Low back pain in the shoulder blades is reported by both older and younger people. Pain in the intercapsular region does not indicate any specific disease, but is a manifestation of numerous anomalies in the functioning of organs located outside the zone of pain concentration.
If there is pain in the area of the back shoulder blades, the muscles, nerves, facet joints, ligaments, pathological changes in the internal organs, the consequences of blows and injuries, etc. , may be a probable excuse for pain.
The nature of pain
In medical practice, it is important that the patient rationally describes upper back pain. Pain between the shoulder blades is a symptom of a number of diseases or pathologies, the cause of which can be found with an accurate description of its nature, type, appearance and frequency of disappearance. Properly diagnosed will relieve back pain, pain in the shoulder blades, the causes will be determined with the help of a doctor and future diseases will be prevented.
Due to the nature of back pain syndrome:
- chronic - mild pain is typical, disturbs for a long time, practically does not stop;
- acute - specific pain, which strikes and disappears suddenly, is more severe than chronic.
When there is pain in the back in the area of the shoulder blades, the localization of painful sensations occurs in different places. This allows us to classify shoulder blades into three types:
- pain under the shoulder blades (right or left);
- pain between shoulder blades;
- pain in the right or left scapula.
Pain in the back under the shoulder blades
The causes of pain have nothing to do with the spine. If a person has low back pain under the shoulder blades, it can be said that he has a typical common disease with a number of accompanying symptoms without examination and analysis.
Pathologies that cause pain under the left shoulder blade:
- Gastric or peptic ulcer: It is characterized by regular, increased pain, weakening or disappearance after vomiting. Pain is localized in the epigastrium, but penetrates the left back.
- Psychological problems. They cause difficulty feeling or severe heaviness, congestion in the chest, tingling in the heart area, and a feeling of tightness in the chest. There are cases when such symptoms occupy the neck area and spread under the left shoulder blade.
Something that causes pain under the right shoulder blade
The way a symptom manifests itself determines their causes.
The list of causes of pain under the right shoulder blade is extensive. The most common examples:
- Dull, persistent, aching pain in the right side of the back may be associated with a normal spasm in the muscles or internal organs due to prolonged restless posture of the body: kidneys, pancreas, gallbladder. In most cases, the pain is unexpected, dizziness, sneezing, coughing.
- Acute, piercing pain may be the result of a disease of the internal organs localized to the right in the region of the heart or in the interscapular space, sharp or growing, and not related to the spine. Many body systems that deviate from the norm of activity cause pain under the right shoulder blade - cardiovascular, excretory, digestive, etc.
- Pulling and cutting pains under the right back make a person think about the onset of diseases of the musculoskeletal system: chondrosis, osteochondrosis, spondylosis, etc. This type of pain can be caused by neuralgia when the nerve roots are compressed. The causes of such painful feelings are not often, but oncological tumors, but such cases exist in medical practice.
- If 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 either caused by an overload of the muscles in this area, or by the thoracic spine.
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Often provokes unilateral aching, dull pain concentrated under the occipital region. Their peculiarity is that they wake up the patient and appear in the morning. The pain syndrome is especially strong with a sharp bend - a stretch of the neck. Exposure to heat on a painful surface (hot bath) quenches the pain. Patients respond to this pathology with complaints of pain under the shoulder blades, arm or headaches.
Causes of pain between the shoulder blades
Intercostal neuralgia manifests itself with shooting pain. Pain increases with deep breathing, a sharp turn of the body, palpation of the inflamed area between the ribs.
Diseases of the lungs are accompanied by pain between the shoulder blades when breathing, pain intensifies with deep breathing, there is a high temperature, cough.
In case of increased pain with shallow breathing, more often given under the right scapula, there may be a diaphragmatic abscess.
When the usual bending 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 during swallowing, its origin is caused by diseases of the esophagus (inflammation or ulcer); inflammatory processes in the organs between the two lungs; damage to the diaphragm.
Burning sensation between the shoulder blades causes renal and biliary colic, osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic vertebrae, and reflux esophagitis.
Pain in the scapula right and left
The reason is a blow to the shoulder blade or falling on it. An awkward fall on the arm or elbow will result in a broken back. Trauma causes severe pain syndrome, the intensity of pain increases with the movement of the hands. Edema occurs.
Pterygoid scapula. Occurs as a result of muscle paralysis - trapezoidal, rhombic, numerous bruises on the front teeth or forearm, as a result of damage to the long thoracic nerve.
Scapular crunch - a crunch in the shoulder joint.
Methods of treatment
At the beginning of treatment, you should determine the condition of the lungs and heart. The cardiologist and therapist will most likely prescribe an ECG or ultrasound procedure. After consulting with experts, you can not consider these organs as the cause of pain between the shoulder blades.
When pain occurs while moving near the spinal scapula, the cause is usually sought in the back. The pain is sometimes so severe that it can be confused with signs of a panic attack.
Ordinary X-ray is often not enough to diagnose the spine, and a complete picture is given by MRI of the thoracic region. At this stage of the diagnosis, a vertebrologist should be consulted.
Pain in the right back can be treated only if the causes are clarified. When this pain is associated with diseases of the internal organs, they need to be treated. Which doctor to treat depends on the specific organ. The pain under the right shoulder blade will disappear on its own if the treatment of the affected internal organ is successful.
If there is a link between spinal disease and pain in the right posterior and interdulobular region, medical attention will be directed to the site of inflammation. Analgesics, chondroprotectors, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids are used to eliminate the inflammatory process.
Dull pain that does not last long as a result of muscle spasms or neuralgia is effectively treated with warming ointments that have an analgesic effect. Plasters with both warming and analgesic effects are used.
Prophylaxis
If a person moves a lot and leads a healthy lifestyle, the back of the shoulder blades will not be damaged. The movements provide a uniform loading of muscles, proper lifting of weights, massage sessions and various types of physiotherapy. Exercise is the best preventive measure.
It is recommended to avoid drafts and hypothermia. And most importantly, follow a proper diet.