Very often people complain that their back hurts in the shoulder blade area.Attributing this to overwork, work involving prolonged sitting or moving heavy objects, they put off visiting a doctor.
However, any pain can signal the presence of serious spinal diseases that threaten the development of complications.
Main reasons
Pain in the spine in the area of the shoulder blades is explained by the fact that this is where a large number of receptors are located that respond to any pathological changes.During the inflammatory process, the production of leukocytes increases, swelling forms, nerve endings are compressed, which causes pain.
When your back hurts in the lumbar region and shoulder blades, the possibility of a disease that requires a therapeutic course cannot be ruled out.Often the cause of severe pain is diseases affecting such important organs as the heart and lungs.
Exacerbation occurs under the influence of provoking factors - poor posture, excess weight, lack of physical activity.If your back hurts below the shoulder blades, this may be one of the symptoms of a stomach ulcer.
Most often, the root cause is illness, injury, or the psychological state of a person.
You should not try to eliminate an unpleasant symptom on your own using various poultices and ointments.It is necessary to identify the reasons why your back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades, for which you will need to see a doctor and undergo an examination.
Scapula injuries
This bone is located on the side of the spinal column, is protected by many muscles and is damaged in very rare cases.Its injury is often combined with rib fractures, so it is not always possible to make a diagnosis in time.
In this case, the victim feels severe pain in the area of the shoulder blades, sometimes hemorrhage and the development of shoulder hemarthrosis are possible.Damage can be caused by a fall, traffic accident, or impact.
If your back hurts under the shoulder blades or above, redness and swelling appear, you should see a doctor immediately.This may also be inflammation of the synovial bursa, which is often accompanied by a crunching sensation and a feeling of heaviness.
Dislocation, or more precisely the displacement of the humerus and scapula relative to each other, is another reason why the back may hurt in the area of the shoulder blades.Injury occurs when there is a strong tug on the arm or when there is a blow.A dislocated scapula does not allow active movements of the upper limb.
When palpated, severe pain is felt.Visually, the asymmetry of the shoulder blades is clearly visible; one of them has a noticeable protrusion of the axillary edge.
Intervertebral hernia
This is the name of a degenerative disease accompanied by deformation and destruction of the fibrous ring.Any part of the spine is susceptible to pathology.
If your back hurts below the shoulder blades, this may be a sign of a lumbar intervertebral hernia.With a thoracic hernia, various symptoms are observed.
The most common of them:
- pain between the shoulder blades, which sharply intensifies when coughing or physical activity.Its nature can be different - it can be either dull or acute pain in the back.
- Paresthesia.
- Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing.
- Muscle weakness, problems raising arms.
The intensity of symptoms depends on the size of the hernia and the stage of the disease.
Osteomyelitis
Aching pain between the shoulder blades may 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 over the bone is quite thin, so symptoms at the site of the lesion appear immediately.The main sign of pathology is the presence of a festering 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 to this, the body temperature rises, and the pulse quickens.
There are several varieties of this pathology.Osteomyelitis that occurs when bacteria enter bone tissue through the blood is called hematogenous.Its acute form is most often found in children and adolescents.
Microorganisms penetrating from the environment cause exogenous osteomyelitis.The cause of this is injury, trauma or open fracture.When a purulent lesion moves from soft tissue to bone, they speak of a 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, deformation of the chest is observed.
In addition to the main symptom, when the back hurts below the shoulder blades and above the lower back, one should highlight increased fatigue and different shoulder levels.
The diagnosis is made only by radiography.When the stage is advanced, the back hurts in the spinal area almost constantly.
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 are pinched.Therefore, a distinction is made between left-sided and right-sided pathology.
If your back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades, you should definitely get examined in order to start treatment at an early stage.This guarantees a faster recovery.
Spondyloarthrosis
This is the name of a polyetiological disease that often occurs along with osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia, and spondylosis.Spondyloarthrosis is arthrosis that affects the intervertebral joints and develops due to injuries, congenital defects, and excessive overload.
Suspicion of pathology is caused by pain in the back below the shoulder blades that appears for no apparent reason, especially when the weather changes or when moving.The advanced stage 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 pain in the spine is localized below the shoulder blades, it can also spread to the right hypochondrium.
Diseases of internal organs
If your back hurts very much in the area of the shoulder blades, this may raise suspicion of existing diseases of the heart, bronchopulmonary system, or gastrointestinal tract.
Therefore, such symptoms cannot be ignored.It is necessary to immediately pay attention to nagging pain, especially chest pain, which hides coronary heart disease and other equally serious diseases of the internal organs.It is important to make a timely diagnosis and begin treatment.
Intercostal neuralgia
The cause of the phenomenon when there is a burning sensation in the area of the shoulder blades, a feeling as if the back is on fire, is often intercostal neuralgia.
Unpleasant symptoms occur due to the fact that pathological changes affecting the spine cause compression of the intercostal nerves.
Painful sensations from neuralgia occur at the level of the shoulder blades and have varying intensity.They may get worse when you cough or take a deep breath.
Psychological problems
Back pain under the shoulder blades often occurs due to psychological reasons.The patient feels compression and tingling, and experiences a feeling of anxiety and inexplicable fear.The pain may radiate to the right arm and neck.
Diagnostics
Often pain in the back under the shoulder blade is a consequence of professional activity.Machinists, drivers, seamstresses, athletes, designers - people whose work is associated with daily tension in the back muscles.
When the first symptoms appear, you should visit a doctor and undergo an examination.When the disease is detected early and treatment is started in a timely manner, many serious complications can be avoided.
If your back hurts in the shoulder blade area, the doctor will prescribe modern diagnostic methods, including radiography, computed tomography, and ultrasound.
It is almost impossible to independently determine the exact cause of pain.Considering that it can often occur during a heart attack, postponing a visit to the doctor 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 a variety of pathologies.Therefore, treatment should be prescribed only by a doctor and carried out under his supervision.
The traumatic and articular origin of pain requires specific clinical therapy, which includes:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.Painful sensations are effectively relieved using corticosteroid and non-steroidal drugs.They can be used externally, applying ointments recommended by a doctor to the area of the shoulder blades, or by injection.Combining these methods allows you to achieve the best results.
- Chondroprotectors.They are used to treat the scapular region of the back when pain is caused by intervertebral hernia or protrusion.Preparations containing mucopolysaccharides, glucosamine, and chondroitin sulfate will help improve the nutrition of cartilage tissue and increase its elasticity.
- Physiotherapy.When articular tissue is damaged, physiotherapeutic procedures show good results.The most popular is the shock wave technique, in which infrasound affects the body tissues..It is able to destroy bone growths, improve blood flow, which leads to increased nutrition of cartilage, reduces muscle tone and eliminates pain in the shoulder blades.In addition, electrophoresis, massage, paraffin baths, and manual therapy are widely used.
If a vertebrogenic cause of pain is established, warming compresses using a solution of dimethyl sulfoxide, turpentine, and alcohol will be effective.By improving blood circulation, muscle spasms are relieved and pain is reduced.
Folk remedies can also be used for scapular pain, but they only perform an auxiliary function.
Prevention
Following certain rules will help you avoid such an unpleasant symptom as back pain in the shoulder blade area.
To do this you need:
- Eat right.A deficiency of microelements necessary for cartilage tissue leads to degeneration of the intervertebral discs.
- Maintain correct posture.Uneven load on 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, sports games, and gymnastics are useful.
We must not forget about regular medical examinations, thanks to which the development of any pathology can be detected at a very early stage.