Back pain in the shoulder blade area is reported by older and younger people. Pain in the interscapular region does not indicate any particular disease, but is a manifestation of numerous abnormalities in the work of organs located outside the zone of pain concentration.
If the back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades, then the muscles, nerves, facet joints, ligaments, pathological changes in the internal organs, the consequences of blows and injuries, etc. They can be a probable pretext for pain.
The nature of the pain
In medical practice, the patient's rational description of his pain above the lower back is of great importance. Pain between the shoulder blades is a symptom of a number of diseases or pathologies, it is possible to find out the cause of the event with an accurate description of its nature, type, frequency of appearance and disappearance. Correct diagnosis will eliminate a burning sensation in the back, pain in the shoulder blades, the reasons, with the help of a doctor, will be determined, and diseases in the future will be prevented.
By the nature of the back pain syndrome is:
- chronic - mild pain is typical, disturbs for a long time, practically does not stop;
- acute - specific pain, striking suddenly and disappearing, much stronger than chronic.
When the back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades, the localization of painful sensations occurs in different places. This gives reason to classify shoulder blade pain into three types:
- pain under the shoulder blades (right or left);
- pain between the shoulder blades;
- pain in the shoulder blade on the right or left.
The back hurts under the shoulder blades
The causes of the pain may have absolutely nothing to do with the spine. If a person has back pain under the shoulder blades, then from a number of accompanying signs, without examinations and analyzes, it can be implied that he has the presence of typical common ailments.
Disorders that cause pain under the left shoulder blade:
- Stomach ulcer. Characterized by regular, increasing, weakening or disappearing pain after vomiting. Pain sensations in the epigastrium are localized, but penetrate into the left shoulder blade.
- Psychological issues, psychological problems. They cause barely noticeable or sharp sensations of heaviness, chest congestion, tingling in the region of the heart, compression in the chest. There are cases when such symptoms capture the neck area, spread under the left shoulder blade.
What caused the pain under the right shoulder blade
How a symptom manifests itself determines its causes.
The list of reasons that explain the pain under the right shoulder blade is extensive. Examples of the most common:
- Dull, persistent discomfort and persistent pain on the right side of the back can be caused by the usual muscle spasm due to prolonged uncomfortable posture of the body or associated with internal organs: kidneys, pancreas, gall bladder. In most cases, the pain appears unexpectedly, with a sharp turn of the head, sneezing, coughing.
- Sharp, stabbing, sharp or increasing pain localized to the right in the heart region or interscapular space may be the result of a disease of the internal organs and is not associated with the spine. Many body systems for deviations from the norms of functioning cause pain under the right shoulder blade: cardiovascular, excretory, digestive, etc.
- A pulling and cutting pain under the right shoulder blade suggests the onset of diseases of the musculoskeletal system: chondrosis, osteochondrosis, spondylosis, etc. Pain like this can be caused by neuralgia when nerve roots are pinched. The reasons for such painful sensations can be oncological tumors, not often, but such phenomena are present in medical practice.
- The patient has pain in the back muscles under the shoulder blades, so you should think about diseases of the respiratory system. Pain under the shoulder blades can be caused by muscle overload in this place or by the thoracic spine.
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. It often causes one-sided, dull aching pains that are concentrated under the occipital part. Their peculiarity is to appear in the morning, wrenching the patient from sleep. The pain syndrome is especially strong with a strong flexion - extension of the neck. Exposure to heat on the painful surface (hot bath) extinguishes the pain. Patients react to this pathology by complaining of pain under the shoulder blades, pain flow in the arm or head.
Causes of pain between the shoulder blades
Intercostal neuralgia is manifested by excruciating pain in the girdle. With a deep breath, a sharp turn of the body, with palpation of the inflamed area between the ribs, the pain increases.
Diseases of the lungs are accompanied by pain between the shoulder blades when inhaling, with a deep breath, the pain intensifies, there is a high temperature, cough.
In the case of increased pain with shallow breathing, it is most often given under the right shoulder blade, there may be a diaphragmatic abscess.
When the normal tilt of the head causes pain between the shoulder blades, this is associated with an inflammatory process in the muscles of the interscapular region, as well as damage to their tendons and ligaments.
Pain between the shoulder blades sometimes occurs when swallowing, its origin is caused by diseases of the esophagus (inflammation or ulcer); inflammatory processes in the organs located between the two lungs; damage to the diaphragm.
A burning sensation between the shoulder blades causes attacks of renal and biliary colic, osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic vertebrae and reflux esophagitis.
Pain in the shoulder blade on the right and left
The reason lies in receiving a blow to the shoulder blade or falling on it. An awkward fall on the arm or elbow will result in a shoulder blade fracture. Trauma causes severe pain syndrome, the intensity of pain increases with the movement of the hands. Edema is formed.
Pterygoid scapula. It appears as a result of muscle paralysis - trapezoidal, rhomboid, serratus anterior or is the result of numerous bruises in the forearm region, damage to the long thoracic nerve.
Scapular crunch - crunch in the shoulder joint.
Methods of treatment
At the beginning of treatment, it is necessary to determine the condition of the lungs and heart. The cardiologist and therapist will most likely prescribe an ECG or ultrasound procedure. After consulting with specialists, you can not safely consider these organs as the causes of pain between the shoulder blades.
When pain occurs when the spine moves close to the shoulder blade, the cause is usually sought in the back. The pain is sometimes so severe that it can be confused with the symptoms of panic attacks.
The usual x-ray in the diagnosis of the spine is often not enough, the complete picture is given by the magnetic resonance of the thoracic region. At this stage of clarification of the diagnosis, consultation with a vertebrologist is required.
It is possible to eliminate pain in the area of the right shoulder blade by treatment only when the causes of its occurrence are clarified. When this pain is associated with diseases of the internal organs, it is necessary to treat them. Which doctor he will treat depends on the specific organ. The pain under the right shoulder blade will disappear on its own when the treatment of the affected internal organ is successful.
If there is a connection between pain in the back on the right and in the interdubular region with diseases of the spine, medical care will focus on the focus of inflammation. To eliminate the inflammatory process, analgesics, chondroprotectors, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids are used.
Dull pain that does not go away for a long time, resulting from muscle spasms or neuralgia, is effectively treated with warming ointments with an analgesic effect. In addition, patches are used that provide a warming and analgesic effect.
Prophylaxis
The back in the shoulder blade area will not hurt if a person moves a lot and follows a healthy lifestyle. The movements involve uniform loads on the muscles, correct weight lifting, massage sessions and various types of physiotherapy. Sport is the best preventative measure.
It is recommended to beware of drafts, hypothermia. And most importantly, observe proper nutrition.