Older and younger people also report back pain in the shoulder blade area. Pain in the interscapular region does not indicate a special disease, but is a manifestation of numerous anomalies in the work of organs that are outside the zone of pain concentration.
If the back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades, then the probable excuse for pain can be muscles, nerves, facet joints, ligaments, pathological changes of internal organs, the consequences of blows and injuries, etc.
The nature of pain
In medical practice, the patient's rational description of pain above the lower back is of great importance. Pain between the shoulder blades is a symptom of a number of diseases or pathologies, and the cause can be determined with an accurate description of its nature, type, frequency of occurrence and disappearance. Properly made diagnosis will eliminate burning in the back, pain in the shoulder blades, with the help of a doctor to determine the causes and prevent diseases in the future.
By the nature of the back pain syndrome is:
- chronic - mild pain is typical, long torment, practically does not stop;
- acute - specific pain, suddenly arises and disappears, 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 the reason that shoulder pain is classified into three types:
- pain under the shoulder blades (right or left);
- pain between the shoulder blades;
- shoulder blade pain right or left.
Back pain under the shoulder blades
The causes of pain may have absolutely nothing to do with the spine. If a person has back pain under the shoulder blades, then a series of accompanying signs, without examination and analysis, may imply that he has typical common diseases.
Pathologies that cause pain under the left shoulder blade:
- Stomach ulcer. It is characterized by regular, increasing pain, weakness or disappearance after vomiting. Painful sensations in the epigastrium are localized but penetrate the left shoulder blade.
- Psychological problems. They cause barely noticeable or acute feelings of heaviness, congestion in the chest, tingling in the heart area, compression in the chest. There are cases when such symptoms affect the neck area, spread below the left shoulder blade.
Which caused pain under the right shoulder blade
The way in which the symptom manifests itself determines their causes.
The list of reasons that explain the pain under the right shoulder blade is extensive. Examples of the most common:
- Dull, persistently disturbing, persistent pain on the right side of the back can be caused by the usual muscle cramps due to prolonged uncomfortable posture, or associated with internal organs: kidneys, pancreas, gallbladder. In most cases, the pain occurs unexpectedly, with a sudden turn of the head, sneezing, coughing.
- Acute, penetrating pain, sharp or growing, localized to the right in the area of the heart or in the interscapular space can be a consequence of diseases of internal organs and is not related to the spine. Many body systems cause deviations from the norms of functioning and cause pain under the right shoulder blade - cardiovascular, excretory, digestive, etc.
- The pain that pulls and cuts under the right shoulder blade leads to thinking about the development of diseases of the musculoskeletal system: chondrosis, osteochondrosis, spondylosis, etc. This type of pain can be caused by neuralgia when the nerve roots are tight. 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, then diseases of the respiratory system should be considered. Pain under the shoulder blades can be caused either by overloading the muscles in this area or by the thoracic spine.
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. It often causes one-sided aching, dull pains that are concentrated below the occipital part. Their specialty is that they appear in the morning, pulling the patient out of sleep. The pain syndrome is especially strong with sharp bending - neck extensions. Exposure to heat on the sore surface (hot bath) extinguishes the pain. Patients respond to this pathology with complaints of pain under the shoulder blades, the flow of pain in the arm or head.
Causes of pain between the shoulder blades
Intercostal neuralgia is manifested by shooting pain in the waist. With a deep breath, a sharp turn of the body, palpation of the inflamed area between the ribs, the pain increases.
Lung diseases 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, more often given under the right shoulder blade, a diaphragmatic abscess may occur.
When the usual tilt of the head causes pain between the shoulder blades, it 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, and its origin is caused by diseases of the esophagus (inflammation or ulcer); inflammatory processes in the organs located between the two lungs; diaphragm damage.
A burning sensation between the shoulder blades causes attacks of renal and biliary colic, osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic spine, and reflux esophagitis.
Scapular pain right and left
The reason lies in getting hit in the shoulder blade or falling on it. An awkward fall on the arm or elbow will result in a broken shoulder blade. Trauma causes severe pain syndrome, the intensity of pain increases with the movement of the hands. Edema develops.
Pterygoid scapula. It occurs as a result of paralysis of muscles - trapezoidal, rhomboid, anterior dentate or is the result of numerous bruises in the forearm, 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. A cardiologist and therapist will most likely prescribe an ECG or ultrasound procedure. After consulting with experts, you cannot be sure that these organs are the causes of pain between the shoulder blades.
When pain occurs when the spine moves near 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 a panic attack.
The usual X-ray in the diagnosis of the spine is often not enough, the complete picture is given by MRI of the thoracic region. At this stage of clarifying the diagnosis, a consultation with a vertebrologist is required.
With treatment, it is possible to solve the pain in the area of the right shoulder blade only when the causes of its occurrence are clarified. When this pain is associated with diseases of the internal organs, they need to be treated. Which doctor 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 interdulobular region with diseases of the spine, then medical help will be directed to the focus of inflammation. Analgesics, chondroprotectors, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids are used to eliminate the inflammatory process.
Dull pain that does not disappear for a long time, and caused by muscle spasm or neuralgia, is effectively treated with warming ointments with analgesic action. Patches that provide warming and analgesic effect are also used.
Prophylaxis
The back in the area of the shoulder blades will not hurt if the person moves a lot and leads a healthy lifestyle. The movements enable a uniform load on the muscles, proper weight lifting, massage sessions and various types of physiotherapy. Sport is the best preventive measure.
It is recommended to store drafts, hypothermia. And, most importantly, pay attention to proper nutrition.