Very often, people complain that their back hurts in the area of the shoulder blade.If this is attributed to overwork, work involving long periods of sitting or moving heavy objects, a visit to the doctor will be postponed.
However, any pain can indicate the presence of serious spinal diseases that threaten the development of complications.
Main reasons
The pain in the spine in the area of the shoulder blades can be explained by the fact that there are a large number of receptors that respond to any pathological change.During the inflammatory process, the production of leukocytes increases, swelling develops, nerve endings are compressed, which causes pain.
If your back hurts in the lumbar region and shoulder blades, the possibility of a disease requiring therapeutic treatment cannot be ruled out.Severe pain is often caused by diseases affecting important organs such as the heart and lungs.
Aggravation occurs as a result of provoking factors - bad posture, excess weight, lack of physical activity.If your back hurts below your shoulder blades, this could be a symptom of a stomach ulcer.
Most often, the underlying cause is illness, injury or a person's psychological state.
You should not try to eliminate an unpleasant symptom on your own using various poultices and ointments.It is necessary to determine the reasons why your back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades, so you need to see a doctor and undergo an examination.
Shoulder blade injuries
This bone is located on the side of the spine, protected by many muscles, and is very rarely damaged.His injury is often accompanied by a rib fracture, so it is not always possible to establish a diagnosis in time.
In this case, the victim feels severe pain in the area of the shoulder blades, sometimes bleeding and shoulder hemarthrosis are possible.Damage can be caused by a fall, a traffic accident or a collision.
If your back hurts below or above your shoulder blades, redness and swelling appear, you should see a doctor immediately.It can also be inflammation of the synovial bursa, which is often accompanied by a crunching sensation and a feeling of heaviness.
Dislocation, or more precisely, displacement of the humerus and the scapula relative to each other, is another reason why the back may hurt in the area of the scapulae.An injury occurs when there is a strong tug on the arm or when a blow occurs.A dislocated scapula does not allow active movement of the upper limb.
Strong pain can be felt when touched.Visually, the asymmetry of the shoulder blades is clearly visible;one has a noticeable protrusion of the edge of the armpit.
Intervertebral hernia
This is the name of a degenerative disease accompanied by deformation and destruction of the annulus fibrosus.Any part of the spine is susceptible to pathology.
If your back hurts below your shoulder blades, it could be a sign of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation.In the case of a thoracic hernia, various symptoms can be observed.
The most common of them are:
- pain between the shoulder blades, which is sharply aggravated by coughing or physical activity.Its nature can be different - it can be dull or acute back pain.
- Paresthesia.
- Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing.
- Muscle weakness, arm arm problems.
The intensity of the symptoms depends on the size of the hernia and the stage of the disease.
Osteomyelitis
Aching pain between the shoulder blades can be a sign of osteomyelitis.This is the name of a purulent infection that affects bone tissue.
This disease is usually very difficult.The tissue located above the bone is quite thin, so symptoms appear immediately at the site of the lesion.The main sign of pathology is the presence of a purulent wound, swelling of soft tissues with hyperemia.A person complains that his back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades, sometimes chills are added, the body temperature rises, and the pulse accelerates.
There are several types of this pathology.Osteomyelitis, which occurs when bacteria enter the bone tissue through the blood, is called hematogenous.Its acute form occurs most often in children and adolescents.
Microorganisms that invade from the environment cause exogenous osteomyelitis.This is due to injury, trauma or an open fracture.When a purulent lesion moves from soft tissue to bone, they speak of the contact form of the disease.
Scoliosis
One of the most common reasons why back pain occurs in the area of the shoulder blades is scoliosis of the thoracic segment of the spine.Considering that this section is connected to the ribs, the deformation of the chest can be observed.
In addition to the main symptom, when the back hurts under the shoulder blades and in the lower back, increased fatigue and different shoulder levels should be highlighted.
Diagnosis is made only by radiography.When the stage has advanced, the back hurts almost constantly in the spine area.
Osteochondrosis
Back pain in the area of the shoulder blades is the main symptom of osteochondrosis, when the upper part of the spinal column is subject to degenerative processes.The disease is often confused with pneumonia and tuberculosis.
An experienced neurologist determines osteochondrosis based on several combined characteristics.The localization of the pain syndrome depends on which part of the nerve endings was pinched.Therefore, a distinction must be made between left- and right-sided pathologies.
