Left sided chest pain radiating to back

Most chest pain is not a sign of anything serious but you should get medical advice just in case. Get immediate medical help if you think you're having a heart attack.

Table of Contents Show

Immediate action required: Call 999 if:
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
Common causes of chest pain
Chest pain and heart problems
Heart attack
Pulmonary embolism
Injury or muscle strain
Pericarditis
What does it mean when chest pain radiates to the back?
When should I worry about left side pain chest?
How do you know if chest pain is muscular or heart related?
What causes chest pain on left side not heart related?

Immediate action required: Call 999 if:

You have sudden chest pain that:

spreads to your arms, back, neck or jaw
makes your chest feel tight or heavy
also started with shortness of breath, sweating and feeling or being sick
lasts more than 15 minutes

You could be having a heart attack. Call 999 immediately as you need immediate treatment in hospital.

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

you have chest pain that comes and goes
you have chest pain that goes away quickly but you're still worried

It's important to get medical advice to make sure it's nothing serious.

Common causes of chest pain

Chest pain has many different causes. In most cases, chest pain is not caused by a heart problem.

Your symptoms might give you an idea of the cause. Don't self-diagnose – see a GP if you're worried.

Possible causes

Chest pain symptoms	Possible cause
Starts after eating, bringing up food or bitter tasting fluids, feeling full and bloated	heartburn or indigestion
Starts after chest injury or chest exercise, feels better when resting the muscle	chest sprain or strain
Triggered by worries or a stressful situation, heartbeat gets faster, sweating, dizziness	anxiety or panic attack
Gets worse when you breathe in and out, coughing up yellow or green mucus, high temperature	chest infection or pneumonia
Tingling feeling on skin, skin rash appears that turns into blisters	shingles

Chest pain and heart problems

The most common heart problems that cause chest pain include:

pericarditis – which usually causes a sudden, sharp, stabbing pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or lie down
angina or a heart attack – which have similar symptoms but a heart attack is life-threatening

You're more likely to have heart problems if you're older or know you're at risk of coronary heart disease.

For example, if you:

smoke
are very overweight (obese)
have high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol
have a history of heart attacks or angina in family members under 60 years old

Page last reviewed: 14 August 2020
Next review due: 14 August 2023

If you’re experiencing chest and back pain together there are many reasons this could be happening. The cause could be related to your heart, digestive tract or another part of your body.

While some causes of chest and back pain are more common and may be nothing to worry about, some are medical emergencies and need urgent medical attention.

If you have sudden or unexplained chest pain that lasts for longer than a few minutes,you should seek medical attention immediately. This could be a sign that you’re having a heart attack.

Other signs of a heart attack include sudden chest pain that:

feels tight or weighs down on your chest
you start feeling in your back, arms, neck or jaw
is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating or sickness
carries on for 15 minutes or more

If you have any of these symptoms you should go to a hospital immediately.

Read on to find out more about the common causes of chest and back pain, when to seek help and what you can do to ease symptoms.

Heart attack

happens when the supply of blood to your heart is suddenly blocked, often due to a blood clot. This can cause severe damage to your heart muscle and may also be life threatening.

Heart attacks are increasingly common, with more than 800,000 people having a heart attack in countries like the US each year.

In addition to the symptoms above, other signs of a heart attack can include:

feeling weak or lightheaded, or both
an overwhelming feeling of anxiety, like a panic attack

If you think you may be having a heart attack, you should seek medical attention immediately.

Angina

Angina is not usually life-threatening like a heart attack but is also caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscles. It's usually considered a warning sign that you could be at increased risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Chest and back pain caused by

can feel tight, dull or heavy and usually stops within a few minutes of resting. It’s often triggered by stress or physical exertion.

If you think you may have angina, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. They will be able to check for any heart problems and refer you for any additional care.

Pulmonary embolism

occurs when the blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the lungs, the pulmonary artery, becomes blocked. It’s usually caused by a blood clot and can be life threatening as it stops blood reaching your lungs.
Symptoms of a pulmonary embolism can include:

chest or upper back pain – a sharp, stabbing pain that may be worse when breathing in
shortness of breath – which can come on suddenly or develop gradually
coughing – this may include coughing up blood or mucus that contains blood
feeling lightheaded or dizzy
fainting

If you have any of these symptoms, you should see a doctor immediately.

