Very often people complain of back pain in the area of the shoulder blades. They attribute this to overwork, work involving long periods of sitting or moving heavy objects and postponing a visit to the doctor.
However, any pain can indicate the presence of serious diseases of the spine and threaten the development of complications.
main reasons
Pain in the spine in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulder blades is explained by the fact that a large number of receptors that react to pathological changes are located here. With the inflammatory process, the production of leukocytes increases, edema is formed, nerve endings are compressed, which causes pain.
If the back hurts in the lumbar region, shoulder blades, the possibility of a disease requiring a therapeutic course is not excluded. Often diseases that affect such important organs as the heart and lungs become the cause of severe pain.
An exacerbation occurs under the influence of provoking factors - poor posture, excess weight, lack of exercise. If the back hurts below the shoulder blades, this can be one of the symptoms of a stomach ulcer.
Most often, the cause is an illness, injury, or a person's mental state.
Do not try to get rid of the unpleasant symptom yourself, using various poultices and ointments. It is necessary to identify the reasons why the back hurts in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulder blades, for which you need to see a doctor and undergo an examination.
shoulder blade injuries
This bone is located to the side of the spine, is protected by many muscles, and is very rarely damaged. Her injury is often associated with a broken rib, so timely diagnosis is not always possible.
In this case, the victim feels severe pain in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulder blades, sometimes bleeding and the development of shoulder hemarthrosis are possible.The cause of damage is a fall, a road accident, a blow.
If the back hurts under the shoulder blades or above, redness and swelling appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. This can be inflammation of the synovial bag, which is often accompanied by a crunch, a feeling of heaviness.
A dislocation, or rather the displacement of the humerus and scapula relative to each other, is another reason why the back can hurt in the shoulder blade area. The injury occurs with a strong jerk from the arm on impact. Dislocation of the scapula does not allow active movement of the upper limb.
When palpating, 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 associated with deformation and destruction of the fibrous ring. Any part of the spine is prone to pathologies.
If your back hurts below your shoulder blades, it can be a sign of a herniated disc. A chest hernia causes a variety of symptoms.
The most common of them:
- Pain between the shoulder blades, which sharply increases with coughing or physical exertion. Its nature is different - it can be both dull and acute back pain.
- paresthesias.
- shortness of breath, difficult breathing.
- Muscle weakness, trouble lifting your arms.
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 affecting bone tissue.
This disease is usually very difficult. The tissue overlying the bone is thin enough that symptoms appear immediately at the lesion site. The main sign of the pathology is the presence of a suppurating wound, soft tissue edema with hyperemia. A person complains that his back hurts in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulder blades, chills are sometimes added, body temperature rises, and the pulse accelerates.
There are several variants of this pathology. Osteomyelitis, which occurs when bacteria invade bone tissue via the blood, is called hematogenous. The acute form is most common in children and adolescents.
Invading microorganisms from the environment cause exogenous osteomyelitis. The reason for this is a wound, trauma or an open fracture. When a purulent lesion passes from the soft tissues to the bone, they speak of the contact form of the disease.
scoliosis
One of the most common causes of back pain in the shoulder blade area is scoliosis of the thoracic segment of the spine. Because this section connects to the ribs, there is a deformity of the chest.
In addition to the main symptom, when the back hurts under the shoulder blades and above the waist, one should note increased fatigue and different shoulder levels.
Diagnosis is made only by X-rays. When walking on stage, the back hurts almost constantly in the area of the spine.
osteochondrosis
Back pain in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulder blades is the main symptom of osteochondrosis, when the upper part of the spine is subject to degenerative processes. The disease is often confused with pneumonia, tuberculosis.
An experienced neurologist determines osteochondrosis by several cumulative signs. The localization of the pain syndrome depends on the part where the nerve endings are pinched. Therefore, a distinction is made between left-sided and right-sided pathology.
If your back hurts in the shoulder blade area, it is important to have an examination so that treatment can begin early. This guarantees faster recovery.
spondyloarthritis
This is the name of a polyetiological disease that often occurs together with osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia and spondylosis. Spondyloarthrosis is osteoarthritis that affects the intervertebral joints and develops due to injuries, congenital malformations and excessive strain.
