If a person has back pain in the area of the shoulder blades, he automatically associates this with the condition of the spine. You're partly right: this long-suffering core of our skeleton absorbs heavy loads that can only worsen its condition.
However, pain in this area of the back often signals a disorder in the internal organs. The nature of the pain corresponds to the disease, so at the doctor's appointment it is important to describe its manifestations in as much detail as possible.
What causes shoulder pain
Pathological changes in:
- spine;
- internal organs;
- surrounding structures.
It hurts in the shoulder blade area and some rare diseases:
- Fractures of the spine and their systemic lesions;
- Metastases to the spine in cancer of the stomach and sometimes other organs.
Pain according to the nature of the disease is localized:
- Above the shoulder blades;
- under the shoulder blades;
- between the shoulder blades;
- At shoulder blades.
Symptoms associated with pathologies of internal organs
The stomach, lungs, liver and heart can project their pain under the shoulder blade - right or left.
If it hurts on the left side, this can be a sign:
- Gastric Ulcer: Pain is periodic in nature and associated with seasonal exacerbations. They are accompanied by pain in the upper abdomen. During the increase in pain, vomiting occurs;
- Myocardial infarction: the disease is accompanied by acute retrosternal pain, extending under the left shoulder blade. Cardiac ischemia has similar signs, but in this case there are also pain sensations in the left hand;
- Perforation of a stomach ulcer: the patient's body is covered with cold sweat, he may feel sick to the point of vomiting. The patient tries to relieve the suffering by changing his position, but these measures do not have the expected effect;
- Intercostal neuralgia: pain under the left shoulder blade occurs in paroxysms and is aggravated by the slightest physical exertion. It tingles and burns in the heart area. It hurts to cough and breathe deeply.
It may hurt under the right shoulder blade when:
- Mental disorders in the body. At the same time, the patient feels heat in the chest, he may complain of squeezing and tingling in the heart muscle;
- Pathological changes in the gallbladder: additional symptoms - bitterness in the mouth after fatty, salty and fried foods, pain in the right hypochondrium;
- Pleurisy and pneumonia: pain under the right shoulder blade is reflected when coughing;
- Kidney disease: Again, coughing causes increased pain, but unlike lung disease, the patient has difficulty urinating.
Pain associated with diseases of the spine
Spinal problems can occur after injuries, broken bones or contusions. But there are also diseases that have no obvious causes. And all are manifested by pain in the shoulder blade region.
With any pathology of the spine, pain between the shoulder blades must appear:
- Stiffness;
- goose bumps;
- Deafness.
Pain between the shoulder blades when coughing is typical for heavy smokers.
osteochondrosis
When the nutrition of the tissues is disturbed, dystrophic changes occur in them. In the spine, this process affects the intervertebral discs. They can no longer resist the pressure exerted on them by the vertebrae. The loss of disc elasticity leads to compression of the spine. The nerve endings of the spinal cord come under pressure – severe pain occurs here.
The body tries to protect the spine from heavy loads by growing bone tissue along the edges of the vertebral processes. Bone growths are called osteophytes. They can be removed, but against the background of osteochondrosis they will grow again.
Pain in osteochondrosis is localized at the site of damage to the spine. If the neck region is affected, the patient has pain on the right side of the neck in the morning. The pain radiates to the shoulder and arm, can be felt over the shoulder blade. The head may feel dizzy, the agony is aggravated by deep breathing and coughing.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is manifested as pain between the shoulder blades - to the right and left of the spine. Pain can be made worse by sneezing, coughing, and sudden movements. When you try to straighten your shoulders, your chest and between-the-shoulder zone begin to crackle.
It becomes difficult for a person to breathe from the chest when the mobility of the ribs decreases, and they subconsciously switch to breathing from the abdomen.
Treat osteochondrosis with a conservative method. The patient is prescribed:
- pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs;
- physiotherapeutic procedures;
- remedial gymnastics;
- reflexology;
- massages;
- traction of the spine;
- Manual therapy.
If none of the treatment methods work, surgeons get to work.
spondyloarthritis
The symptoms of this disease are similar to those of osteochondrosis. But in this case, the disc is displaced, not exhausted. The hyaline cartilage is forced to take the load. Under such extreme conditions, its tissues become thinner and lose their ability to perform their functions.
If spondylarthrosis is not treated, the entire joint can become inflamed and then completely lose mobility. The patient's condition is aggravated by osteophytes.
scoliosis
Curvature of the spine relative to its axis to the right or left is widespread - almost half of humanity is affected by this disease. But for the majority, the disease is not pronounced, and therefore the pains appear periodically - when a person strains his back or stands or sits in one position for a long time.
