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Causes of back pain in the scapula area and methods of treating it

Back pain in the shoulder blade area caused by illness or injury

Pain, regardless of location, intensity and cause, always indicates a malfunction in the body. If it occurs regularly, you should not immediately self-medicate, as the causes of the pathology may be different. First you need to figure out why your back hurts in the shoulder blade area.

What is the nature of pain?

If you pay attention to what causes the discomfort in the shoulder blade area, you need to understand that they have a different character. Back pain should be classified as follows:

  • Pulling or pain.It occurs due to severe compression of nerve roots, changes in muscle tone and damage to the spine.
  • Long lasting, very intense.It is caused by neuralgia, a traumatic lesion of the scapula.
  • Severe and unexpected pain.It is typical for complications such as stomach ulcers, spastic contractions of the gallbladder muscles and heart attack.
  • Paroxysmal painwith a gradual increase in intensity. It is also caused by an ulcer.
  • If there is no back pain in the shoulder blade area, but the patient feels itNumbness, pressure, then this may be the result of excessive emotional stress or insufficient physical stress.

The localization of pain can be interscapular, subscapular and also localized within the joint. Now you can find out why the symptoms occur.

Diseases of internal organs as a provoking factor

If you experience pain in the back under the shoulder blade, it may be due to normal muscle tension. However, if it recurs regularly and increases in intensity, it is better not to hesitate and urgently seek medical attention. There are the following causes of pain:

  • Myocardial infarction.The pain under the shoulder blade in this case is severe and stabbing. Other signs include: widespread spread of the symptoms, increased sweating, increased heart rate. A peculiarity of a heart attack is that even taking nitrates does not help relieve the attack.
  • Gastrointestinal ulcer.In this case, the pain syndrome has an increasing and paroxysmal character. After eating, discomfort in the upper abdomen often occurs. The pain radiates to the breastbone, lower back and heart. The patient also experiences heartburn and belching. He becomes nauseous and may vomit.
  • Perforation of a stomach ulcer.It represents the appearance of a hole in the wall of the organ that opens into the abdominal cavity. Here the person has to undergo emergency surgery. Pathological symptoms are clearly expressed. The patient feels unexpected acute pain under the shoulder blades, a state of shock and severe tension in the abdominal muscles. Cold sweat forms on the face and the skin becomes pale. The patient breathes quickly and feels severe discomfort when palpating the abdomen.
  • Spasm of the gallbladder muscles.The pain in the shoulder blade area is cutting or stabbing. The unpleasant sensations do not last long. Pain occurs in the back on the right under the ribs, which then radiates to the neck, collarbone and jaw.
  • Subphrenic abscess.It is characterized by the accumulation of pus in the diaphragm area. Pain gradually increases, general weakness and loss of appetite appear, and the temperature may rise. The skin becomes pale and sweating increases.
  • Kidney disease.The pain is not only localized in the back area under the shoulder blades, but also in the lower back area. The nature of the sensations is pulling, but during the development of renal colic it becomes acute. The patient cannot go to the toilet normally.
  • Pneumonia or pleurisy.This pathology is characterized by increased pain when coughing.
  • Neuralgia.The pain is mainly felt under the shoulder blade, and more often on the left. The sensations are paroxysmal in nature and become stronger with any physical activity. The pain syndrome can also be burning. Shingles develops when you cough.
  • Pathologies of muscles and ligaments.Back pain hurts and occurs regularly. After rest, comfort disappears.

Separately, psychological problems should be highlighted, which also cause pain under the shoulder blade. Severe stress or emotional tension, neurosis or increased anxiety are clear causes of discomfort. The fact is that a person's back muscles tense, so spasms occur, which lead to pinching and inflammation of the nerve processes. The pain is oppressive and radiates to other parts of the body. There is a feeling of pressure and stiffness in the shoulder blade area. A person is afraid for his life, he is short of breath, his heart begins to pound and a lump appears in his throat.

Skeletal diseases as a cause of pain

There are many spinal diseases that cause back pain in the shoulder blade area. The most common of these are:

  1. Osteochondrosis of the neck.It causes periodic pain that radiates to the shoulder blade area. The disease develops gradually and is incurable. Other symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include: stiffness of movement, painful turning of the head. The nature of the sensations is painful and increases with every movement. A person's neck area begins to go numb.
  2. Disc projectionin the neck area.
  3. Radiculitis.

All of these diseases cause quite severe pain and prevent people from moving normally and leading a professional life. Of course, it is necessary to fight them, but this should be done at the initial stage of development. If your back hurts often and the syndrome itself does not go away for a long time, see a doctor as soon as possible. Self-medication is dangerous.

