What to do if the back hurts under the left shoulder blade

Pain under the left shoulder blade in the back from behind is a serious annoyance in which the ability to move is inevitably impaired and the person feels severe discomfort. With certain pathologies, the patient feels discomfort even at rest.

But it is worth noting that pain under the left shoulder blade does not always indicate the presence of a complex pathology. Sometimes it can appear due to a long stay in the same unnatural position.

Overview of the disorder

If you look at the human back, you will notice that the left shoulder blade is attached to the ribs that make up the rib cage. In the grooves in between are nerves and blood vessels. The ribs are connected by ligaments and muscles.

The spine, which contains the spinal cord, is in the center of the back, with the shoulder blades on either side. Nerves extend from the spine. Well-developed back muscles surround the shoulder blade.

The job of bones is to protect the lungs, spleen, stomach and heart, the part of the aorta that is in the chest.

Why are there complaints in the subscapularis

Often times, left shoulder blade pain is caused by:

• Stomach ulcer. With this condition, back pain often escalates. It often occurs after the next meal, but decreases when the patient vomits. To find out if the pain is really due to an ulcer, it is necessary to track the presence of heartburn and regurgitation. Unpleasant sensations, pain can start in the subscapularis area on the left side or extend to the sternum. At the same time, the patient loses the ability not only to move freely, but also to breathe deeply. Inhaling is made difficult by the discomfort a person feels when trying to relax. Due to such difficulties, other dysfunction and malfunction of the nervous system can occur. If the pain under the left shoulder blade is sharp and unexpected, it is worth asking a medical team for help.

• Acute pancreatitis is a disease of the body that can cause severe pain under the left shoulder blade. Unpleasant sensations always have a certain character, with this suffering the pain appears suddenly, all around;
• Vegetative crises. The symptoms are vivid and make the patient's life difficult. In addition to annoying pain in the left shoulder blade behind it, there may be a feeling of tightness in the chest, the patient will notice a fever in the same place, while it will not be possible to accurately identify the problem area. Often due to difficulty in breathing, the patient feels fear, anxiety, suffocation gradually occurs, a feeling of the presence of a lump in the throat. Malaise can also be felt in other parts of the body;
• Sometimes it hurts under the left shoulder blade from behind due to a myocardial infarction. This condition is considered life threatening in most of the cases. The earlier it is detected, the more effective the treatment will be. The patient feels a burning sensation in the problem area and cannot breathe deeply. The pain in the left shoulder blade is quite intense, there is no reaction to the nitroglycerin drug, this condition can last about 10 minutes. The disease is characterized by numbness of the hand with each attack;

• Angina pectoris. A pathological condition that also often causes pain on the left side under the shoulder blade. Sensations are extremely uncomfortable and sharp, which seem to squeeze the chest. The cause of the uncomfortable condition is a change in the size of the lumens of the blood vessels. Seizures can be triggered by significant physical exertion, alcoholism, hypothermia of the body. To relieve the attack, you can use nitroglycerin;
• Pathological conditions of the respiratory organs. If it often hurts under the left shoulder blade, the cause may be dry pleurisy or pneumonia. Any attempt to cough, sneeze, and even take a deep breath will result in discomfort. The direction of pain always goes in the area of the affected lungs. The character can change depending on the person's condition - sensations of pain are insignificant and, so to speak, cutting and even penetrating;
• Aortic aneurysm - characterized by an increased load on the heart valve. The heart then ceases to function fully. Because of this, venous blood in the lungs begins to stagnate, and edema develops. Where the aneurysm attaches to the vessel, the wall becomes thinner - it can break at any time and provoke bleeding into the abdominal cavity;
• If there is pain in the back under the left shoulder blade, the cause may be a two-phase rupture of the spleen. Such a case belongs to the rarest category. The damage provokes the onset of abdominal bleeding that cannot be stopped. The disease requires immediate surgery, especially if the pain under the shoulder blade on the left side is very intense.

Pathologies of this type need to be identified as soon as possible. The earlier treatment is prescribed, the more effective the fight against the disease will be.

If the patient does not receive proper help from health workers in a timely manner, then only disease progression will be achieved, the outcome can be fatal.

Diseases of the supporting apparatus that cause discomfort

Pain under the left shoulder blade from behind from behind can be caused by problems with the spine and other skeletal areas. Treatment is determined after diagnosis. Symptoms sometimes arise for the following reasons:

