Pain, regardless of its location, intensity and cause, always indicates a malfunction of the body. If it appears regularly, you should not immediately self-medicate, because 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 the pain?
If you pay attention to the things that cause discomfort in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulder blades, you should understand that they have a different character. Back pain should be classified as follows:
- Stretching or pain.It appears due to strong compression of nerve roots, changes in muscle tone and damage to the spine.
- Long-term, very intense.It is provoked by neuralgia, a traumatic lesion of the scapula.
- Severe and unexpected pain.Complications of gastric ulcer are characteristic of spastic contraction of gallbladder muscles and heart attack.
- Paroxysmal painwith a gradual increase in intensity. It is also provoked by ulcers.
- If there is no pain in the back in the area of the shoulder blades, only the patient feels itnumbness, pressure, then it may be the result of excessive emotional or inadequate physical stress.
As for the localization of pain, it can be interscapular, subscapular, and can also be located inside the joint. Now you can find out why anxiety occurs.
Diseases of internal organs as a provoking factor
If you experience discomfort in the back below the shoulder blade, this may be a normal muscle strain. But if it is repeated from time to time and increases in intensity, then it is better not to hesitate and consult a doctor urgently. There are the following causes of pain:
- Myocardial infarction.In this case, the pain under the shoulder blade is strong and sharp. Additional symptoms: widespread anxiety, 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 is increasing and paroxysmal in nature. Discomfort often appears in the epigastric region after eating. The pain spreads to the sternum, lower back and heart. The patient also feels heartburn and belching. He may feel nauseous and vomit.
- Perforation of gastric ulcer.It represents the appearance of a hole in the wall of the organ that opens into the abdominal cavity. Here the person requires urgent surgery. Symptoms of pathology are clearly expressed. Unexpected sharp pain under the patient's shoulder blades, a state of shock, and abdominal muscles are sharply tensed. Cold sweat appears on the face, the skin turns pale. The patient's breathing accelerates, he feels severe discomfort during abdominal palpation.
- Spasm of the gallbladder muscles.Pain reliever or stabbing in the scapula region. Unpleasant feelings do not last long. Pain appears on the right side under the ribs, then spreads to the neck, collarbone and jaw.
- Subphrenic abscess.It is characterized by the accumulation of pus in the area of the diaphragm. The pain gradually increases, general weakness and loss of appetite appear, the temperature may rise. There is pallor of the skin, as well as increased sweating.
- Kidney pathologies.Here, the pain is localized not only in the back region under the shoulder blades, but also in the lower back. The nature of the sensations is stretched, but during the development of renal colic, it becomes acute. The patient cannot go to the toilet normally.
- Pneumonia or pleurisy.This pathology is characterized by increased pain during coughing.
- Neuralgia.Here, the pain is mainly felt under the shoulder blade, more often on the left. The nature of the sensations is paroxysmal and is intensified by any physical activity. Pain syndrome can also be burning. When you cough, you get shingles.
- Pathologies of muscles and ligaments.Back pain is painful and appears from time to time. Comfort disappears after rest.
Separately, psychological problems that cause pain under the shoulder blade should be emphasized. Severe stress or emotional tension, neurosis or increased anxiety are obvious causes of anxiety. The fact is that a person's back muscles are strained, so spasms occur that cause compression and inflammation of nerve processes. The pain is compressed and spreads to other parts of the body. There is a feeling of pressure and stiffness in the area of the shoulder blades. A person is worried about fear for his life, there is a lack of air, his heart starts beating, a lump appears in his throat.
Skeletal diseases as a cause of pain
There are many spinal diseases that cause back pain in the area of the shoulder blades. The most common of them are:
- Neck osteochondrosis.It causes periodic pain that spreads to the region of the shoulder blades. 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 feeling is pain, it is intensified by any movement. A person's neck region begins to go numb.
- Disc protrusionin the cervical region.
- Radiculitis.
All these diseases cause quite severe pain and prevent a person from moving normally and continuing his work life. Of course, it is necessary to fight with them, but this should be done at the initial stages of development. If your back hurts often 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.
