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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 illness or injury

Pain, regardless of its location, intensity and cause, always signals 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 follows:

  • Pulling or pain.Appears 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 lesion of the scapula.
  • Severe and sudden pains.It is typical of the complications of stomach ulcer, spastic contraction of the gall bladder muscles and heart attack.
  • Paroxysmal painwith a gradual increase in intensity. It is also provoked by an ulcer.
  • If there is no back pain in the shoulder area, but the patient feelsnumbness, pressure, then this may be the result of excessive emotional or insufficient physical stress.

Regarding the localization of the pain, it can be interscapular, subscapular and can also be located inside the joint. Now you can find out why the disturbance occurs.

Diseases of internal organs as a provoking factor

If the discomfort appears in the back under the shoulder blade, it may be normal muscle tension. However, if it recurs periodically, and its intensity increases, then it is better not to hesitate and urgently consult a doctor. There are the following causes of pain:

  • Heart muscle infarction.The pain under the shoulder blade in this case is strong and sharp. Additional signs are: the spread of discomfort in a wide area, increased sweating, increased heart rate. A distinctive feature of a heart attack is that even taking nitrates does not help calm the attack.
  • Gastrointestinal ulcer.In this case, the pain syndrome has an increasing and paroxysmal character. Discomfort often occurs after eating in the epigastric region. The pain radiates to the sternum, lower back and heart. The patient also feels heartburn and belching. He becomes nauseous and may vomit.
  • Perforation of a gastric ulcer.It represents the appearance of a hole in the wall of the organ, which opens into the abdominal cavity. Here the person requires an emergency operation. Symptoms of pathology are clearly expressed. The patient experiences sudden acute pain under the shoulder blades, a state of shock, and the abdominal muscles tense up significantly. Cold sweat appears on the face and the skin turns pale. The patient's breathing becomes fast, and upon palpation of the abdomen, he feels severe discomfort.
  • Spasm of the gallbladder muscles.Pain in the area of the scapula is cutting or stabbing. Unpleasant sensations do not last long. The pain appears in the back on the right 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. There is pallor of the skin, as well as increased sweating.
  • Kidney pathologies.Here the pain is localized not only in the back area under the shoulder blades, but also in the lower back. The nature of the sensations is attractive, but during the development of renal pain it becomes acute. 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. The nature of the sensations is paroxysmal and they become stronger with any physical activity. The pain syndrome can also be burning. When a cough becomes herpes.
  • Pathologies of muscles and ligaments.Back pain is painful and occurs periodically. After the break, the comfort disappears.

Psychological problems, which also provoke pain under the shoulder blade, should be emphasized. Severe stress or emotional tension, neurosis or increased anxiety are a clear cause of concern. The fact is that the muscles of a person's back are tensed, so spasms occur, leading to tightening and inflammation of the nerve processes. The pain is pressing, radiating to other parts of the body. There is a feeling of pressure and stiffness in the area of the shoulder blades. A person is worried about fearing for his life, he lacks air, his heart starts to beat and a lump appears in his throat.

Diseases of the skeleton as a cause of pain

There are many diseases of the spine that cause back pain in the shoulder area. The most common of them are:

  1. Osteochondrosis of the neck.It provokes periodic pain that radiates to the shoulder area. The disease develops gradually and is incurable. Additional symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis are: stiffness of movements, painful turns of the head. The nature of the sensations is painful, intensifying with each movement. A person's neck area begins to go numb.
  2. Disk extensionin the cervical region.
  3. Radiculitis.

All these diseases cause severe pain and prevent a person from moving normally and leading a working life. Of course, it is necessary to fight them, but this should be done in the initial stages of development. If your back hurts often and the syndrome itself does not go away for a long time, try to go to the doctor as soon as possible. Self-medication is dangerous.

