If someone has a back pain in the area of the shoulder blades, it is automatically associated with the condition of the spine. They are partly right: this long-tolerant core of our skeleton takes on a heavy load that cannot just affect its condition.
But often pain in this area indicates an abnormality in the internal organs. The nature of the pain is appropriate to the disease, so it is important to describe its manifestations in as much detail as possible on the prescription.
What causes shoulder pain
Pathological changes:
- spine;
- internal organs;
- surrounding structures.
Shoulder pain and some rare diseases:
- Spine fractures and systemic lesions;
- Metastases in the spine in stomach cancer and sometimes other organs.
The pain is localized depending on the type of disease:
- Above the shoulder blades;
- Under the shoulder blades;
- Between the shoulder blades;
- In the shoulder blades.
Symptoms associated with internal organ pathologies
You can project pain in your stomach, lungs, liver and heart under your shoulder blades - to the right or left.
If it hurts on the left, it could be a sign:
- Peptic ulcer: pain is intermittent with seasonal exacerbation. Pain accompanies them in the upper abdomen. Vomiting occurs as pain increases;
- Myocardial infarction: the disease is accompanied by acute retrosternal pain that extends below the left shoulder blade. There are similar signs of ischemia of the heart, but in this case, pain is also present in the left hand;
- Breakthrough of a stomach ulcer: the patient's body is covered in cold sweat and may be nauseous until vomiting. The patient tries to alleviate his suffering by changing posture, but these actions do not give the expected effect;
- Intervertebral neuralgia: pain under the left scapula occurs in seizures, exacerbated by the slightest physical exertion. Tingling and burning in the heart region. It hurts to cough and take a deep breath.
It can hurt under the right shoulder if:
- Psychological failures in the body. However, the patient feels heat in the chest, may complain of squeezing and tingling of the heart muscle;
- Pathological changes in the gallbladder: additional symptoms - bitterness in the mouth after fatty, salty and fried foods, pain in the right hypochondria;
- Pleurisy and pneumonia: pain under the right shoulder is reflected when coughing;
- Kidney disease: in this case, coughing also increases the pain, but unlike lung disease, the patient has difficulty urinating.
Pain associated with spinal pathologies
Spinal problems can occur after injuries, fractures or bruises. But there are also diseases for which there is no obvious cause. And each manifests itself in pain in the shoulder blade region.
In any pathology of the spine, the pain between the shoulder blades should be linked:
- stiffness;
- Goose skin feeling;
- Numbness.
Interscapular pain when coughing is common in heavy smokers.
Osteochondrosis
When the nutrition of the tissues is disrupted, dystrophic changes occur in them. In the spinal column, this process affects the intervertebral discs. They can no longer withstand the pressure exerted on them by their vertebrae. Loss of elasticity of the cartilage leads to compression of the spine. The nerve endings in the spinal cord are under pressure - this is where severe pain occurs.
The body tries to protect the spine from high loads by increasing bone tissue along the edges of the vertebral processes. Bone growth is called osteophytes. They can be removed, but they will grow again in the background of osteochondrosis.
The pain in osteochondrosis is localized at the site of the spinal cord injury. If the neck region is affected, the patient feels pain in the morning on the right side of the neck. The pain radiates to the shoulder and arm, can be felt above the shoulder blade. The head may feel dizzy, and the agony is exacerbated by deep breathing and coughing.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region manifests as pain between the shoulder blades - on the right and left sides of the spine. The pain may be aggravated by sneezing, coughing and sudden movements. When you try to straighten your shoulders, your chest and interscapular zone begin to crack.
A person has difficulty breathing from the chest as the mobility of the ribs decreases and he unconsciously switches to breathing with the stomach.
Conservative treatment of osteochondrosis. The patient is prescribed:
- Analgesics and anti-inflammatory agents;
- Physiotherapy procedures;
- Therapeutic gymnastics;
- Reflexology;
- Massages;
- Traction of the spine;
- Manual therapy.
If none of the treatments work, surgeons will get started.
Spondylarthrosis
The symptoms of this disease are similar to osteochondrosis. But in this case, the intervertebral disc moves, not exhausted. Hyaline cartilage is forced to pick up the load. Under such extreme conditions, your tissue becomes thinner and loses its function.
If spondylarthrosis is not treated, the entire joint can become inflamed and then lose mobility altogether. The patient's condition is aggravated by osteophytes.
Scoliosis
Curvature of the spine to the right or left of its axis is common - almost half of humanity is affected by this disease. But in most cases, the disease is not pronounced, so the pains occur intermittently - if someone has overstretched their back or has been standing or sitting in a position for a long time.