Injury 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 concern is the processes that occur directly inside the joint. The reasons for concern are:
- injury.It is seen very rarely, because this part of the skeleton is maximally protected by muscles. A fracture or other injury most often occurs as a result of an accident or fall from a height or a very strong blow. Immediately after the injury, the victim feels sharp pain, hematoma and swelling in the back. The functionality of the limb and shoulder joint deteriorates or disappears completely.
- Pterygoid blade.It develops due to the weakness of the muscle corset. The shoulder girdle completely loses its functionality, the pain behind the shoulder blades aches. Anxiety intensifies when moving.
- Scapular crisis.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.It is an infectious bone lesion accompanied by inflammation and the appearance of pus. It causes slight displacement of the scapula, severe pain, inflammation and redness of the skin over the joint, changes in basal temperature, and impaired mobility.
It is better not to delay in finding the causes of pain, because this is a serious pathological process, the prognosis of treatment depends on the time of diagnosis.
Other causes of pain
In addition to the pathologies presented, other causes of pain under the scapula can be identified:
- Malignant neoplasm.
- Tuberculosis of bones.
- Poliomyelitis.
- Myositis.
- Mechanical damage to the back, constant adherence to incorrect sitting posture.
- Pregnancy.
- Different types of posture disorders: kyphosis, scoliosis, lordosis.
- Spondyloarthrosis.
- Intervertebral disc herniation.
It is necessary to undergo an examination to start the treatment and to be effective. Based on laboratory tests and instrumental methods, a specialist can make an accurate diagnosis.
Diagnosis of pathology
The first thing you just need to do is to consult with different experts. So, if your back hurts, regardless of whether the discomfort is dull or acute, you should contact the following doctors: therapist, neurologist, cardiologist, orthopedist and traumatologist, as well as a pulmonologist. Consultation with a surgeon is important. The examination includes the following procedures:
- MRIorCT.
- If your lower back hurts under your shoulder blades, you shouldx-ray, which allows to identify spinal diseases.
- Laboratory tests, allows to detect the inflammatory process.
- EKG.
Specialists will also conduct neurological tests. If your back hurts in the shoulder blade area after a night's sleep, you should first change your mattress. If the problem persists, the problem may be a disease.
Treatment of pathology
If your back starts to hurt after sleep or some kind of movement, and coughing or shallow breathing aggravates the situation, you should definitely start treating the pathology that causes anxiety. Moreover, the therapy should be comprehensive, for example:
- In the case of injuries, pain is relieved with painkillers. It is also necessary to limit the mobility provided by various bandages or orthopedic devices. In addition, physiotherapeutic procedures are used for treatment: electrophoresis with the use of drugs, ultrasound.
- To solve neurological problems, it is necessary to consult an appropriate specialist. He will prescribe drugs, massage and electrical stimulation.
- If the back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades due to osteomyelitis, the patient will have to take antibacterial agents. Surgery is often used to remove the purulent focus.
- Tuberculosis requires special treatment carried out in special institutions.
- If a patient is diagnosed with a malignant bone disease, it is impossible to do without surgical intervention.
- If the shoulder blades hurt a lot due to osteochondrosis, the treatment should be comprehensive and comprehensive. Non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to eliminate the source of inflammation. Manual therapy is considered beneficial. A good effect is achieved with the help of acupuncture and needle applicator.
- If a myocardial infarction is suspected, the patient is urgently hospitalized. Here he receives complete rest and appropriate treatment with anticoagulants and fibrinolytic drugs. Glucocorticosteroids are commonly used to relieve pain.
Disease prevention
For pain under the shoulder blades, the main causes of its occurrence were discussed earlier, to prevent it from appearing, it is necessary to observe preventive measures:
- Give up a passive lifestyle and bad habits.
- After sleep and regularly during the day, perform gymnastics or a physical therapy complex.
- Take periodic courses of therapeutic or preventive massage.
- Watch your posture.
- Strengthen the body's defenses.
- Avoid stress and strong emotional experiences.
- Manage your work time properly so that you have the opportunity to rest.
- Buy an orthopedic mattress.
- Sleep should be at least 8 and no more than 10 hours a day.
- If a person has health problems, they should be treated at the initial stage.
- A pregnant woman should wear a support corset or bandage to reduce stress on the spine.
Thanks to such preventive measures, you can prevent pain in the shoulder blades. But if you already have it, you can't postpone a visit to the doctor.