Show Your Body Some Love This February

Obviously, February is the month of love, so I thought I’d discuss matters of the heart… anatomical matters that is. If you’re concerned at all about your heart health then head straight to your GP, but I hope you find the information below useful to understand a tiny bit more about your body, heart and health.

Heart Referral Pain

Your brain is stupid sometimes! It prioritises muscular tissues over organs, so when certain organs feed in to the same level of the spine as various musculature your brain responds by sending out pain signals to the muscular tissue, why? Simply muscular pain is more common than visceral (organs). This is why if someone has a heart attack, they feel the pain down the left arm and across the chest when the heart is positioned just left of your sternum (breast bone).

Other common referral sites for the heart are the central chest and between the shoulders, hence the phrase ‘heart burn’. Don’t panic though, they’re likely associated to acid reflux not a heart attack! If you got pain in your chest or between your shoulder blades immediately after your valentine’s pizza… you may need to reach for the Gaviscon.

Obviously, there are many other reasons you may get pain at the chest or between the shoulder blades. It may be acid related if the following occurs; when pain is present you can’t find a comfortable position, the pain feels deep, diffuse and hard to locate exactly where it is and if you press into the sternum firmly the pain escalates (this is called rebound tenderness).

Bitterness Of the Heart

As you head out for your lovely Valentine’s meal and indulge in steak, strawberries and champagne… consider sucking on a lemon in between courses or replace all of those with broccoli, Brussel sprouts, citrus peel and dark chocolate!

Why would you do such a thing? Well, the heart has been found to have bitter taste receptors so bitter tasting foods increase heart health and reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and improve gut health.

Much Like the Saying in The Great Romantic Film… Highlander! ‘There Can Be Only One’

There can be only one heart (and body for that matter) that you will get the privilege of looking after, and do just that! Move well, eat well and be aware that not every pain you may feel will be entirely down muscles, joints and ligaments.

Remember it is all connected,

Ben

Call – 07745 039 485

Email – Ben@BenFedrickInjuryTherapy.co.uk