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Causes of back pain in the shoulder blade area and methods of their treatment

Back pain in the shoulder blade area caused by disease or injury

Regardless of the location, intensity and cause of the pain, it always indicates a malfunction of the body. If it appears regularly, you should not immediately self-medicate, because the causes of the pathology may be different. First, you need to find out why your back hurts in the shoulder blade area.

What is the nature of the pain?

If you pay attention to what causes discomfort in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulder blades, you should understand that they have a different character. Back pain should be classified as:

  • Pulling or pain.It appears to be due to severe compression of nerve roots, changes in muscle tone, and damage to the spine.
  • Long lasting, very intense.It is caused by neuralgia, a traumatic change in the scapula.
  • Severe and unexpected pain.It is characteristic of the complications of gastric ulcer, spasmodic contraction of the gall bladder muscles and heart attack.
  • Paroxysmal painby gradually increasing the intensity. The ulcer also provokes it.
  • If there is no back pain in the area of the shoulder blades, but the patient feels itnumbness, pressure, then this may be the result of excessive emotional or inadequate physical stress.

As for the localization of the pain, it can be interscapular, subscapular, and can be located inside the joint. Now you can find out why the discomfort occurs.

Diseases of internal organs as a provoking factor

If you feel discomfort in the back under the shoulder blade, it could be a normal muscle strain. However, if it periodically recurs and increases in intensity, it is better not to hesitate and urgently consult a doctor. The pain has the following causes:

  • Myocardial infarction.The pain under the shoulder blade in this case is strong and sharp. Other signs: the spread of discomfort over a wide area, increased sweating, increased heart rate. The peculiarity of a heart attack is that even taking nitrates does not help to calm the attack.
  • Digestive ulcer.In this case, the pain syndrome is increasing and paroxysmal in nature. The discomfort often occurs in the epigastric region after eating. The pain radiates to the sternum, lower back and heart. The patient also feels heartburn and belching. You will feel nauseous and may vomit.
  • Perforation of gastric ulcer.It means the appearance of a hole in the wall of the organ that opens into the abdominal cavity. Here, the person requires emergency surgery. Symptoms of pathology are clearly expressed. The patient feels an unexpected acute pain under the shoulder blades, experiences a state of shock, and the abdominal muscles tense sharply. Cold sweat appears on the face, the skin turns pale. The patient's breathing speeds up and he feels severe discomfort when palpating the abdomen.
  • Spasm of the gallbladder muscles.The pain in the shoulder blade area is cutting or stabbing. The discomfort does not last long. Pain appears on the back, on the right side under the ribs, which then radiates to the neck, collarbone and jaw.
  • Subphrenic abscess.It is characterized by the accumulation of pus in the area of the diaphragm. The pain gradually increases, general weakness and loss of appetite appear, and the temperature may rise. Pallor of the skin and increased sweating are experienced.
  • Kidney pathologies.Here, the pain is localized not only on the back, under the shoulder blades, but also in the lower back. The nature of the sensations is twitching, but they become acute during the development of renal colic. The patient cannot go to the toilet normally.
  • Pneumonia or pleurisy.This pathology is characterized by increased pain during coughing.
  • Neuralgia.Here, the pain is mainly felt under the shoulder blade, more often on the left side. The nature of the sensations is paroxysmal and they become stronger with any physical activity. Pain syndrome can also be burning. When you cough, you get shingles.
  • Pathologies of muscles and ligaments.Back pain is painful and intermittent. After resting, the comfort disappears.

Special mention should be made of psychological problems that cause pain under the shoulder blade. Severe stress or emotional tension, neurosis or increased anxiety are clear causes of discomfort. The fact is that a person's back muscles are strained, therefore spasms occur, which leads to pinching and inflammation of the nerve processes. The pain is oppressive and radiates to other parts of the body. There is a feeling of pressure and stiffness in the area of the shoulder blades. A person is afraid that he is afraid for his life, he is short of breath, his heart starts pounding and a lump appears in his throat.

Bone diseases as a cause of pain

There are many spinal disorders that cause back pain in the area of the shoulder blades. The most common of them are:

  1. Osteochondrosis of the neck.It causes intermittent pain that radiates to the area of the shoulder blades. The disease develops gradually and is incurable. Additional symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis: stiffness of movements, painful turns of the head. The nature of the feelings is aching, they intensify with any movement. The person's neck starts to go numb.
  2. Disc protrusionin the neck region.
  3. Radiculitis.

All these diseases cause quite severe pain and prevent a person from normal movement and work. Of course, you need to fight them, but this should be done at the initial stage of development. If your back often hurts and the syndrome itself does not go away for a long time, try to see a doctor as soon as possible. Self-medication is dangerous.

