Question
Dr. Newhart,

First off - I am not having a heart attack; was tested at the doctors office.

I have mid-back pain (I think around T1) which includes pain to the right of my left scapula.  My hand is slightly numb and my left shoulder at times gets very irritated and painful. The bigger issue is my breathing - I always feel like I am out of breath.  I was diagnosed with Asthma in early 2009 (took the metho-choline test) although the medication does not seem to be working (I have been diligent taking it).

On top of that - I do get periodic heart "flutters" hence why I initially thought I was having a heart attack.

The breathing issues are concerning and I just don't think asthma is the cause/issue.  The pain / breathing issues are getting unbearable when I do endurance type exercise (I am training for an Ironman).

My question is - is this a common thing or at least something you see? Is there a coorelation? I have searched the internet (webmd, etc...) looking for a cooralation to spinal issues and breathing; had some correlation but nothing definitive from a reliable source.

Thank you,

John R. Quirk

Answer
It is quite possible to have misalignment in the T1-T4 areas affect heart and or breathing.  Firstly, the nerves exiting these areas travel to the heart and lungs, and interference can affect their performance.  Secondly, if a rib is misaligned, you can have breathing pain and/or difficulty.  I would suggest a good chiropractor to assess and treat this, as well as rehab. the injury.