HomeAnswersCardiologyarm discomfortDo left arm pain and shoulder pain in an elderly patient indicates heart disease?

My mother has left arm and shoulder pain where she could not even lift it. Please interpret her ECG.

Share

The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Vinodhini J.

Published At June 21, 2020
Reviewed AtJanuary 2, 2024

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

This is about my 69 years old mother, non-obese, nonhypertensive, nondrinker/smoker. She is not on any medication. She is unable to move her left arm for the past three days and also has shoulder pain, especially when not sitting. There was no injury to the arm. And the trouble moving her arms is such that she cannot even braid her hair. Does this indicate heart disease? Can a finger pulse oximeter reading of the affected arm be of any relevance in ruling out a cardiac issue? What about ECG reading? Please reply.

Hello,

Welcome to ilciniq.com.

Please attach the ECG report, it is not attached. Please clarify, whether the pain is prominent feature or inability to move the arm, or is it like that she is not able to move arm because of pain or fear of pain. Now, this is not indicative of heart disease. Left arm pain without chest pain is unlikely to be related to the heart. Also, there would not be any difficulty in moving the arm with a heart attack. So it is unlikely to be related to the heart. The possibilities are, one is cervical and second is shoulder problems like frozen shoulder, or arm dislocation, even if there is no history of obvious trauma (frozen shoulder is more lifely). So she will need, ECG (electrocardiography) to be sure and X-ray of shoulder AP (anteroposterior) or lateral view and maybe cervical spine if having symptoms. Next, the pulse oximeter will not helpful in ruling out heart disease. However, if she has severe shortness of breath and low oxygen reading then this may indicate heart failure, so indirectly we may infer. However, if the pain is mild and weakness is prominent then it is probably either cervical issue or neurological issue. So get her examined by local doctor and x-ray done. You may use Volini spray or Diclofenac spray. I hope this helps.

Patient's Query

Thank you doctor,

Can we go ahead and get an x-ray? Or is a visit to the physician essential which we want to avoid during these times. Also, for cervical do you recommend an MRI or x-ray?

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

It appears, she has severe symptoms so I do not think online would be enough as we can certainly miss things online. So she will need a doctor visit. She may need belt and support for the arm, which cannot be decided online. Initial is x-ray for even cervical spine. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) may be considered later if necessary. So you will have to take her to nearby doctor.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Sagar Ramesh Makode
Dr. Sagar Ramesh Makode

Cardiology

Community Banner Mobile
By subscribing, I agree to iCliniq's Terms & Privacy Policy.

Read answers about:

arm discomfortecg

Ask your health query to a doctor online

Cardiology

*guaranteed answer within 4 hours

Disclaimer: No content published on this website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice or treatment by a trained physician. Seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with questions you may have regarding your symptoms and medical condition for a complete medical diagnosis. Do not delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this website. Read our Editorial Process to know how we create content for health articles and queries.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. iCliniq privacy policy