Heartburn

Heartburn is caused by stomach acid moving up towards your throat, causing a burning sensation in your chest. This pain is sometimes also felt in your back or abdomen.

Many people get

and it’s not always clear why they get it, but common causes include being overweight, smoking, pregnancy, certain food and drinks and stress.

Heartburn often feels worse after a meal or when lying down, but there are things you can do to improve the symptoms, such as:

eating smaller or more frequent meals
eating at least 3 hours before bed
avoiding food or drink that triggers your symptoms
raising 1 end of your bed by 10 to 20cm so your chest and head are above your waist,
losing weight if you're overweight
finding ways to relax
not smoking
not drinking too much alcohol

Pleurisy

is when the tissue between your lungs and ribcage becomes inflamed.

The most common symptom is a sharp pain in your chest, but this can also spread to your back and shoulders. Other symptoms include a shortness of breath and dry cough.

Pleurisy is usually caused by a virus, such as the flu, but bacterial infections like pneumonia and tuberculosis can sometimes also be to blame.

Less common causes of pleurisy also include injury to the ribs, blood clots in your lungs, lung cancer, or autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

If you think you have pleurisy you should see a doctor. They will be able to listen to your chest and request further tests if needed.

Injury or muscle strain

Chest and back pain can sometimes be caused by injury or strain to the muscles in this part of your body, for example due to an accident or fall.

It can also be caused by overuse of the muscles, aided by repetitive motions throughout the day at work or when playing sports.

If you have an injury or strain, the pain is usually worse when you move this part of your body.

If you think you have a strain or injury you should rest to enable it to recover. Painkillers can also help to relieve the pain while your muscles recover, but you should speak to a doctor or pharmacist or doctor about how to get and use these.

the pain persists even after treating it yourself
the pain or swelling is getting worse
you have a high temperature or feel hot and shivery, as you may have an infection

Gallstones

Your gallbladder is a small organ that stores digestive fluid called bile. Sometimes, small stones can develop here, known as

, which are usually made of cholesterol.

Gallstones don’t usually cause symptoms, but if they become trapped in opening in your gallbladder, called the gallbladder duct, this can cause sudden pain. The pain is usually in your tummy or abdomen, but can spread to your back and shoulders.

Pericarditis

Your pericardium is a sac filled with fluid that surrounds your heart that helps to protect it. When the pericardium becomes inflamed, this causes

Pericarditis usually causes sharp chest pain and a high temperature. But the chest pain can radiate to your back, left shoulder or neck.

It’s usually hard to find out the cause of pericarditis, but it’s often caused by a viral infection It can also have other causes, such as heart attack or heart surgery.

If you think you may have pericarditis, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.

Key points

chest and back pain are common and aren’t always caused by something serious
if you have both chest and back pain that spreads to your arm, back, neck or jaw, shortness of breath, sweating, or feeling or being sick, seek medical attention urgently – these could be symptoms of a heart attack
common causes of chest and back pain include angina, heartburn, pericarditis, sprains and strains and pleurisy

What does it mean when chest pain radiates to the back?

Pain that is located to the left or center of the back, in combination with chest pain, could be related to a heart condition or heart problems. If you experience chest pain along with back pain, seek emergency medical care. This could be a sign of a heart attack or other serious condition.

When should I worry about left side pain chest?

Call 911 if you have any of these symptoms along with chest pain: A sudden feeling of pressure, squeezing, tightness, or crushing under your breastbone. Chest pain that spreads to your jaw, left arm, or back. Sudden, sharp chest pain with shortness of breath, especially after a long period of inactivity.

The pain of a heart attack differs from that of a strained chest muscle. A heart attack may cause a dull pain or an uncomfortable feeling of pressure in the chest. Usually, the pain begins in the center of the chest, and it may radiate outward to one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.

Muscle or bone problems in the chest, chest wall, or spine (back). Chronic lung diseases, including diseases of the pleura, the tissue that covers your lungs. Stomach problems, such as ulcers. Psychological problems, including pain disorders, stress, anxiety and depression.