Basically, pain under the scapula on the left behind from the back is more often characteristic of persons of the older age group, but often a similar disease manifests itself at a younger age.
Poor posture, hereditary factors, or sports injuries may be the causes of this condition. The main causes of pain under the left shoulder blade from the back from the back should be considered in more detail. After all, this discomfort can be regarded as a good reason for a visit to a specialist.
Causes and types of pain under the left shoulder blade in the back from the back
The reasons for the development of this pathology are different, they have their own characteristics. Pain on the left side under the scapula in the back from the back is characterized by the following sensations:
- sharp;
- stupid;
- pulling;
- stitching;
- shooting.
Pain under the left shoulder blade from the back can be of the same type, or alternating. There are times when one type of discomfort is replaced by another, for example, a stabbing one turns into a shooting one. Pathology is caused by various injuries and their consequences, disorders of the musculoskeletal system:
- rib damage - discomfort is felt throughout the shoulder;
- osteoporosis, arthritis - affects, in addition to the scapula, the neck and shoulders;
- displacement of discs - pain gives rise to stenosis of the spinal canal;
- wear (aging) of the skeletal system - unpleasant sensations in the area of the scapula can occur when the bone structure changes in old age;
- bursitis - the formation of exudate during inflammation of the periarticular bag also causes pain;
- rupture of the rotator cuff - a sharp, sharp pain in the region of the left scapula from the back from the back with the inability to rotate the arm reports a violation of the shoulder muscles or tendons responsible for the coordination of the shoulder joint;
- dislocation - discomfort in the left side of the back may be the result of a dislocation of the clavicle or shoulder joint;
- nerve damage - pinching of the dorsal scapular nerve is also characterized by pain in the back (under the left scapula).
Irradiating back pain in the area of the shoulder blades on the left is considered a signal indicating the following pathologies:
- abscessed pneumonia;
- acute inflammation of the bronchial mucosa;
- focal pneumonia;
- pulmonary pleurisy;
- gastric ulcer;
- esophageal spasm;
- pancreatitis;
- gastroreflux.
Heart disease can be another reason that the patient has a backache on the left side under the scapula:
- heart attack;
- pericarditis;
- angina pectoris;
- mitral valve prolapse.
In addition, it causes discomfort and pain under the left shoulder blade from the back - increased muscle tone:
- poor posture;
- uncomfortable position during sleep;
- stretching of the cervical muscles.
Only a visit to a specialist will help to correctly determine the causes of the burning sensation under the left scapula behind from the back.
Diseases of the broncho-pulmonary system
Pain over the left shoulder blade in the back from the back may occur in case of problems with the lower respiratory tract (bronchi, lungs, pleura). The main cause of respiratory pathologies is considered to be diseases provoked by pathogenic viruses and bacteria:
- bronchitis;
- pneumonia;
- pleurisy.
Neoplasms in the lungs or bronchi are also capable of causing a burning sensation under the left shoulder blade from the back from the back.
Pleurisy of the lungs
Increased pain under the left scapula behind when coughing, breathing or sneezing is characteristic of dry pleurisy. The process proceeds with an increase in temperature (up to 38 ° C), a feeling of general weakness, sweating, headaches, as well as aching pains in the muscles and joints.
Pneumonia
If the back hurts on the left under the scapula for a long time, then this may be a sign of pneumonia. Its symptoms are similar to pleurisy and are often accompanied by the following symptoms:
- bloody clots in saliva;
- wet cough (less often dry);
- lack of oxygen;
- increased body temperature (37. 5 ° C - 37. 9 ° C).
Gastrointestinal tract
One of the most common causes of scapular back pain is diseases of the digestive system, especially peptic ulcer and pancreatitis.
Pancreatitis
Back pain under the left shoulder blade, which is based on pancreatitis, is not so common. They usually occur in parallel with lower back pain and convulsive contractions. They arise unexpectedly in the area of the heart, chest, or from the back.
Peptic ulcer
With the development of a peptic ulcer, a person has belching or heartburn. A significant proportion of patients (about 75%) feel relief from vomiting, which is caused by significant pain with prior nausea. Initially, discomfort is observed in the epistragal region, and then the pain can spread to the left side (nipple, sternum, back). Often, an increase in pain occurs after a meal.
The cardiovascular system
Pain under the left shoulder blade from the back from the back is not considered a sign that characterizes a specific disease, but malfunctions of the cardiovascular system are considered one of the important factors. The main diseases for which these symptoms are characteristic include: angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, aortic aneurysm, hypertensive crisis and pericarditis.
Angina pectoris
With angina pectoris, a person experiences acute left-sided subscapularis pain from the back, for the removal of which nitroglycerin is used. An attack of angina pectoris can be caused by physical exertion, psychophysical factors, hypothermia, overeating and taking a significant amount of alcohol.
