What causes pain in back and arms with BP of 158/98?
Patient: I have pain in the back , shoulders and arms which began when I rose from my armchair to go to bed. No shortness of breath but my personal blood pressure machine shows blood pressure of 158/98 and pulse rate of 96. I always have a fairly high pulse rate - at least 80. Doctor: Hello!Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!I understand your concern and would explain that a comprehensive differential diagnosis should be done to differentiate between different causes of this clinical scenario: - a backbone disorder. It could lead to pain in the back and shoulders, and high blood pressure due to the physical stress. - an aortic dissection could lead to this clinical scenario- anxiety could also cause similar symptoms. I recommend going to the ER for a careful physical exam and some tests: - a resting ECG and cardiac ultrasound- a chest X ray study - a cervic-thoracic column X ray study- some blood lab tests ( CPK for possible myalgia, a complete blood count, inflammation tests). You should discuss with your doctor on the above issues. Hope you will find this answer helpful!Kind regards, Dr. Iliri