Early scoliosis cannot be detected visually, so it is in the patient's interest to see a doctor if pain occurs in the shoulder blade region. He will prescribe an X-ray - direct and lateral.
With the further development of scoliosis, it can be recognized independently: the "zigzags" of the spine will become significantly more pronounced. Running scoliosis is also determined by the relative position of the shoulders - one of them will be lower than the other.
Scoliosis treatment, even at high intensity, is a long-term affair. Massage, special exercises and wearing a corset will help eliminate the curvature of the spine.
intervertebral hernia
The intervertebral disc consists of:
- gelatinous core;
- fibrous ring composed of fibers;
- The two thin layers of cartilage that cover the top and bottom of the discs.
The nucleus is inside the ring, and the cartilaginous tissue that closes the structure doubles as a nutritional conduit from the vessels of the vertebral body to the disc.
Pathological changes in the vertebrae lead to disturbances in metabolic processes in the intervertebral discs. Their thickness decreases, the fibrous ring breaks under the influence of loads, opening the way to the outside for the gelatinous mass of the core. This process is accompanied by severe pain. It is concentrated in one point, but sometimes there is a return to the lung and heart regions.
An intervertebral hernia in the thoracic area is extremely rare, therefore, when pain occurs in the shoulder blade area, the patient is first examined for other diseases.
A spinal fracture is treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, and special exercises. In severe cases, only surgery can help.
tuberculosis of the spine
Tuberculosis microbacteria can affect any part of the spine, but 60% of cases occur in the chest area. Most often men suffer from this disease. Basically, a few vertebrae are involved in the process, but there are cases when tuberculosis spreads to three or more.
Symptoms of the disease can vary depending on the number of vertebrae affected. But there is one constant symptom - it's pain. If it is felt between the shoulder blades, this indicates a lesion of the cervical vertebra.
It also hurts with tuberculosis of the chest region, but in this case the pain radiates to the chest, groin or abdomen. Patients complain of burning, twisting, "drilling" in the back.
Tuberculosis of the spine is difficult to diagnose, severe pain appears already at the stage of the occurrence of various complications. If you have the slightest suspicion of this disease, immediately go to a specialist for examination.
overvoltage and hypothermia
With excessive strain on the back, pain in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulder blades can also occur. By itself, this phenomenon is not considered a disease, but constant overload can cause osteochondrosis, spinal curvature, and the formation of intervertebral hernias.
Seamstresses, drivers, surgeons, sedentary people, etc. complain of back pain. If hypothermia (draughts, working air conditioner) is added to the overvoltage, back pain can be taught - severe pain, concentrated below the shoulder blades or in the spine.
These complaints are treated with warming ointments, anti-inflammatory drugs and massages.
myositis
Flu, SARS, severe hypothermia can lead to myositis - inflammation of muscle tissue. Most often, this disease affects the muscles in the scapula region. This condition does not threaten the body with anything terrible, but aching pain causes discomfort.
pain in the shoulder blades
Pain occurs for several reasons:
- Fracture or injury resulting from a fall. The shoulder joint swells, it hurts to move the limb;
- Osteomyelitis (inflammation of bone tissue): accompanied by fever, fever from intoxication of the whole organism;
- Pterygoid scapula: This effect is caused by damage to the front tooth (located laterally on the chest), paralysis of the rhomboid, trapezius muscles or their traumatic rupture (from which circus acrobats and gymnasts, professional athletes suffer).
If the joint sac is inflamed, the shoulder blade begins to crackle. In addition to these complaints, the patient worries about heaviness and cracking in the shoulder joint.
diagnosis
Since pain in the shoulder blade zone of the back indicates one of the many diseases, the examination is carried out using different methods:
- chest X-ray;
- laboratory research;
- Ultrasonic;
- Magnetic resistance or computed tomography;
- ECG.
All examinations are prescribed by the surgeon - if your back hurts, go to him first. But in the future, based on the research, he will need advice:
- orthopedist;
- gastroenterologist;
- Neurologist;
- pulmonologist.
If for some reason the doctor did not pay attention to the accompanying symptoms, go for advice on your own initiative.
treatment
Self-medication for pain in the shoulder blade area is generally contraindicated. The maximum that the patient can afford is to take painkillers and analgesics. Reception should be one-time and only if there is a need to stop the pain syndrome before going to the doctor.
Treatment is prescribed by a doctor: to relieve the condition, it is usually enough to take analgesics, chondroprotectors, anti-inflammatory drugs. In addition, the doctor draws up a treatment regimen aimed at eliminating the causes of pain in the shoulder blade region.