text: my mum has emphysema and angina for past few days she has had aching in the tops of her right and left arms? now that has gone the aching is in her back im so worried ,i have made an appointment with her dr on thursday do u think this is due to angina more than emphysema honey my mom also has emphysema. she started having pain in her arm & shoulder so she went to the e.r. she ended up having to have angioplasty because the pain was being caused by a major blockage in 3 of her coronary arteries. i would not wait. it's better to be safe than sorry. women experience symptoms of heart related problems differently than men. if she has a serious coronary problem, thursday may be too late.