Pain down my left arm

[sadie]

Hi all,

I have had a pain down my left arm all day. At first this did not bother me too much but as the day has went on its seems to be more sore. Anyway, I started to feel a bit panicky once a workmate said to me once I mentioned i had this pain....'oh dont say that, you know what a pain down the left arm means....HEART ATTACK!!!' Obviously she didnt know I suffered from anxiety etc and worry about my health all the time.

Should I be worried about this pain ???

I can still type obvioulsy but the pain seems to radiate from my hand and wrist right up to my shoulder and back.

Can anyone offer any advice?

sadie

[Meg]

Heart issues radiate the other way, are not as long or far reaching .

This is much more likely to be something more in line with a mild, transient form of RSI.

Swing your arm around a lot, have a really good stretch and don't lean/sleep on it tonight.




Meg

'There can only be true courage when first there is genuine fear'

Dr.David Livingstone

[sadie]

Thanks Meg,

I just needed some reassurance from you!! Although I dont know what RSI stands for but obvioulsy nothing to worry about.

Hope your well.

sadie

[sadie]

Meg,

I have just realised what RSI means.....Repetitive Strain Injury!!!



sadie

[Meg]

Yes, any possibility in that ?


Meg

'There can only be true courage when first there is genuine fear'

Dr.David Livingstone

[benoo5]

hy sadie,reading your post closely,you mention the arm being sore...which gives credence to wot meg has said about RSI...you really needed that workmate,like a boil on the bum,as meg said,give the arm a good shake,and try sleeping with that arm outside the duvet tonite...speak soon......bryan.

[sadie]

Meg/Bryan

The only thing I could think of that may have caused a RSI is at work on the computer all day....is that enough to cause this???

I have had like a throbbing pain in my hands on and off for a few months but nothing that serious or sore that I have had to visit the doctor with.

This pain is kind of in the middle of my arm going down to my hand and wrist or up to my shoulder. It is steming from the middle of my arm though!!

At least its nothing to worry about.

Thanks you two for your help.

P.S. Bryan hope your well.

sadie

[tina2004]

hiya,just thought id mention that i get this on and off a lot aswell,i think i even posting on here about it,,like u i thought i was gonny hae a heart attack,,my arm gets a kind of numb heavy feeling a kinda cramp sharp shooting pains in it,,different place ,can be inside arm or on the outside,,some times its not too sore but just an annoying niggling pain,,hope this helps as u arnt alone.i also went to my doctors and he said it has nothing to do wae my heart .but like u i still worry.

[Meg]

Sadie,

When you get to work tomorrow notice what position your arm is actually in when you're working a fewc times during the day- not what position it should be in !

ie do you use your wrist support, are you leaning on the arm on the side of the desk, are you supporting papers with it or twisting to turn pages..

Yes - it is enough in some cases - especially as you now mention about previous pains. It is unusual to just go from OK to severe pain.




Meg

'There can only be true courage when first there is genuine fear'

Dr.David Livingstone

[Meg]

Tina,

If yours is possibly a RSI then have you taken steps to reduce the strain on it as it will not heal without something being changed.



Meg

'There can only be true courage when first there is genuine fear'

Dr.David Livingstone

[tina2004]

i think mine may be caused by the way i lie at nite time ,as a few times i have woken up lying on my left arm and its been really stiff,so im hoping thats the cause of it,,but its hard to stop urself lying a certain way at nite when ur asleep.and its even harder trying to get it into ur head thats its nothing to do with ur heart .....

[april tones]

hi meg, what do you do for a living if you dont mind me asking. Are you in health care? x

apriltones

[Meg]

Yes I am.

Meg

[april tones]

are you a nurse or doctor? i thought you might be as you seem to know alot or a good researcher ha ha. I used to be a support worker before had my littk=le boy, hoping to go back into it and then midwifery hopefully, x

apriltones

[Meg]

That'd be great.

My friend whom I trained with is now a lecturer in midwifery and loves it. It was not my favouite speciality...lol



Meg

'There can only be true courage when first there is genuine fear'

Dr.David Livingstone