If your back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades, you should definitely get it checked out so you can start treatment at an early stage.This guarantees a faster recovery.
Spondyloarthrosis
This is the name of a polyetiological disease that often occurs together with osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia and spondylosis.Spondyloarthrosis is an arthrosis that affects the intervertebral joints and develops as a result of injuries, congenital abnormalities and excessive overload.
Suspicion of pathology is caused by back pain under the shoulder blades, which appears for no apparent reason, especially when the weather changes or when moving.The advanced state is determined by a characteristic crunching sound.
Subphrenic abscess
This is the name of a rare but serious complication after inflammation affecting the abdominal cavity.The main symptoms are a burning sensation in the back, especially in the area of the shoulder blades, shortness of breath, hyperthermia and cough.
In addition to the fact that spinal pain is localized under the shoulder blades, it can also spread to the right hypochondrium.
Diseases of internal organs
If you have a lot of pain in the back around the shoulder blades, this may raise suspicions of existing diseases of the heart, bronchopulmonary system or gastrointestinal tract.
Therefore, such symptoms cannot be ignored.Immediate attention should be paid to nagging pain, especially chest pain, which may indicate coronary heart disease and other similarly serious diseases of the internal organs.It is important to diagnose and start treatment in time.
Intercostal neuralgia
The cause of the phenomenon is a burning sensation in the area of the shoulder blades, a feeling as if the back is burning, often intercostal neuralgia.
The unpleasant symptoms are due to the fact that pathological changes affecting the spine cause compression of the intercostal nerves.
The painful sensations of neuralgia occur at the level of the shoulder blades and vary in intensity.These can get worse if you cough or take a deep breath.
Psychological problems
Back pain below the shoulder blades often occurs due to psychological reasons.The patient feels compression and tingling, experiences anxiety and inexplicable fear.The pain may radiate to the right arm and neck.
Diagnostics
Often, back pain under the shoulder blade is a consequence of professional activity.Mechanics, drivers, seamstresses, athletes, designers - people whose work involves daily tension of the back muscles.
When the first symptoms appear, a doctor should be consulted and an examination performed.Many serious complications can be avoided by early detection of the disease and timely treatment.
If your back hurts in the shoulder area, the doctor prescribes modern diagnostic methods, including radiography, computer tomography and ultrasound.
It is almost impossible to independently determine the exact cause of the pain.Considering that it can often occur during a heart attack, delaying a doctor's visit is extremely risky.
Treatment
What to do if your back hurts in the shoulder blade area?Do not forget that the cause of such a symptom can be many pathologies.Therefore, the treatment can only be prescribed by a doctor and can only be carried out under his supervision.
The traumatic and articular origin of pain requires special clinical therapy, which includes:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.Painful sensations can be effectively relieved by the use of corticosteroid and non-steroidal drugs.They can be used externally, with doctor-recommended ointments for the area of the shoulder blades, or in the form of injections.Combining these methods allows you to achieve the best results.
- Chondroprotectors.It is used to treat the scapular region of the back when the pain is caused by intervertebral hernia or protrusion.Preparations containing mucopolysaccharides, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate improve cartilage tissue nutrition and increase its flexibility.
- Physiotherapy.If the joint tissue is damaged, physiotherapy procedures show good results.The most popular is the shock wave technique, in which infrasound affects body tissues..It is able to destroy bone growth, improve blood flow, which leads to increased nutrition of cartilage, reduce muscle tone and eliminate pain in the shoulder blades.In addition, electrophoresis, massage, paraffin baths and manual therapy are widely used.
If the vertebrogenic cause of the pain is established, a warming compress with a solution of dimethyl sulfoxide, turpentine and alcohol will be effective.By improving blood circulation, muscle spasms are alleviated and pain is reduced.
Folk remedies can also be used for shoulder pain, but they only serve an auxiliary function.
Prevention
Adhering to certain rules will help you avoid such an unpleasant symptom as back pain in the shoulder blade area.
For this you need:
- Eat right.The lack of microelements necessary for the cartilage tissue leads to the degeneration of the intervertebral discs.
- Maintain proper posture.Uneven loading of the spine is one of the first causes of pain.
- Move more.This helps prevent excessive muscle tone and normalize blood circulation.Walking in the fresh air, playing sports, and exercising are useful.
We must not forget regular medical examinations, thanks to which the development of any pathology can be detected at a very early stage.