Dealing with left arm pain, numbness in my hand, and shortness of breath... help!

Dan!

I get this weird tightness in my left arm every once in a while—it’s almost always in the exact same spot on my upper arm. It also makes me feel like I'm being choked, and sometimes my grip in my hand just feels weak. I'm right-handed.

Of course, my brain immediately goes into full panic mode thinking it's a heart issue, but all my medical tests have come back totally fine.

The thing is, my neck and shoulder muscles are incredibly tense right now—they're rock hard and super knotty...

Could that be what's causing it?

lp

Chloe Garcia10 said:Dan!

I get this weird tightness in my left arm every once in a while—it’s almost always in the exact same spot on my upper arm. It also makes me feel like I'm being choked, and sometimes my grip in my hand just feels weak. I'm right-handed.

Of course, my brain immediately goes into full panic mode thinking it's a heart issue, but all my medical tests have come back totally fine.

The thing is, my neck and shoulder muscles are incredibly tense right now—they're rock hard and super knotty...

Could that be what's causing it?

lp

It sounds more like GERD or maybe just standard acid reflux.
Let me take a guess at what you're feeling:
Does it happen mostly at night, making you feel like you can't breathe and triggering that panic, almost like there's a lump stuck in your throat that won't go down, while the pain radiates from your sternum straight into your arm?
There are threads on this forum about it and plenty of info online, so just do a quick search. It's a pretty textbook symptom.

Hey there!

I didn't feel like I was suffocating last night—or rather, I just couldn't feel anything at all.
But that constant lump in my throat? It’s definitely still there.
And honestly, I have no clue why my arm is hurting, too.

Chloe Garcia10 said:Hey there!

I didn't feel like I was suffocating last night—or rather, I just couldn't feel anything at all.
But that constant lump in my throat? It’s definitely still there.
And honestly, I have no clue why my arm is hurting, too.

It’s because referred pain from acid reflux can radiate just like that.
Do a quick Google search on GERD; it’ll make much more sense to you.
Get a referral for a gastroenterologist since reflux seems to be the culprit here.

Hey everyone,
I’m 42, and lately, I’ve been dealing with this pain in my left upper arm (mostly on the outer side), some occasional shoulder issues, numbness in my hand, and sometimes even chest pain. My posture is pretty terrible since I work an office job staring at a computer all day, so there’s constant tension in my neck and through my shoulders. To make things more complicated, my last set of scans dates all the way back to 2012.
The MRI of my spine showed signs of osteophytes along with minor degenerative changes at the C5 and C7 levels.
X-rays of the cervical and thoracic spine.
Looking at all the bone structures shown, there aren't any pathological bone barriers, osteolytic changes, or potential expansive infiltrates. Bone mineralization looks normal with standard lamellar structure. There are no signs of recent or old bone trauma, nor any congenital malformations. The spinal canal configuration is normal.
In the cervical segment, the physiological curvature is maintained. Vertebral bodies have normal height, though there are early moderate degenerative changes along the limbus of the endplates, including some osteochondrosis. The small facet joints show congruent relationships with early osteoarthritis and initial uncarrosis formation. The intervertebral spaces are generally normal, except for the C5/C6 segment, which is narrowed—meaning there could be radicular impingement. There’s more significant involvement at the C7 transverse processes—more pronounced on the right—though no rib visible on X-ray rules out a cervical rib, but doesn't rule out fibrous formation.
In the thoracic segment, the physiological curvature is fine. The spinal canal is standard and appropriate. Vertebral bodies have normal height with degenerative changes along the limbus and moderate osteochondrosis of the endplates. In the mid-thoracic segment (from T3 to T8), there is narrowing of the intervertebral spaces, which could cause radicular conflicts. The small joints show congruent relationships with early stages of degenerative changes.

Do you think these findings could be causing the specific pain and symptoms I'm going through?

LP

Is it just me, or is nobody else dealing with this?!
I’m getting this intense pressure right at the front of my thoracic spine, which then shoots straight through to my back, plus major tension in my neck and this constant feeling of being suffocated...

I can definitely help with that. You should probably head straight to a physiatrist so they can map out a specific exercise routine just for you. Plus, once they look over your results, they'll be able to tell if you need to see any other specialists.

Seriously though, you’ve got to change up how you work—or honestly, just change up your workout routine too—if you’re going to keep sitting there without breaks or proper ergonomics at your desk. It's not just your joints, either; it really messes with your circulation. I learned that the hard way when I was working a desk job back in Chicago. It would be a lifesaver if you could just get up from your desk every hour. Even just a quick five-minute stroll to stretch out your arms and shoulders makes such a huge difference.

Matthew Fox4 said:I can definitely help with that. You should probably head straight to a physiatrist so they can map out a specific exercise routine just for you. Plus, once they look over your results, they'll be able to tell if you need to see any other specialists.

Seriously though, you’ve got to change up how you work—or honestly, just change up your workout routine too—if you’re going to keep sitting there without breaks or proper ergonomics at your desk. It's not just your joints, either; it really messes with your circulation. I learned that the hard way when I was working a desk job back in Chicago. It would be a lifesaver if you could just get up from your desk every hour. Even just a quick five-minute stroll to stretch out your arms and shoulders makes such a huge difference.

Thanks for the reply.
I’m feeling pretty rough right now. I’m actually just heading out the door for physical therapy because my knee is acting up again—that meniscus tear from back in 2013 is still haunting me—plus I've been dealing with this inflamed tendon in my foot for a few months now. Just a total mess. 😵

Anyone else dealing with heartburn? Does it seem to flare up more specifically at night?
Basically, poor posture can actually weaken your esophageal sphincter. When that happens, stomach acid travels back up into the esophagus, which triggers that burning sensation and pain you’re describing. It sounds like GERD—gastroesophageal reflux disease. Aside from seeing a physical therapist, I’d definitely recommend booking an appointment with a gastroenterologist.

Angela Wright said:Anyone else dealing with heartburn? Does it seem to flare up more specifically at night?
Basically, poor posture can actually weaken your esophageal sphincter. When that happens, stomach acid travels back up into the esophagus, which triggers that burning sensation and pain you’re describing. It sounds like GERD—gastroesophageal reflux disease. Aside from seeing a physical therapist, I’d definitely recommend booking an appointment with a gastroenterologist.

I have reflux, but it hasn't progressed to GERD. I had a full GI workup about two years ago because of some stomach pains. I don't have any issues at night.
But look, right now I've got this burning sensation in my back just below my neck, sort of between my shoulder blades, and the pain radiates toward the front. Since I'm a total hypochondriac, I am completely hyper-focused on it.

Chloe Garcia10 said:I have reflux, but it hasn't progressed to GERD. I had a full GI workup about two years ago because of some stomach pains. I don't have any issues at night.
But look, right now I've got this burning sensation in my back just below my neck, sort of between my shoulder blades, and the pain radiates toward the front. Since I'm a total hypochondriac, I am completely hyper-focused on it.

That sounds exactly like reflux to me. Just because you didn't have GERD two years ago doesn't mean you don't have it now. Poor posture plays a massive role in this, too. Honestly, just having acid sitting in your esophagus is enough to trigger symptoms like that. Try taking some Pepcid for a few days and see if things improve.
My husband went through the exact same thing—he'd wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air, totally panicked because he thought he was having a heart attack. Turns out, it really was GERD.