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Question:
Can posture cause or contribute to chest pain?
Hi, I do hope you can please help me. I had a stress test yesterday morning and, as far as I am aware, everything was fine. I am 57 years of age and my gender is male. Can you please tell me if posture will cause chest pain, as I'm still getting pain in my chest. Please help me as I am at my wits end. My doctor thinks it is in my head.
submitted by William from Perth, Australia on 9/26/2012
Answer:
by Texas Heart Institute cardiologist, Domingo G. Gonzalez, Jr., MD 
Yes, it is definitely possible to have chest pain from posture. There are several causes of chest pain other than from the heart. However, a normal stress test is only 75-90% sensitive and specific, depending on the type of stress test and the pretest probability of coronary artery disease in the population studied. Being male and 57 years old, it is imperative that the cause of your pain is further evaluated since coronary artery disease has not been ruled out, especially if your chest pain persists and no other cause is apparent.
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Updated October 2012
