Heart Problem

[valerie8502]

I have had heart tests in the past and told just to monitor. Now however pegging out washing with arms above my shoulders is causing considerable distress and pain. I heard years ago this could a sign of heart failure, does anyone know please. Do I need to see a Doctor?

[CarolineC57]

Hi Valerie - I'd say that if you have chest pain it's always best to get it checked out by a doctor. Hopefully, it will just be aches and pains from lifting your arms to that height (I have shoulder/neck arthritis so I have trouble in that regard myself) but I'd definitely get it checked out if you have had heart issues in the past. Better safe than sorry.

[valerie8502 in reply to CarolineC57]

Thank you I have an appointment first week in January for another issue, hopefully Doctor will let me combine the two.

[Hidden]

Hi, most doctors are not very good at diagnosing a heart problem. I've had a bypass so i know this. Since the symptoms are physical I found it quite hard to make sense of and that didn't help. Heart attacks usually get treated at A and E.

[valerie8502 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your advice, am seeing GP first week in January.

Regards Val

[sargrith]

What you have been told( Valerie8502) is not necessarily correct. I had the problem that you mention about raising your arms above your head. In my case it was in my left shoulder( I'm left handed). Having then had a ultra scan and MRI it was found two out of four of my left shoulder tendons from my collarbone to my humerus bone where rupturing badly. When they became completely torn from my humerus the pain stopped. This problem is caused by using arms above shoulder height, as in hanging out washing, Mine was having played a lot of badminton and getting older didn't help. I too had pain hanging out washing and decorating at high level both require working with arms above the head as does much of badminton. My right shoulder is becoming occasionally painful when raising arm above head height. but this is also because of old age. This problem is quite common when having used arms frequently above the head.

[valerie8502 in reply to sargrith]

Thank you for your comment. I have also got neck problems so maybe related. I am also getting old! Regards Val

[johnsmith]

There are symptoms. You are describing a particular set of symptoms. This may be indicative of a heart problem. Your GP can tell you if this is true or not. The other alternative is that you are using your muscles in a way which is reducing blood flow through the muscles and as a result you suffer pain and discomfort. A warning to take note of and a call to modify how you put the washing out. There is an old saying use it or lose it.

We all get old and our muscles cease to work as well as they did when were young. You need to take up an activity like yoga or tai chi so that we learn to use the muscle again. A young child is constantly moving and wriggling about. An adult moves very little in comparison. As a consequence our muscles complain about the lack of activity when being held in awkward positions.

Hope this can give you another way at looking at things.

[valerie8502 in reply to johnsmith]

Yes you have some good points. I am registered disabled now and find movement difficult, had to give up Yoga as cant get on the floor or up again. If I could find armchair Yoga would give it a try. Anyone got any idea where I could find such a group? Many thanks Val

[johnsmith in reply to valerie8502]

Your yoga teacher should be able to adapt to you doing armchair yoga in part of their class.

I am travelling in new territory here. Just watching a good yoga teacher and thinking of doing the movement should be helpful. ??? This is a matter of experimentation. You are investigating the truth or falsehood of this.

Many of the yoga movements can be partially done in a chair. The important bit is to start the right way and stop at an appropriate point the right way. Is what I am saying make sense or do I not understand something. I am working on guesswork here based on my experience.

Interested in what you think.

[valerie8502 in reply to johnsmith]

I am very weak in my body. I used to be 'hyperactive' the one everyone relied on. Sadly over the last ten years have lost my strength due to Degenerative Disc Disease (every disc is affected), have had two surgeries and many minor procedures from pain Management. feel like I am on my way out of this life. This isn't depression speaking but reality. Life is spiraling slowly down. Morphine prescribed freely. Just need something for me. If could do Yoga in a chair, in a lady only class (another story) with other disabled ladies....

Thank you