Burning Pain in Arms

Q: I used to have terrific burning pain in my arms when walking. Since having stents and open-heart surgery, the arm pain continues, but is less severe. What causes it? I’m scheduled for another stress test.

A: Skeletal muscles in your arms and legs need oxygen and can produce pain if they do not get enough of it. However, pain in the arm, neck, jaw, shoulder, and back because of coronary artery obstructions (which I assume led to your open-heart surgery and stents) is thought to be “referred” from the heart itself because of the lack of oxygen to the heart muscle. I agree that your next step is to have a stress test to determine if you have remaining coronary artery obstructions.

dr zipes | muscles

Heartbeat

Cardiac Test Basics

Please explain the difference between an electrocardiogram and an echocardiogram. What exactly do these tests tell doctors about the heart?

Give the Gift of Life

My brother-in-law just turned 50 and needs a new heart. We sometimes hear that wealthy people get donor organs quicker than others. Is this true? How long is the usual wait for a new heart?

Low-Dose Aspirin for Heart Health

What is the latest information about taking daily baby aspirin to help the heart?

Heart Defect Often Causes No Symptoms

I had a stroke in 2003, and a diagnostic test showed a “hole” in my heart with no right-to-left shunt. The shunt didn’t show up on a different kind of test in 2009, either. I came through the stroke fine because I went to the hospital right away and have been on warfarin ever since. My question is: If there’s no shunt, is the hole present?

Surgery Corrects Heart Rhythm

Q: How does the Maze treatment for atrial fibrillation work, and what does it involve? A: The Maze procedure is open heart surgery to eliminate rapid heartbeats. It involves making a series of incisions in the top portion of the heart, the atria. In experienced hands, the procedure is successful in more than 90 percent [...]