Angina isn’t just chest pain. For physical therapists and PT students preparing for the NPTE, recognizing cardiac-related symptoms is critical for patient safety and clinical decision-making.
In this episode of the MPT Studycast, Dr. Rachele Burriesci explains the pathophysiology of angina, how atherosclerosis leads to coronary artery disease, and why angina occurs when myocardial oxygen demand exceeds supply.
You’ll learn how to recognize key symptom descriptions, understand referral patterns beyond the chest, and differentiate the three major types of angina: stable, unstable, and Prinzmetal angina.
This episode also walks through how PTs should screen patients presenting with chest, shoulder, arm, or upper back pain during exercise and how to differentiate cardiac angina from musculoskeletal pain during evaluation.
If you're preparing for the NPTE or working with patients in cardiopulmonary or outpatient settings, these clinical red flags are essential for safe practice.
Chapters
00:00 What Is Angina
02:10 Atherosclerosis And CAD
04:20 Angina Symptoms Explained
06:30 Women’s Symptom Differences
08:25 Stable Vs Unstable Angina
10:30 Prinzmetal Angina
12:00 MSK Vs Cardiac Pain