• Cervical osteochondrosis. In the early stages of the disease, the symptoms are subdued, and the patient cannot always explain exactly where they are concerned. In this case, the most vivid sensations appear in the area of the damaged nerve roots. Painful seizures may start suddenly, be dragging, and lose intensity if the patient spends some time in a warm bath. In the area of the cervical spine, vessels and nerves can be pinched, which is quite painful. The course of the disease is supplemented by pain that radiates into the arm. Cervical osteochondrosis mainly develops in people with a sedentary lifestyle. Left shoulder blade pain may sting or be painful;
• Intercostal nerves can be affected. This condition is known as the main cause of lower left back pain under the shoulder blade. They can be made worse by coughing, deep breaths, and even bending your trunk to the left. They are very strong, sharp, often - firing. As the disease progresses, pain in the left shoulder blade area may burn;
• The scapula expense syndrome is characterized by aching or pulling sensations. The localization of the complaints is usually below the shoulders, above and below the shoulder blades. The main feature of the pathology is that when you move your shoulders and arms you will hear a crunch. The cause of the disease is severe exercise or injury to the arm and sometimes severe hypothermia;
• The skeleton can have a malignant tumor that causes discomfort. In such cases, a tumor or the resulting metastases are localized on the shoulder blade;
• Crunching shoulder blade. Such a disease belongs to the category of rare occurrences. The pain under the left shoulder blade in this case is not severe, but there is a distinct crunch when moving in the upper back area;
• Sometimes the left shoulder blade hurts due to osteomyelitis after a certain injury. For example, a gun injury can be the cause;
• Periarthritis of the shoulder blade. With a simple form of development, the sensations are not particularly bright - usually the manifestations of the disease appear as a result of movements. A pathology that occupies an acute stage of development can be expressed as an increase in symptoms, which tend to worsen at night. During this time, mobility in the shoulder is restricted, the basal temperature rises, and muscle spasms are noted.

Pain under the left shoulder blade from behind can indicate severe pathological conditions, there is a special suspicion in cases when its character is burning and stabbing.

This condition can also occur as a result of pregnancy due to increased stress.

Attacks that cause pain in the left shoulder blade can be triggered by injuries such as fractures or tears. The discomfort in this case is expressed as aching pain under the left shoulder blade, any awkward movement can aggravate it.

Significant loads of an emotional, psychological nature, which the body can not cope with, can provoke sensations. If the patient treats the symptoms with contempt, the severity of the disease may worsen.

Before proceeding to the treatment of the pathology, the reason for the appearance of the painful condition should be established. For a correct diagnosis, it is important to clarify the nature of the pain syndrome.

The options are as follows:

1. Belt pain in which the discomfort is localized in only one place. A person can feel it all the time, pain can intensify when inhaling. The patient's condition is aggravated by sudden movements and coughing. The reason is the passage of a nerve impulse between the ribs;
2. Burning under the left shoulder blade from behind from behind, tingling sensation, numbness of certain areas;
3. Pain caused by an increased tone of the shoulder and back muscles can take on an increasing character;
4. Acute pain - may make the patient unable to breathe, difficult movement, impossible to lie on the left side;
5. The cutting pain can be localized to the left, then goes to the center;
6. Aching, dull aches and pains under the left shoulder blade in the back from behind usually appear when raising the arms;
7. Sharp, severe pain under the left shoulder blade;
8. Pulling sensations extending from the shoulder blade to the lumbar region;
9. The pain can be constant, preventing you from lying down, moving, and breathing.

Since the types of sensations in different diseases can differ, it is unlikely that you can accurately determine the cause yourself.

With a strong pain syndrome, it is necessary to see a doctor for an examination.

Diagnostic methods

If the back is sore on the left under the shoulder blade, there is pain, then treatment must be started with a full examination of the body. The following procedures are used for diagnosis:

• X-ray of the spine in different projections. The snapshot can also help to identify problems with the lungs;
• MRI, CT;
• EKG examination - if symptoms are present;
• Ultrasound examination of organs;
• Blood test - general, biochemistry;
• Assessment of blood pressure, pulse.

When the patient is examined and the cause of the pathology is established, the selection of therapeutic measures is made. Additional consultation from close specialists may be required.

How is the disease treated?

When it has already been clarified exactly why there is pain under the left shoulder blade from behind and the patient can no longer breathe deeply, it is time to start treatment. Ways to get rid of ailments are determined depending on the factors that caused the development of the pathology. It is not enough just to get rid of the symptoms - they will come back soon.

Each disease is characterized by separate symptoms, depending on which treatment regimen is selected. Each one contains recommendations for choosing a diet and adhering to the daily schedule, if the pain is dull, treatment is carried out with the help of drugs.

The use of conservative therapy may not bring positive dynamics - in this case, the patient will have to be operated on. With the help of an operation, it is possible to treat a sufficiently large inguinal hernia, correct the situation in the event of a ruptured spleen, and heal a gastric ulcer.

You should go to the hospital immediately if the patient notices severe pain and burning under the left shoulder blade, constant discomfort that increases with deep breathing. First of all, you should contact a therapist - he will decide which specialist to refer the patient to, depending on the symptoms.

You can't completely protect yourself from all existing diseases, but you can try some preventative measures. Pay more attention to the choice of diet, do warm-up exercises every day.

When it becomes known why there is pain in the back left under the shoulder blade, it is time to begin treatment. Not all pathologies can be completely defeated, but in this case it is possible to act on it to slow the course of the disease.