Hi...I work on the 5th Floor of a building. If I walk up the stairs in a normal way, SOMETIMES not always, my left arm and bicep from the shoulder down to the outside of my hand feel like its being "pulled" or feels like I have slighty banged my "funny bone". I have this feeling for about 1-2 hrs after.I only appear to get this sensation on extertion,only on my left arm
I dont get any chest or central chest pain.
Does this sound like its heart related,angina etc or is it just a muscle strain or a pinched nerve?
I dont get any other symptoms....
I am early 40s, 5"11, 155 pounds non smoker, normal BP, not diabetic..


Thanks for any replies..... :)

Those symptoms would concern me. My symptoms began with slight shortness of breath when walking up stairs. The fact that it's happening on exertion is a real warning sign. Also you can have normal bp, not diabetic, young and a non-smoker and still have heart blockage. I know because that was me. I was 41 and thought I was in excellent health.

Hi...Thanks for the reply...
I forgot to add that regards the stairs we are talking 9 flights of stairs with 12 stairs in a flight. Most people dont bother, they get the lift!!!!
Also I can walk for miles with no problems so I in my mind I must be pulling a muscle or pinching a nerve...I just dont know.....
If it was heart related surely there would be some discomfort in the heart/ chest area. I read its rare just to have arm discomfort without other symptoms.....

Any trained medical people on this board could maybe rule any thing out based on symptoms alone.....

As people have said , all the tests they do are not conclusive...

Thanks for any other replies.....

DISCO,

To me it sounds like a pinched nerve. There are charts to check where you can isolate EXACTLY which spinal nerve is pinched (and thus which vertebra are doing the pinching) depending on which finger is numb. You could also have an arthritic process in your elbow or shoulder. Are you usually CARRYING somethig up the steps? I would think something like leg numbness would be more likely.

It doesn't sound at all like angina. I think 108 steps is a pretty good stress test:D:D and you PASSED!

This thread caught my attention, because I've been having a lot of pain in my left arm (bicepts area and shoulder) in recent weeks, and that's just when I developed other strange symptoms as well (palpitations, chest-wall pain, shortness of breath, lightheadness and fainting, etc.). I was also diagnosed with anemia.

I passed a stress test, so my doctor is very sure my heart is just great. (I'm 43, good cholesterol, etc.) But the continued pain in my left arm -- which I never had before -- does bother me. I'm not sure we should discount it.

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A stress test-though very useful to rule in or out some conditions is not a very thorough cardio check up. I would seek out further tests, echo, ekg, possibly a catheter. Especially with arm/chest/heart symptoms and shortness of breath and fainting. Get an echo at the very least, I assume you have probably had an ekg, they are pretty standard.

Take care
Abby