Very often people complain that their back hurts in the shoulder blade area.Attributing this to overwork, work that involved prolonged sitting or moving heavy objects, they put off visiting the doctor.
However, any pain can signal the presence of serious diseases of the spine that threaten the development of complications.
Main reasons
Pain in the spine in the shoulder blade area is explained by the fact that it is here that a large number of receptors are located that respond to any pathological changes.During the inflammatory process, the production of leukocytes increases, swellings form, nerve endings are compressed, causing pain.
When the back hurts in the lumbar region and shoulder blades, the possibility of a disease that requires a therapeutic course cannot be ruled out.Often the cause of intense pain are diseases that affect important organs such as the heart and lungs.
Exacerbation occurs under the influence of provoking factors: bad posture, excess weight, lack of physical activity.If your back hurts below the shoulder blades, this could be one of the symptoms of a stomach ulcer.
Most often, the root cause is an illness, injury or a person's psychological state.
You should not try to eliminate an unpleasant symptom on your own using various poultices and ointments.It is necessary to identify the reasons why your back hurts in the shoulder blade area, for which you will need to consult a doctor and undergo an examination.
Scapula injuries
This bone is located on the side of the spine, is protected by many muscles and in very rare cases is damaged.Your injury is often associated with rib fractures, so it is not always possible to make a diagnosis in time.
In this case, the victim feels severe pain in the shoulder blade area, sometimes hemorrhage and the development of hemarthrosis of the shoulder are possible.Damage can be caused by a fall, a car accident or an impact.
If your back hurts below the shoulder blades or above, redness and swelling appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.It could also be an inflammation of the synovial bag, which is often accompanied by a sensation of creaking and heaviness.
Dislocation, or more precisely the displacement of the humerus and scapula relative to each other, is another reason why the back can hurt in the shoulder blade area.The injury occurs when there is a strong tug on the arm or when there is a blow.A dislocated scapula does not allow active movements of the upper extremity.
Strong pain is felt upon palpation.Visually the asymmetry of the shoulder blades is clearly visible;one of them has a notable protrusion of the axillary edge.
Intervertebral hernia
This is the name of a degenerative disease accompanied by deformation and destruction of the fibrous ring.Any part of the spine is susceptible to the pathology.
If your back hurts below the shoulder blades, this could be a sign of a lumbar intervertebral hernia.With a thoracic hernia, various symptoms are observed.
The most common:
- pain between the shoulder blades, which sharply intensifies when coughing or doing physical activity.Its nature can be different: it can be a dull or sharp pain in the back.
- Paresthesia.
- Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing.
- Muscle weakness, problems raising arms.
The intensity of the symptoms depends on the size of the hernia and the stage of the disease.
Osteomyelitis
Aching pain between the shoulder blades can be a sign of osteomyelitis.This is the name of a purulent infection that affects bone tissue.
This disease is usually very difficult.The tissue located above the bone is quite thin, so symptoms at the site of the lesion appear immediately.The main sign of pathology is the presence of a purulent wound, swelling of soft tissues with hyperemia.A person complains that his back hurts in the shoulder blade area, sometimes chills are added, the body temperature rises and the pulse accelerates.
There are several varieties of this pathology.Osteomyelitis that occurs when bacteria enter bone tissue through the blood is called hematogenous.Its acute form is most often found in children and adolescents.
Microorganisms entering from the environment cause exogenous osteomyelitis.The cause of this is an injury, trauma or open fracture.When a purulent lesion moves from the soft tissue to the bone, it is called a contact form of the disease.
Scoliosis
One of the most common reasons why back pain occurs in the shoulder blade area is scoliosis of the thoracic segment of the spine.Considering that this section is connected to the ribs, a deformation of the chest is observed.
In addition to the main symptom, when the back hurts under the shoulder blades and above the lower back, increased fatigue and different levels of the shoulders should be highlighted.
The diagnosis is made only by x-ray.When the stage is advanced, the back hurts almost constantly in the spinal area.
Osteochondrosis
Back pain in the shoulder blade area is the main symptom of osteochondrosis, when the upper part of the spine is subject to degenerative processes.The disease is often confused with pneumonia and tuberculosis.
An experienced neurologist determines osteochondrosis based on several combined characteristics.The localization of the pain syndrome depends on which part of the nerve endings is pinched.Therefore, a distinction is made between left-sided and right-sided pathology.
