Can anxiety make your left arm hurt?

Yes, anxiety and panic attacks can cause your left arm to hurt. However, because left arm pain is also a classic symptom of a heart attack, you should never assume it is just anxiety without getting evaluated by a medical professional first.

How anxiety causes left arm pain:

• Muscle tension: Anxiety triggers your body's "fight or flight" response, causing your muscles to instinctively contract. Prolonged tension in your chest, neck, and shoulders can radiate down your left arm.
• Hyperventilation: Breathing too quickly or shallowly during a panic attack alters the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in your blood. This can cause tingling, numbness, or a dull ache in your extremities.
• Sensory hyper-awareness: Severe health anxiety can make you hyper-focused on your body. If you are worried about a heart attack, your brain can amplify normal physical sensations, causing you to actively feel pain or tightness in your left arm or chest.

When to seek emergency help:
It can be incredibly difficult to tell the difference between a severe panic attack and a heart attack. Seek immediate emergency medical care (call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room) if your arm pain is sudden or severe, or if it is accompanied by any of the following:

• Chest pain, pressure, fullness, or a squeezing sensation
• Shortness of breath
• Pain radiating to your jaw, neck, back, or stomach
• Nausea, vomiting, or breaking out in a cold sweat
• Dizziness, weakness, or lightheadedness

If you have been checked by a doctor and your heart is healthy, a therapist or physician can help you develop strategies to manage the physical symptoms of anxiety.