Injury to the scapula as a cause of pain

Shoulder pain is often an independent phenomenon and is not accompanied by other pathologies. The main cause of discomfort is the processes directly inside the joint. Here are the reasons for the discomfort:

  • Injury. It appears very rarely, as this part of the skeleton is maximally protected by the muscles. A fracture or other type of injury most often occurs as a result of an accident or fall from a height or a very strong impact. Immediately after the injury, the victim experiences sharp back pain, hematoma and swelling. The functionality of the limb and shoulder joint deteriorates or is completely absent.
  • Pterygoid blade.It develops due to the weakness of the muscle ligament. The shoulder girdle completely loses its functionality, the back of the shoulder blades ache. The discomfort increases during movement.
  • Blade scraping.This is a congenital abnormality of the structure of the scapula. It rarely develops as a result of abnormal physical activity. In this case, shoulder pain is an additional symptom.
  • Osteomyelitis.This is an infectious bone lesion accompanied by inflammation and the appearance of pus. It causes slight displacement of the scapula, severe pain, inflammation and redness of the skin above the joint, changes in core temperature and impaired mobility.

It is better not to delay in finding out the causes of the pain, since it is a serious pathological process, the prognosis of the treatment of which depends on the timeliness of the diagnosis.

Other causes of pain

In addition to the presented pathologies, other causes of pain under the shoulder blade can also be identified:

  1. Cancer.
  2. Tuberculosis of bones.
  3. Polio.
  4. Myositis.
  5. Mechanical damage to the back, constant adherence to incorrect sitting posture.
  6. Pregnancy.
  7. Various posture disorders: kyphosis, scoliosis, lordosis.
  8. Spondyloarthrosis.
  9. Intervertebral disc herniation.

To start treatment and it was effective, it should be investigated. Based on laboratory tests and instrumental techniques, the specialist can make an accurate diagnosis.

Diagnosis of pathology

The first thing you simply need to do is consult with different professionals. So, if your back hurts, regardless of whether the discomfort is dull or acute, consult the following doctors: therapist, neurologist, cardiologist, orthopedist and traumatologist, as well as pulmonologist. Consultation with a surgeon is important. The examination includes the following procedures:

  1. MRIobsessionCT.
  2. If your back hurts below your shoulder blades, you should definitely do itX-ray, which enables the identification of spinal disorders.
  3. Laboratory tests, enabling the detection of the inflammatory process.
  4. EKG.
During the consultation with the doctor, the patient's shoulder blade hurts

Specialists also perform neurological tests. If your back hurts in the shoulder blade area after a night's sleep, you should first change the mattress. If the problem persists, the problem may be an illness.

Treatment of pathology

If your back starts to hurt after sleeping or some movement, and coughing or shallow breathing only aggravates the situation, it is imperative to start treating the pathology causing the discomfort. In addition, the therapy should be comprehensive, for example:

  • In case of injuries, the pain is alleviated with painkillers. It is also necessary to limit mobility, which is provided by various bandages or orthopedic devices. In addition, physiotherapy procedures are used for treatment: electrophoresis with medication, ultrasound.
  • To solve neurological problems, you need to consult an appropriate specialist. He will prescribe medications, massage, and electrical stimulation.
  • If the back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades due to osteomyelitis, the patient should take antibacterial drugs. Surgical intervention is often used to eliminate the purulent focus.
  • Tuberculosis requires special treatment, which is carried out in special institutions.
  • If a patient is diagnosed with malignant bone disease, it is unlikely that it can be done without surgery.
  • If the shoulder blades hurt badly due to osteochondrosis, then the treatment should be comprehensive and comprehensive. Non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to eliminate the source of inflammation. Manual therapy is considered useful. A good effect can be achieved with the help of acupuncture and the needle applicator.
  • If a heart attack is suspected, the patient must be taken to the hospital urgently. Here you will receive complete rest and proper treatment with anticoagulants and fibrinolytic drugs. Glucocorticosteroids are usually used to relieve pain.

Disease prevention

In order for the pain under the shoulder blades to develop, the main reasons for its occurrence were discussed earlier, and to prevent it from appearing, preventive measures must be followed:

  • Give up a passive lifestyle and bad habits.
  • Regularly do gymnastics or a physical therapy complex after sleep and throughout the day.
  • Get regular therapeutic or preventive massage.
  • Pay attention to your posture.
  • Strengthen the body's defenses.
  • Avoid nervous stress and strong emotional experiences.
  • Manage your working time properly so that you have the opportunity to rest.
  • Buy an orthopedic mattress.
  • Sleep should last at least 8 and at most 10 hours a day.
  • If a person has health problems, they should be treated at an early stage.
  • A pregnant woman should wear a supportive brace or bandage to reduce the strain on the spine.

Thanks to such preventive measures, you can prevent the occurrence of pain in the shoulder blades. But if it already exists, then you can not postpone the visit to the doctor.