If your back hurts in the shoulder blade area, you should definitely visit to start treatment at an early stage.This ensures faster recovery.
Spondyloarthrosis
This is the name of a polyetiological disease that often occurs together with osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia and spondylosis.Spondyloarthrosis is an arthrosis that affects the intervertebral joints and develops due to injuries, congenital defects and excessive overload.
The suspicion of pathology is caused by back pain under the shoulder blades that appears for no apparent reason, especially when the weather changes or when moving.The advanced stage is determined by a characteristic creaking sound.
Subphrenic abscess
This is the name of a rare but serious complication after inflammation affecting the abdominal cavity.The main symptoms are a burning sensation in the back, especially in the shoulder blade area, shortness of breath, hyperthermia and cough.
In addition to the fact that pain in the spine is localized under the shoulder blades, it can also spread to the right hypochondrium.
Diseases of the internal organs
If the back hurts a lot in the shoulder blade area, this may raise suspicions about the presence of diseases of the heart, bronchopulmonary system or gastrointestinal tract.
Therefore, such symptoms cannot be ignored.It is necessary to immediately pay attention to nagging pain, especially chest pain, which hides coronary heart disease and other equally serious diseases of the internal organs.It is important to make a timely diagnosis and begin treatment.
Intercostal neuralgia
The cause of the phenomenon when a burning sensation is felt in the shoulder blade area, a sensation as if the back is on fire, is often intercostal neuralgia.
Unpleasant symptoms occur due to the fact that pathological changes affecting the spine cause compression of the intercostal nerves.
The painful sensations of neuralgia occur at the level of the shoulder blades and have variable intensity.They may get worse when you cough or take a deep breath.
Psychological problems
Back pain under the shoulder blades often occurs for psychological reasons.The patient feels compression and tingling and experiences a feeling of anxiety and inexplicable fear.The pain may radiate to the right arm and neck.
Diagnostics
Often back pain under the shoulder blade is a consequence of professional activity.Machinists, drivers, seamstresses, athletes, designers - people whose work is associated with daily tension in the back muscles.
When the first symptoms appear, you should visit a doctor and undergo an examination.When the disease is diagnosed early and treatment is started promptly, many serious complications can be avoided.
If your back hurts in the scapula area, the doctor will prescribe modern diagnostic methods, including x-ray, computed tomography and ultrasound.
It is almost impossible to independently determine the exact cause of the pain.Considering that it can often occur during a heart attack, postponing a visit to the doctor is extremely risky.
Treatment
What to do if your back hurts in the shoulder blade area?Do not forget that the cause of such a symptom can be a variety of pathologies.Therefore, treatment should be prescribed only by a doctor and carried out under his supervision.
The traumatic and joint origin of pain requires specific clinical therapy, which includes:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.Painful sensations are effectively relieved using corticosteroids and non-steroidal drugs.They can be used externally, by applying ointments recommended by the doctor to the shoulder blade area, or by injection.The combination of these methods allows you to achieve the best results.
- Chondroprotectors.They are used to treat the scapular region of the back when the pain is caused by intervertebral hernia or protrusion.Preparations containing mucopolysaccharides, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate will help improve the nutrition of cartilage tissue and increase its elasticity.
- Physiotherapy.When joint tissue is damaged, physiotherapeutic procedures show good results.The most popular is the shock wave technique, in which infrasound hits the tissues of the body..It is able to destroy bone growths, improve blood flow, which leads to an increase in cartilage nutrition, reduces muscle tone and eliminates pain in the shoulder blades.In addition, electrophoresis, massage, paraffin baths and manual therapy are widely used.
If a vertebrogenic cause of pain is established, warming compresses using a solution of dimethyl sulfoxide, turpentine and alcohol will be effective.By improving blood circulation, muscle spasms are relieved and pain decreases.
Folk remedies can also be used for scapular pain, but they perform only an auxiliary function.
Prevention
Following some rules will help you avoid such an unpleasant symptom as back pain in the shoulder blade area.
To do this you need:
- Eat well.A deficiency of microelements necessary for cartilaginous tissue leads to the degeneration of intervertebral discs.
- Maintain correct posture.Uneven load on the spine is one of the primary causes of pain.
- Move more.This helps prevent excessive muscle tone and normalize blood circulation.Outdoor walks, sports games and gymnastics are useful.
We must not forget about regular medical examinations, thanks to which it is possible to detect the development of any pathology at a very early stage.