Blocked Rib or Heart Attack?
Our internal organs influence the musculoskeletal system, and the musculoskeletal system affects our organs.
Pain in the chest and shoulder blade area doesn’t always stem from issues in the musculoskeletal system. The chest functions as a protective “cage” for our most vital organs. It’s important to recognize that the heart and lungs move significantly during their function. Thus, the chest not only protects these organs but also needs to remain flexible and mobile 24 hours a day. If the chest doesn’t provide enough flexible space for these organs, it can hinder their function, eventually affecting their performance. Similarly, heart and lung diseases can impact chest movement and cause pain in the chest or around the shoulder blades.
When to Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Physiotherapy is not a treatment for acute heart conditions. Such conditions, or any suspicion of them, should be promptly addressed with your primary care physician, internist, or cardiologist. In emergencies, such as suspected heart attacks, immediate medical attention is necessary.
Chest Pain as a Key Indicator of a Heart Attack
A heart attack occurs when a blockage or narrowing of an artery supplying the heart muscle results in the death of some heart cells due to a lack of oxygen. Similar symptoms may also appear with pulmonary embolism (more on this in another article).
How Does a Heart Attack Manifest?
An acute heart attack typically presents as severe, pressure-like, or burning chest pain lasting several minutes. However, discomfort can begin two or three days before the actual attack. The pain is usually dull, covering an area about the size of a palm or two, and often doesn’t subside, even at rest. It can radiate to one (usually the left) or both arms, under the left shoulder blade, or to the lower jaw. Less commonly, it may extend to the back or abdomen. Only about 10% of patients experience a “silent” heart attack, without the typical symptoms.
In recent years, the number of heart attack cases among women has risen. Symptoms in women can differ significantly from those in men. Rather than chest pain, women more often experience extreme fatigue, sleep disturbances, reduced physical endurance, shortness of breath, dizziness, pain in the upper abdomen or between the shoulder blades, loss of appetite, vomiting, or nausea. Don’t ignore these issues, as they may be warning signs that your body is trying to communicate.
How Does a Blocked Rib Manifest?
On the other hand, if your pain is sharp, localized on the left side of your chest, and you can point to it with your finger, it is likely not a heart attack. Often, this type of pain is due to the blockage of one or more ribs.
How Is a Heart Attack Treated?
The primary goal in treating a heart attack is to restore blood flow in the affected artery as quickly as possible, which supplies the heart muscle. Therefore, transporting the patient to a specialized cardiac center is essential. The sooner treatment begins, the less heart muscle tissue dies, and the better the patient’s chances of survival.
How Can Physiotherapy Help?
A patient with an acute heart attack does not belong in the hands of a physiotherapist. However, well-guided physiotherapy can assist with prevention, improving fitness and overall vitality, and help prevent further complications after a heart attack or other heart conditions.
How We Can Help You at Fyzio Svět?
Through targeted therapy, we can relieve musculoskeletal pain that results from heart conditions and restore the mobility of the chest, which is essential for the optimal functioning of both the heart and lungs. Heart-related pain usually manifests in the chest, shoulders, and often the left arm. When the heart is diseased, it can cause typical blockages and muscle spasms in the body. We frequently encounter blockages between the 3rd and 5th thoracic vertebrae—between the shoulder blades and the 3rd to 5th rib on the left side. The left pectoral muscle is often tight as well. Many painful points can also be found in the neck muscles and subscapularis muscle, which are closely related to the proper functioning of the shoulder. Thus, an underlying heart condition may sometimes present as a shoulder problem.
Risk Factors for Heart Attacks: What Can You Change Today?
It’s no surprise that smoking, particularly when combined with being overweight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, lack of exercise, and excessive stress, are major risk factors.
Heart attacks are more common in men over 50, though genetic predispositions also play a role. For women, the risk significantly increases after menopause.
Unfortunately, more than half of heart attacks occur unexpectedly, without prior warning signs of heart problems.