Myocardial infarction
The characteristic pain under the scapula on the left from behind from the back can be caused by a complete absence of coronary blood supply to one of the myocardial sites due to a blockage of the vessel. The cause of a heart attack is:
- atherosclerosis;
- thrombosis.
When a thrombus (plaque) is torn off, it enters the heart with the blood flow and, once in the coronary arteries of small diameter, they block the vessel and interrupt the delivery of blood to the tissues. With a lack of oxygen, the process of death of myocardial cells begins.
Symptoms of myocardial infarction include acute and throbbing pain, concentrated in the left side of the sternum. Distributed in the area:
- left hand;
- shoulder blades;
- lower jaw.
It is impossible to stop pain during a heart attack with the help of analgesics, and nitroglycerin can only slightly reduce pain.
Aortic aneurysm
In half of cases of aneurysm of the thoracic aorta in the early stages there are no signs of the disease. Symptoms depend on the location of the aneurysm, its size and the presence (absence) of dissection. In addition to pain in the scapula from the back, the following complaints are possible:
- discomfort in the left back, neck, lower jaw;
- chest pain;
- cough, hoarseness, shortness of breath.
May be accompanied by signs of heart failure due to heart failure. Symptoms may come on suddenly and be expressed by severe pain in the chest and left back.
Hypertensive crisis
Contrary to popular belief, a hypertensive crisis is not characterized by any standard blood pressure numbers, they are purely individual. In addition to the sign that the patient has colitis under the left scapula from the back from the back, the symptoms of a hypertensive crisis should include:
- headache in the back of the head;
- pulsation in the temples;
- shortness of breath;
- nausea and vomiting;
- vision problems;
- redness of the skin;
- an increase in the values of diastolic blood pressure above 110-120 mm Hg. Art.
When a hypertensive crisis occurs, the risk of complications from a number of systems and organs, the central nervous system, etc. increases.
Pericarditis
Patients may show symptoms of inflammation (acute pericarditis) or signs of fluid collection (pleural effusion). They vary depending on the degree of the inflammatory process and the volume of the pericardial fluid. With acute pericarditis, pain occurs on the left side under the scapula on the back, in the chest, and sometimes shortness of breath is noted. And also the first manifestation may be tamponade with the development of hypotension, shock or pulmonary edema.
Musculoskeletal system
Various destructive pathologies in the spine, bones, can cause back pain under the left shoulder blade. In addition, they include: intercostal neuralgia, osteochondrosis and intervertebral hernia.
Intercostal neuralgia
Pain in the back in the area of the shoulder blades on the left with neuralgia has its own characteristics, for example, its intensification during physical exertion, and the pain point can be determined by palpation. Pain with neuralgia is long lasting and is not minimized with nitroglycerin.
Osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is often a common cause of pain under the scapula on the left behind from the back and is characterized by the following symptoms:
- muscle cramps, numbness;
- the development of dizziness;
- the appearance of "goose bumps" (paresthesia);
- frequent headaches.
Intervertebral hernia
A hernia occurs when the annulus fibrosus surrounding the intervertebral disc ruptures, resulting in a displacement of the disc nucleus. Symptoms of a herniated disc depend on its location. The most important symptom of a herniated disc is pain in the left side of the back, which multiplies with movement or lifting weights.
Psychosomatic diseases
One of the causes of pain under the left shoulder blade from the back from the back can be considered psychosomatic diseases. Not every specialist will be able to recognize this disease and its true causes, since they often do not have special features. Different organ systems can have a direct relationship with the dynamics of the patient's mental state:
- Gastrointestinal tract;
- cardiovascular system;
- nervous system;
- immunity.
Treatment of pain under the left shoulder blade from the back from the back in psychosomatic diseases occurs without the use of traditional therapy. In such cases, it is important to establish psychological motives and to carry out treatment with a psychotherapeutic bias.
Diagnostic measures
Our specialists will make a more accurate diagnosis after carrying out the necessary laboratory and instrumental diagnostics using the most modern equipment. When testimony will be held:
- blood tests;
- urinalysis to assess kidney function;
- liver function tests;
- gastric endoscopy;
- Ultrasound for diagnosing somatic disorders, heart conditions, blood vessels;
- CT scan of the liver, pancreas;
- ECG of the heart;
- chest x-ray.
Based on the fact that the pain under the left shoulder blade from the back from the back may not be a symptom of one disease, a comprehensive examination by several specialists is not excluded. Our clinic offers patients one of the modern complex types of examination - check-up, which includes many types of analyzes with the smallest set of diagnostic procedures. Timely contacting our specialists and guaranteed correct diagnosis will help the patient to carry out high-quality and successful treatment.