my husband is a landscaper and was shovelling sand yesterday, he suddenly got an acute pain in his upper back and had great difficulty breathing. he described it as having a wrestler squeezing his stomach. he could not stand straight and when he moves he is finding it difficult to breathe. he cannot walk without pain or sit or lie. this has been going for 24 hours and not easing. he is 6ft 2" not overweight and usually good health
Thanks for your question on Chat Doctor. I can understand your concern. Sudden onset chest pain and breathing difficulty is commonly seen with heart diseases like coronary artery disease (CAD). So better to consult doctor and get done ECG and 2d echo. If both these are normal then no need to worry about heart diseases. Sometimes, musculoskeletal pain due muscle spasm can also cause similar symptoms. So ask him to follow these steps for better symptomatic relief in musculoskeletal pain. 1. Avoid movements causing pain. Avoid bad postures in sleep. 2. Avoid heavyweight lifting and strenuous exercise. 3. Apply warm water pad on affected areas. 4. Take painkiller like ibuprofen. Don't worry, he will be alright but first rule out heart diseases. Hope I have solved your query. I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.