Suspicion of a pathology causes pain in the back below the shoulder blades, which appear for no apparent reason, especially when the weather changes when you move. The advanced stage is determined by the characteristic crunch.
Subdiaphragmatic abscess
This is the name of a rare but serious complication after an inflammation affecting the abdomen. The main symptoms are burning in the back, especially in the area of the shoulder blades, shortness of breath, hyperthermia, cough.
In addition to the fact that pain in the spine is localized below the shoulder blades, it can also pass to the right hypochondrium.
Diseases of the internal organs
If the back hurts a lot in the area of the shoulder blades, this can raise suspicions of existing diseases of the heart, bronchopulmonary system and gastrointestinal tract.
Therefore, these symptoms should not be ignored.. It is necessary to immediately pay attention to drawing pains, especially chest pains, which hide coronary artery disease and other equally serious diseases of internal organs. It is important to diagnose in time and start treatment.
intercostal neuralgia
The cause of the phenomenon when there is a burning sensation in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulder blades, there is a feeling that the back is burning, often it is intercostal neuralgia.
Unpleasant symptoms arise due to the fact that pathological changes affecting the spine cause compression of the intercostal nerves.
Pain in neuralgia occurs at the level of the shoulder blades and varies in intensity. They can get worse if you cough or take a deep breath.
Psychological problems
Back pain under the shoulder blades often occurs for psychological reasons. The patient feels compression and tingling, feels a sense of anxiety and inexplicable fear. The pain can radiate to the right arm, neck.
diagnosis
Pain in the back under the shoulder blade is often a result of professional activity. Machinists, drivers, seamstresses, athletes, designers are people whose work involves daily tension in the back muscles.
When the first symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor and be examined.If the disease is detected early and treatment is started in a timely manner, many serious complications can be avoided.
If the back hurts in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulder blades, the doctor prescribes modern diagnostic methods, including X-ray, computed tomography and ultrasound.
It is almost impossible to determine the exact cause of the pain yourself. Since it can be a common occurrence 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 basis for the appearance of such a symptom can be a variety of pathologies. Therefore, treatment should only be prescribed by a doctor and carried out under his supervision.
Traumatic and articular origin of pain requires specific clinical therapy, which includes:
- anti-inflammatory drugs. Painful sensations are effectively eliminated with the help of corticosteroid, nonsteroidal agents. They can be applied externally by applying doctor-recommended ointments to the shoulder blade area or by injection. By combining these methods, you can get the best result.
- chondroprotectors. They are used to treat the scapular region of the back when pain is caused by intervertebral hernia or bulging. Preparations containing mucopolysaccharides, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate contribute to improving the nutrition of cartilage tissue and increasing its elasticity.
- Physical therapy. With damage to the joint tissue, physiotherapeutic procedures show good results.The most popular shock wave technique, in which infrasound acts on the tissues of the body. It is able to destroy bone growths, improve blood circulation, which leads to increased cartilage nutrition, reduces muscle tone and eliminates pain in the shoulder blades. In addition, electrophoresis, massage, paraffin applications and manual therapy are widely used.
If a vertebrogenic cause of pain is identified, warming compresses with a solution of dimethyl sulfoxide, turpentine and alcohol have an effective effect. By improving blood circulation, it relieves muscle spasms and relieves pain.
Folk remedies can also be used for shoulder pain, but they perform only an auxiliary function.
prevention
To avoid such an unpleasant symptom as back pain in the shoulder blade area, following certain rules will help.
For this you need:
- Eat properly. The lack of microelements necessary for cartilage tissue leads to degeneration of the intervertebral discs.
- Pay attention to the correct posture. An uneven load on the spine is one of the first causes of pain.
- Move more. This helps prevent excessive muscle tone and normalizes blood flow. Useful walks in the fresh air, sports games, gymnastics.
We must not forget about regular medical examinations, thanks to which it is possible to detect the development of any pathology at a very early stage.