Damage to the scapula as a cause of pain

Pain in the scapula is often an independent phenomenon and is not accompanied by other pathologies. The main cause of complaints are processes that take place directly in the joint itself. Here are the reasons for the discomfort:

  • Injury.It occurs very rarely, since this part of the skeleton is maximally protected by muscles. A fracture or other type of injury usually occurs as a result of an accident, a fall from a height, or a very strong blow. Immediately after the injury, the victim feels severe pain in the back, hematoma and swelling. The functionality of the limbs and the shoulder joint deteriorates or is completely absent.
  • Pterygoid blade.It occurs due to weakness in the muscular corset. The shoulder girdle completely loses its functionality, the pain in the back of the shoulder blades hurts. The symptoms worsen with movement.
  • Crunch of the scapula.This is a congenital anomaly of the scapula structure. Rarely, it occurs as a result of abnormal physical activity. In this case, pain in the shoulder blades is considered an additional symptom.
  • Osteomyelitis.This is an infectious bone lesion that is accompanied by inflammation and pus formation. It causes a slight displacement of the scapula, severe pain, inflammation and redness of the skin over the joint, a change in basal body temperature and limited mobility.

It is better not to delay the identification of the causes of pain, since it is a serious pathological process, the treatment prognosis of which depends on the timeliness of the diagnosis.

Other causes of pain

In addition to the presented pathologies, other causes of pain under the scapula can be identified:

  1. Malignant neoplasm.
  2. Tuberculosis of the bones.
  3. Polio.
  4. Myositis.
  5. Mechanical injury to the back, constant adherence to incorrect sitting posture.
  6. Pregnancy.
  7. Different types of posture disorders: kyphosis, scoliosis, lordosis.
  8. Spondyloarthrosis.
  9. Disc prolapse.

In order to start treatment and make it effective, an examination is required. Based on laboratory tests and instrumental techniques, a specialist can make an accurate diagnosis.

Diagnosis of pathology

The first thing you need to do is simply contact various specialists. Therefore, if your back hurts, regardless of whether the discomfort is dull or acute, you need to contact the following doctors: therapists, neurologists, cardiologists, orthopedists and traumatologists, as well as a pulmonologist. Consulting a surgeon is important. The test includes the following procedures:

  1. MRIorCT.
  2. If your back hurts under your shoulder blades, you should definitely do thisroentgen, which allows you to detect spinal diseases.
  3. Laboratory tests, which allows the inflammatory process to be detected.
  4. ECG.
Patient having pain in the shoulder blades during consultation with a doctor

Specialists will also conduct neurological tests. If your back hurts in the shoulder blade area after a night, the first thing you need to do is change the mattress. If the problem does not go away, there may be an illness.

Treatment of pathology

If your back begins to hurt after sleeping or moving, and coughing or shallow breathing only aggravates the situation, you definitely need to start treating the pathology that caused the discomfort. In addition, therapy should be comprehensive, for example:

  • In the event of an injury, the pain is relieved with painkillers. It is also necessary to limit mobility, which is provided by various bandages or orthopedic devices. In addition, physiotherapeutic procedures are used for treatment: electrophoresis with the use of drugs, ultrasound.
  • To solve neurological problems, consultation with an appropriate specialist is required. He will prescribe medication, massage and electrical stimulation.
  • If the back hurts due to osteomyelitis in the shoulder blade area, the patient needs to take antibacterial agents. To eliminate a purulent focus, surgery is often performed.
  • Tuberculosis requires specific treatment, which is carried out in special facilities.
  • If a patient is diagnosed with a malignant bone disease, it is unlikely that surgical intervention can be avoided.
  • If the shoulder blades hurt badly due to osteochondrosis, treatment should be comprehensive and comprehensive. To eliminate the source of inflammation, non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs are used. Manual therapy is considered useful. A good effect is achieved with the help of acupuncture and a needle applicator.
  • If a heart attack is suspected, the patient is urgently hospitalized. Here he receives complete rest and appropriate treatment with anticoagulants and fibrinolytic medications. Glucocorticosteroids are commonly used to relieve pain.

Disease prevention

In order for pain under the shoulder blades, the main causes of which have already been discussed, not to occur, preventive measures must be followed:

  • Give up a passive lifestyle and bad habits.
  • Perform exercises or physical therapy regularly after bedtime and throughout the day.
  • Regularly attend therapeutic or preventative massage classes.
  • Pay attention to your posture.
  • Strengthen the body's defenses.
  • Avoid nervous stress and strong emotional experiences.
  • Manage your working time correctly so that you have the opportunity to rest.
  • Buy an orthopedic mattress.
  • Sleep should last at least 8 and no more than 10 hours a day.
  • If a person has health problems, they need to be treated in the early stages.
  • A pregnant woman should wear a supportive corset or bandage to reduce stress on the spine.

Thanks to these preventive measures, you can prevent the occurrence of pain in the shoulder blades. However, if it is already present, you cannot delay a visit to the doctor.