There are two elements to a good history. The physician must ask the right questions. When this is done, the answer to whether the pain is coming from a barrel or from its contents can be established in short order. If worry shifts to the contents of the barrel, a few basic questions will distinguish between cardiac, lung or esophagal pain. This certainly, however, depends also on the patient being a good historian.
Vague answers are of little help.
The more pertinent information the patient brings to the physician, the better off both of them are. When dealing with chest wall pain, a family or personal background of rheumatic disorders, neuralgia or allergies becomes important. There are probably 50 or more causes for chest pain. The specific diagnosis requires some very specific questions. Be assured, however, that the pain of serious coronary artery disease can readily identified by an experienced physician.