Damage to the scapula as a cause of pain

Often pain in the shoulder blade is an independent phenomenon and is not associated with other pathologies. The main cause of concern are the processes that occur directly within the node itself. Here are the reasons for concern:

  • The injury.It appears very rarely, as this part of the skeleton is maximally protected by muscles. A fracture or other type of injury most often occurs as a result of an accident or a fall from a height or a very strong blow. Immediately after receiving the injury, the victim experiences sharp pain in the back, hematoma and swelling. The functionality of the limbs and shoulder joints deteriorates or is completely absent.
  • Pterygoid blade.It develops due to the weakness of the muscular belt. The shoulder girdle completely loses its functionality, the pain in the back of the shoulder blades hurts. When you move, the discomfort intensifies.
  • Scapular dance.This is a congenital anomaly of the structure of the scapula. It rarely develops as a result of abnormal physical activity. In this case, pain in the shoulder blades is considered an additional symptom.
  • Osteomyelitis.This is an infectious bone lesion, which is accompanied by inflammation and the appearance of pus. It provokes a slight displacement of the scapula, severe pain, inflammation and redness of the skin over the joint, a change in basal temperature and impaired mobility.

It is better not to delay in discovering the causes of pain, as this is a serious pathological process, the prognosis of treatment for which depends on the duration of the diagnosis.

Other causes of pain

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

  1. Malignant neoplasm.
  2. Bone tuberculosis.
  3. Polio.
  4. Myositis.
  5. Mechanical injury to the back, constant adherence to the wrong sitting posture.
  6. Pregnancy.
  7. Different types of posture disorders: kyphosis, scoliosis, lordosis.
  8. Spondyloarthrosis.
  9. Intervertebral disc herniation.

To start the treatment, and it was effective, it is necessary to examine. Based on laboratory tests and instrumental techniques, a specialist can make an accurate diagnosis.

Pathology diagnosis

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

  1. MRIORc T.
  2. If your back hurts under your shoulder blades, you should definitely do itX-Ray, which allows you to identify spinal disorders.
  3. Laboratory tests, making it possible to detect the inflammatory process.
  4. ECG.
Patient with shoulder pain during consultation with a doctor

Specialists will also perform neurological tests. If after a night's sleep your back hurts in the shoulder area, you should change the mattress first. If the problem does not go away, then the problem may be a disease.

Treatment of pathology

If your back starts to hurt after sleeping or some kind of movement, and coughing or taking a shallow breath only worsens the situation, you should definitely start treatment for the pathology that caused the discomfort. In addition, the therapy should be comprehensive, for example:

  • In case of injuries, the pain is relieved with sedatives. It is also necessary to limit mobility, which is provided by bandages or various orthopedic devices. In addition, physiotherapeutic procedures are used for treatment: electrophoresis with the use of medications, ultrasound.
  • To solve neurological problems, it is necessary to consult a relevant 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 will have to take antibacterial agents. Surgery is often used to eliminate a purulent focus.
  • Tuberculosis requires specific treatment, which is carried out in special institutions.
  • If a patient is diagnosed with a malignant bone disease, then it is unlikely that it will be possible to do without surgical intervention.
  • If the shoulder blades hurt badly due to osteochondrosis, then the treatment should be comprehensive and comprehensive. To eliminate the source of inflammation, non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs are used. Manual therapy is considered beneficial. A good effect is achieved with the help of acupuncture and a needle applicator.
  • If a myocardial infarction is suspected, the patient is urgently hospitalized. Here he receives complete rest and appropriate treatment with anticoagulants and fibrinolytics. Glucocorticosteroids are usually used to eliminate pain.

Disease Prevention

So that the pain under the shoulder blades, the main causes of its occurrence were discussed earlier, do not appear, it is necessary to follow preventive measures:

  • Give up a passive lifestyle and bad habits.
  • Regularly perform gymnastics or a complex of physical therapy after sleep and throughout the day.
  • Take periodic courses of therapeutic or preventive massage.
  • Watch your attitude.
  • Strengthen the body's defenses.
  • Avoid nervous stress and strong emotional experiences.
  • Manage your working time correctly so that you can rest.
  • Buy an orthopedic mattress.
  • Sleep should last at least 8 and not more than 10 hours a day.
  • If a person has health problems, they should be treated in the early stages.
  • A pregnant woman should wear a supportive corset or bandage to reduce stress on the spine.

Thanks to such preventive measures, you can prevent the appearance of pain in the shoulder blades. But if it already exists, then you cannot delay a visit to the doctor.