.
If the neck pain is associated with chest pain, then does this mean that it must be caused by the neck? Well unfortunately not, because the heart is in your chest, the heart has arteries that supply your head and neck and often when these have problems then you will get chest pain and neck pain.
Very often the muscles around the neck and chest can get tight with poor posture, these include the upper trapezius, scalenes and pectoral muscles, these can contract and spasm and can mimic angina type pain. They can refer pain up to the neck and down the arm.
We get concerned when someone has pain down the left arm as this can indicate a heart attack, as well as this neck pain can refer pain down the arm.
Heart Attack:
- Severe chest pain or pressure, often described as a squeezing or aching sensation.
- Pain or discomfort that radiates to the left arm, shoulder, jaw, or back
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea, vomiting, or indigestion
- Fatigue or weakness
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- Sweating
Neck Pain:
- Localised pain or discomfort in the neck, often worsened with movement or certain positions.
- Stiffness or limited range of motion in the neck
- Headaches
- Muscle spasms in the neck or upper back
- Numbness or tingling in the arms, hands, or fingers.
- Difficulty swallowing or hoarseness (rarely)
This is very general advice and I always recommend seeking medical help, you do not want to guess with chest pain, this just gives you a general idea, but if in any doubt get your self to A+E and get a diagnosis.
Which pillow for neck pain?
Let’s say you have been given the all clear and you have been diagnosed with a neck issue, Which pillow is best?
You want something that is consistent from night to night, using feather pillows does not give the consistency and you will find yourself having an uneven amount of support under your head and neck.
You want to be able to re create the same conditions night after night which is why I recommend a firm pillow like a memory foam one. This means your neck can get used to being in the same position every night and you won’t wake up with the locked neck if it has had a bad night.
I don’t advocate the memory foam orthopaedic ones with the ridge in them. Not that I don’t like them, it’s just I have found that more people do not get on with them, I would start with a flat memory foam pillow and then progress from there.
You do need to give them at least 2 weeks to allow your body to adapt.
If you are concerned about your neck pain they you can give us a call on 01932 355529 and we will talk you through your options.
If you do know someone who wants more advice, please send them our details. You can send them this blog and they can request a free copy of our book which has posture related exercises in it as well. Click here for FREE book.
