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

Back pain in the shoulder blade area caused by illness or injury.

Pain, regardless of its location, intensity and cause, always indicates a malfunction in the body. If it appears regularly, you should not immediately self-medicate, since 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 pain?

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

  • Pulling or pain.It appears due to severe compression of the nerve roots, changes in muscle tone and damage to the spine.
  • Long lasting, very intense.It is caused by neuralgia, a traumatic injury to the scapula.
  • Severe and unexpected pain.It is typical for complications of stomach ulcers, spastic contraction of the gallbladder muscles, and heart attacks.
  • paroxysmal painwith a gradual increase in intensity. It is also caused by an ulcer.
  • If there is no back pain in the shoulder blade area, but the patient feelsnumbness, pressure, then this may be the result of excessive emotional or inadequate physical stress.

Regarding the location of the pain, it can be interscapular, subscapular and can also be located within the joint. Now you can find out why the discomfort occurs.

Diseases of internal organs as a provoking factor.

If back discomfort appears below the shoulder blade, it may be normal muscle tension. However, if it reappears periodically and its intensity increases, 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: distribution of discomfort over 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 a growing and paroxysmal character. Discomfort often appears after eating in the epigastric region. The pain radiates to the sternum, lower back and heart. The patient also feels heartburn and belching. You are 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 emergency surgery. The symptoms of pathology are clearly expressed. The patient experiences unexpected sharp pain under the shoulder blades, a state of shock, and the abdominal muscles tense sharply. Cold sweat appears on the face and the skin turns pale. The patient's breathing accelerates and, upon palpating the abdomen, he feels intense discomfort.
  • Spasm of the gallbladder muscles.The pain in the scapula area is cutting or stabbing. The unpleasant sensations do not last long. The pain appears in the back, on the right, under the ribs, and then radiates to the neck, collarbone and jaw.
  • Subphrenic abscess.It is characterized by the accumulation of pus in the diaphragm area. The pain gradually increases, general weakness and loss of appetite appear, and the temperature may increase. There is paleness 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 lumbar area. The nature of the sensations is tight, but during the development of renal colic it becomes acute. The patient cannot go to the bathroom normally.
  • Pneumonia or pleurisy.This pathology is characterized by increased pain when coughing.
  • Neuralgia.In this case, the pain is felt mainly under the shoulder blade, more often on the left side. The nature of the sensations is paroxysmal and they intensify with any physical activity. The pain syndrome can also be burning. When you cough it turns into shingles.
  • Muscle and ligament pathologies.Back pain hurts and appears periodically. After rest, comfort disappears.

Separately, it is worth highlighting psychological problems, which also cause pain under the shoulder blade. Severe stress or emotional tension, neurosis or increased anxiety are a clear cause of discomfort. The fact is that the muscles of a person's back tense, as a result of which spasms occur, causing pinching and inflammation of nervous processes. The pain is oppressive and radiates to other parts of the body. There is a feeling of pressure and stiffness in the shoulder blade area. A person is worried because he fears for his life, he is short of breath, his heart begins to pound and a lump appears in his throat.

Skeletal diseases as a cause of pain.

There are many spinal diseases that cause back pain in the shoulder blade area. The most common are:

  1. Osteochondrosis of the neck.It causes periodic pain that radiates to the shoulder blade 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 and intensifies with any movement. A person's neck area begins to become numb.
  2. Disc bulgein the cervical region.
  3. radiculitis.

All of these diseases cause quite intense pain and prevent the person from moving normally and leading a working life. Naturally, it is necessary to combat them, but this must be done at the initial stages of development. If your back hurts frequently 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.

Damage to the scapula as a cause of pain.

Often, pain in the shoulder blade is an independent phenomenon and is not accompanied by other pathologies. The main cause of discomfort is the processes that occur directly within the joint itself. These are the reasons for the discomfort:

  • Injury.It appears very rarely, since this part of the skeleton is maximally protected by muscles. A fracture or other type of injury usually occurs as a result of an accident, a fall from a height or a very strong blow. Immediately after receiving the injury, the victim experiences sharp pain in the back, bruising and swelling. The functionality of the joint of the limbs and shoulder deteriorates or disappears completely.
  • Pterygoid leaf.It develops due to weakness of the muscle corset. The shoulder girdle completely loses its functionality, the pain in the back of the shoulder blades is painful. When moving, the discomfort intensifies.
  • Scapular crunch.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 causes 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, since this is a serious pathological process, the prognosis of which treatment depends on the timeliness 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. Tuberculosis of the bones.
  3. Polio.
  4. Myositis.
  5. Mechanical injury to the back, constant adherence to an incorrect sitting posture.
  6. The pregnancy.
  7. Various types of postural disorders: kyphosis, scoliosis, lordosis.
  8. Spondylarthrosis.
  9. Intervertebral disc herniation.

In order for treatment to be started and be effective, it is necessary to undergo an examination. Using laboratory tests and instrumental techniques, a specialist can make an accurate diagnosis.

Diagnosis of pathology.

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

  1. magnetic resonanceeitherConnecticut.
  2. If your back hurts below your shoulder blades, you should definitely do itbone scan, which allows you to identify spinal disorders.
  3. Lab tests, allowing the inflammatory process to be detected.
  4. EKG.
Patient with pain in the shoulder blades during consultation with a doctor

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

Pathology treatment

If your back starts to hurt after sleeping or some kind of movement, and coughing or shallow breathing only aggravates the situation, you should definitely start treating the pathology that caused the discomfort. Additionally, therapy must be comprehensive, for example:

  • In case of injuries, pain is relieved with analgesics. It is also necessary to limit mobility, which is provided by various bandages or orthopedic devices. Additionally, physiotherapeutic procedures are used for treatment: electrophoresis with the use of medications, ultrasound.
  • To resolve neurological problems it is necessary to consult an appropriate specialist. He will prescribe medications, massages, and electrical stimulation.
  • If the back hurts in the shoulder blade area due to osteomyelitis, the patient will need 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, it is unlikely that it will be possible to do without surgical intervention.
  • If the shoulder blades hurt a lot 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 useful. 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 adequate treatment with anticoagulants and fibrinolytics. Glucocorticosteroids are often used to eliminate pain.

Disease prevention

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

  • Give up a passive lifestyle and bad habits.
  • Regularly perform gymnastics or a physiotherapy complex after sleep and throughout the day.
  • Carry out periodic therapeutic or preventive massage courses.
  • Watch your posture.
  • Strengthen the body's defenses.
  • Avoid nervous stress and strong emotional experiences.
  • Manage your work time correctly so that you have the opportunity to rest.
  • Buy an orthopedic mattress.
  • Sleep should last at least 8 and no more than 10 hours a day.
  • If a person has health problems, it is necessary to treat them in the early stages.
  • A pregnant woman should wear a support corset or bandage to reduce stress on the spine.

Thanks to these preventive measures, it is possible to prevent the appearance of pain in the shoulder blades. But if it already exists, the visit to the doctor cannot be delayed.