Early scoliosis cannot be detected visually, so if there is pain in the scapular region, it is in the patient’s interest to see a doctor. Prescribes X-rays - direct and lateral.
As scoliosis progresses, it can be detected on its own: the "zigzags" of the spine are clearly expressed. Running scoliosis is also determined by the relative position of the shoulders - one of which will be lower than the other.
Treating scoliosis, even at high intensity, is a long-term process. Wearing massages, special exercises and a corset will help get rid of the curvature of the spine.
Intervertebral hernia
The intervertebral disc consists of:
- gelatinous seeds;
- Fibrous ring of fibers;
- The two thin layers of cartilage that cover the cartilage discs above and below.
The nucleus is located inside the ring, and the cartilaginous tissue that closes the structure simultaneously serves as a food guide from the vessels of the vertebral body to the disc.
Pathological changes in the vertebrae lead to disruption of metabolic processes in the intervertebral discs. Their thickness decreases, the fibrous ring ruptures under load, opening a path outside the gelatinous mass of the core. This process is accompanied by severe pain. It concentrates at one point, but sometimes returns to the lung and heart region.
Intervertebral hernia in the thoracic region is extremely rare, so when pain occurs in the shoulder region, the patient is first examined for other conditions.
Intervertebral hernia is treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy and special exercises. In severe cases, only surgery can help.
Tuberculosis of the spine
The microbial bacteria in tuberculosis can affect any part of the spine, but 60% of cases occur in the chest region. Most often, men suffer from this disease. Basically, some vertebrae are involved in the process, but there are cases where the tuberculosis spreads to three or more.
The symptoms of the disease can vary depending on the number of vertebrae involved. But there is a constant symptom - it is pain. If you feel it between your shoulder blades, this indicates a change in your cervical vertebrae.
It also hurts in chest tuberculosis, but it radiates to the chest, groin or abdomen. Patients complain of back burning, twisting, "drilling. "
Spinal tuberculosis is difficult to diagnose, with severe pain appearing as early as the onset of various complications. If you have the slightest suspicion of this disease, go to a specialist for an examination immediately.
Surge and hypothermia
If the back is too overloaded, painful sensations may also occur in the shoulder area. This phenomenon alone is not considered a disease, but permanent overload can lead to osteochondrosis, spinal curvature, and the development of intervertebral lesions.
Seamstresses, drivers, surgeons, sedentary workers, etc. they complain of back pain. If hypothermia (draft, working climate) is added to the surge, back pain can be taught - severe pain is concentrated under the shoulder blades or in the spine.
This problem is treated with warming ointments, anti-inflammatory agents and massage.
Myositis
Influenza, SARS, severe hypothermia can lead to myositis, an inflammation of muscle tissue. Most often, this disease affects the muscles in the shoulder blade region. This condition does not threaten the body with any awfulness, but the aching pain causes discomfort.
Pain in the shoulder blades
Pain occurs for several reasons:
- Fracture or injury from falling. The shoulder joint swells, the movement of the limb hurts;
- Osteomyelitis (inflammation of the bone tissue): fever, a fever caused by poisoning the whole body;
- Pterygoid scapula: this effect is caused by damage to the front teeth (located on the side of the chest), paralysis or traumatic rupture of the rhombus and trapezius muscles (in which circus acrobats and gymnasts and professional athletes suffer).
When the synovial sac is inflamed, the shoulder blade begins to crack. In addition to this trouble, the patient is concerned about the difficulty and click in the shoulder joint.
Diagnostics
Because pain in the scapular zone of the back indicates one of several diseases, the test is performed using different methods:
- Chest X-ray;
- Laboratory research;
- ultrasound;
- Magnetic resistance or computed tomography;
- ECG.
All examinations are prescribed by your surgeon - if you have a back pain, contact him first. But in the future, based on the results of the research, you will need advice:
- Orthopedic doctor;
- Gastroenterologist;
- Neurologist;
- Pulmonologist.
If for any reason your doctor has not paid attention to the accompanying symptoms, consult a doctor on your own initiative.
Treatment
Self-treatment of pain in the shoulder blade is categorically contraindicated. The patient can afford to take painkillers and painkillers to the maximum. The reception should be one-time and only if the pain syndrome needs to be stopped before visiting the doctor.
Treatment is prescribed by a doctor: it is usually enough to take painkillers, cartilage protectors and anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve the condition. In addition, the doctor paints a treatment regimen designed to eliminate the causes of the pain in the shoulder blade region.