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What causes a ligament to push against upper artery causing pain?

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Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

What causes a ligament to push against upper artery causing pain?

Answered by Dr. Sagar Ramesh Makode

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Sagar Ramesh Makode is a Consultant Cardiologist dedicated to diagnosing and managing various heart conditions with precision and care. He focuses on improving cardiovascular health through advanced treatments and preventive strategies. With expertise in providing personalized care, he strives to support patients in achieving better heart health, enhancing their quality of life, and reducing the risk of future cardiac complications.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Which site are you talking about, and where do you get pain? What are your symptoms? Please explain in detail.

In general, these are degenerative changes. This means due to aging; there is wear and tear of the ligaments leading to inflammation and enlargement. Also, there is an enlargement of joints due to arthritis and, subsequently, ligaments. This leads to the compression of nearby structures. Sometimes, this also occurs due to trauma, excessive use of the ligaments like lifting heavy weights,s or too much activity.

Patient's Query

Thank you doctor,

The compression is in the upper chest area. We have been told that it is a celiac artery compression. I am trying to understand what would cause a ligament to expand against the artery.

Answered by Dr. Sagar Ramesh Makode

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Sagar Ramesh Makode is a Consultant Cardiologist dedicated to diagnosing and managing various heart conditions with precision and care. He focuses on improving cardiovascular health through advanced treatments and preventive strategies. With expertise in providing personalized care, he strives to support patients in achieving better heart health, enhancing their quality of life, and reducing the risk of future cardiac complications.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

This is an altogether different nature of compression. This does not involve the expansion of the ligament but the abnormal positioning of the artery. The exact cause for this is not known, but a genetic basis has been suggested. This involves compression by the median arcuate ligament (crura of the diaphragm). A higher or lower origin of the celiac axis may be prone to compression. A subset of patients has an abnormally positioned median arcuate ligament that appears to compress an otherwise normally positioned celiac artery. Compression of the celiac artery by the median arcuate ligament is accentuated during expiration and relieved during inspiration. CT (computed tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and angiography will help in diagnosis. So, this is the cause of the compression.

Medically reviewed by iCliniq medical review team
Published At March 8, 2018
Reviewed At June 19, 2026

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Sagar Ramesh Makode is a Consultant Cardiologist dedicated to diagnosing and managing various heart conditions with precision and care. He focuses on improving cardiovascular health through advanced treatments and preventive strategies. With expertise in providing personalized care, he strives to support patients in achieving better heart health, enhancing their quality of life, and reducing the risk of future cardiac complications.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

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

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Sagar Ramesh Makode is a Consultant Cardiologist dedicated to diagnosing and managing various heart conditions with precision and care. He focuses on improving cardiovascular health through advanced treatments and preventive strategies. With expertise in providing personalized care, he strives to support patients in achieving better heart health, enhancing their quality of life, and reducing the risk of future cardiac complications.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

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