Back pain in the shoulder blades is reported by both older and younger people. Pain in the interscapular region does not indicate any particular disease, but is the manifestation of many abnormalities in the work of organs located outside the area of pain concentration.
If the back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades, muscles, nerves, facet joints, ligaments, pathological changes in internal organs, the consequences of blows and injuries, etc. , can be a probable pretext for pain.
The nature of the pain
In medical practice, the rational description by the patient 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 the cause of the event with a precise description of its nature, type, frequency of occurrence 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 avoided.
By the nature of back pain syndrome is:
- chronic - mild pain is typical, disturbing for a long time, practically does not stop;
- acute - specific pain, suddenly striking and fading, 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 reasons to classify the pain in the shoulder blades into three types:
- pain under the shoulder blades (right or left);
- pain between the shoulder blades;
- pain in the scapula on the right or left.
The back hurts 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 by a number of accompanying signs, without examinations and analyzes, it can be implied that he has the presence of typical common ailments.
Pathologies causing pain under the left scapula:
- Stomach ulcer. Characterized by regular pain, increasing, weakening or disappearing after vomiting. Pain sensations in the epigastrium are localized, but penetrate into the left scapula.
- Psychological problems. They cause barely noticeable or sharp sensations of heaviness, congestion in the chest, tingling in the region of the heart, compression in the chest. There are cases when such symptoms capture the neck area, extending under the left scapula.
What caused the pain under the right shoulder blade
How a symptom manifests itself determines its causes.
The list of reasons for pain under the right shoulder blade is long. Examples of the most common:
- Dull, persistent and persistent pain on the right side of the back may be caused by the usual muscle spasm due to prolonged uncomfortable posture of the body, or associated with internal organs: kidneys, pancreas, gallbladder. In most cases, the pain appears unexpectedly, with a sudden turn of the head, sneezing, coughing.
- Acute, piercing, sharp, or increasing pain localized to the right in the region of the heart or in the interscapular space may be the result of disease of the internal organs and is not associated with the spine. Many systems of the body by deviations from the norms of functioning cause pain under the right scapula - cardiovascular, excretory, digestive, etc.
- A pulling and cutting pain under the right scapula suggests the appearance of diseases of the musculoskeletal system: chondrosis, osteochondrosis, spondylosis, etc. Pain of this type can be caused by neuralgia when the 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, then you should think about diseases of the respiratory system. Pain under the shoulder blades can be caused by either an overload of the muscle there or the chest spine.
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. It often causes aching, dull unilateral pains that concentrate under the occipital part. Their peculiarity is to appear in the morning, waking the patient from sleep. The pain syndrome is especially strong with 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 stabbing pain in the girdle. With deep breathing, 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 deep breathing, the pain intensifies, there is a high temperature, a cough.
With increased pain with shallow breathing, it is more often administered under the right scapula, there may be a diaphragmatic abscess.
When the usual tilting 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 between the two lungs; damage 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 scapula on the right and left
The reason lies in receiving a blow to the scapula or falling on it. An awkward fall on the arm or elbow will result in a fractured scapula. The trauma causes severe pain syndrome, the intensity of pain increases with movement of the hands. Edema forms.
Pterygoid scapula. It appears as a result of muscle paralysis - trapezoidal, rhomboid, anterior dentate, or is the result of numerous bruises in the area of the forearm, damage to the long thoracic nerve.
Scapular Crunch - Crunch in the shoulder joint.
Processing methods
At the start of treatment, you need to determine the condition of the lungs and heart. The cardiologist and therapist will most likely order an ECG or ultrasound. After consulting with specialists, you can safely not consider these organs as the causes of pain between the shoulder blades.
When pain occurs when the spine moves near the scapula, the cause is usually sought in the back. The pain is sometimes so intense that it can be mistaken for the symptoms of panic attacks.
The usual radiography in the diagnosis of the spine is often not sufficient, the full picture is given by MRI of the thoracic region. At this stage of clarifying the diagnosis, consultation of a vertebrologist is required.
It is possible to get rid of pain in the region of the right scapula with treatment only when the causes of its occurrence are clarified. When this pain is associated with diseases of internal organs, it is necessary to treat them. Which doctor will treat depends on the specific organ. Pain under the right scapula will go away on its own when treatment of the affected internal organ is successful.
If there is a link between pain in the back on the right and in the interdulobular region with diseases of the spine, medical attention will be focused on the focus of inflammation. To eliminate the inflammatory process, analgesics, chondroprotectors, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids are used.
Dull pains that do not go away for a long time, resulting from muscle spasms or neuralgia, are effectively treated with warming ointments with analgesic effect. In addition, dressings are used, which provide a warming and analgesic effect.
Prophylaxis
The back at the shoulder blades will not hurt if a person moves a lot and follows a healthy lifestyle. The movements provide for uniform loads on the muscles, correct lifting of weights, massage sessions and various types of physiotherapy. Sport is the best preventive measure.
It is recommended to beware of drafts, hypothermia. And, above all, observe good nutrition.