Mom has chest 'pain'

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I'm posting this because I'm concerned about my mother. For the last few weeks, she's had this on-and-off chest pain/discomfort going on. When it began, she went and got an EKG because it was pretty ainful, but she said the EKG came back normal.

Now, she says it's more of a pressure and it's not quite near the heart, but off to the left, sort of between the inner shoulder and the center of the chest. Mom works in the EKG lab at the local hospital, so I figure she'd know if it was a heart-related sort of chest pain. But she refuses to go to a doctor because standard procedure here is to make anyone with chest complaints get several cardiology-related tests and she does not want to get them done.

My guess was it's a pulled muscle just based on where the pain is located that maybe got pulled over and over again. Mom's about 62 and has bursitis and arthritis, so she's not exactly a spry young woman. And I figure it's not a heart attack if it's been going on for the last few weeks on and off.

Does anyone know what it might be? As far as I know, there's no family history of heart disease or heart attacks.

 

[Mzdandylion0527]

You may very well be right, in regards to the muscle (s), however, before she can do anything about it, she does need to go and have whatever tests are necessary to show that it is not her heart. Personally, I am on the same line of thought with you, but proper tests are necessary, to eliminate a more serious condition. It is by process of elimination that you find out in the end.
If it is muscular, or the body has gone out of alignment, in that area, you can seek other treatments, but not before you eliminate anything serious and take it out of the equation.
She seems to avoid having those tests, because she doesn't want to hear anything bad, but that is like placing the head under the sand. Once she has the ok, then she will relax and be able to reach out elsewhere for what it may be....or being mascular/fascia pull etc., or the deeper muscles being constricted etc. I hope you can talk some sense into her. Good luck!

 

[jordanm]

I think with my mom, it's more a matter of not wanting to go through tests or just not pay for them. She's always been stubborn like that, even when it was with my health and I was on her insurance. I doubt she'll listen to me unless the pain is constant and unbearable (like when she had carpal tunnel syndrome).

But thanks for the advice nonetheless. I really do think this was just a false alarm, but I'll do what I can in the event it seems to not be one.