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 postpone a visit to the doctor.
However, any pain can signal the presence of serious diseases of the spine 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 there are a large number of receptors that respond to any pathological changes.During the inflammatory process, leukocyte production increases, swelling occurs, 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 are diseases affecting such important organs as the heart and lungs.
Exacerbation occurs under the influence of provoking factors - bad 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 a person's illness, injury, or psychological condition.
You should not try to eliminate the unpleasant symptom yourself, 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 visit a doctor and undergo an examination.
Injuries of the scapula
This bone is located on the side of the spine, is protected by many muscles and is damaged in very rare cases.His injury is often combined with rib fractures, so it is not always possible to make a diagnosis in time.
In this case, the victim experiences severe pain in the area of the shoulder blades, sometimes bleeding and the development of shoulder hemarthrosis are possible.The injury can be caused by a fall, a traffic accident or a blow.
If your back hurts below the shoulder blades or above them, there is redness and swelling, you should immediately go to the doctor.It can also be inflammation of the synovial bursa, which is often accompanied by a crunch and a feeling of heaviness.
Misalignment, or more precisely displacement of the humerus and shoulder blade relative to each other, is another reason why the back can hurt in the area of the shoulder blades.The injury is caused by a strong pull on the arm or a blow.A dislocated scapula does not allow active movements of the upper limb.
On palpation, severe pain is felt.Visually, the asymmetry of the shoulder blades is clearly visible;one of them has a noticeable bulge on the axillary margin.
Intervertebral hernia
This is the name of a degenerative disease accompanied by deformation and destruction of the fibrous ring.Every part of the spine is susceptible to pathology.
If your back hurts below the shoulder blades, it could 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 increases with coughing or physical activity.Its character can be different - it can be dull or sharp pain in the back.
- Paresthesia.
- Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing.
- Muscle weakness, trouble raising arms.
The intensity of the symptoms depends on the size of the hernia and the stage of the disease.
Osteomyelitis
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 above 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 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 to this, the body temperature rises and the pulse accelerates.
There are several varieties of this pathology.Osteomyelitis, which occurs when bacteria penetrate the 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 reason for this is injury, trauma or an open fracture.When the purulent lesion moves from the soft tissues to the bones, they speak of a contact form of the disease.
Scoliosis
One of the most common causes of back pain in the area of the shoulder blades is scoliosis of the thoracic segment of the spine.Given that this area is connected to the ribs, a deformation of the chest is observed.
In addition to the main symptom, when the back hurts under the shoulder blades and above the lower back, increased fatigue and different levels of the shoulders should be emphasized.
The diagnosis is made only by radiography.In an advanced stage, the back hurts almost constantly in the spinal region.
Osteochondrosis
Back pain in the area of the shoulder blades is the main symptom of osteochondrosis, when the upper part of the spine is subjected 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 pressed.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 yourself examined to start treatment at an early stage.This ensures 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 due to injuries, birth defects and overuse.
Suspicion of pathology is caused by pain in the back under the shoulder blades, which appears for no apparent reason, especially when the weather changes or when moving.The advanced stage is determined by a characteristic crunching sound.
Subdiaphragmatic abscess
This is the name given to 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 the pain in the spine is localized under the shoulder blades, it can also spread to the right hypochondrium.
Diseases of internal organs
If your back hurts a lot in the area of the shoulder blades, this may cause 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 unpleasant pain, especially chest pain, which hides coronary heart 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 the shoulder blades, a feeling as if the back is on fire, is often intercostal neuralgia.
Unpleasant symptoms arise due to the fact that pathological changes affecting the spine cause compression of the intercostal nerves.
Painful sensations from neuralgia appear at the level of the shoulder blades and have different intensity.They can get worse when you cough or take a deep breath.
Psychological problems
Back pain below the shoulder blades is often due to psychological reasons.The patient feels compression and numbness, feels a sense of anxiety and inexplicable fear.The pain may radiate to the right arm and neck.
Diagnosis
Often back pain under the scapula 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 in time 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 the pain.Given that it can often happen 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?Remember that the cause of such a symptom can be various pathologies.Therefore, treatment should only be prescribed by a doctor and carried out under his control.
The traumatic and articular origin of pain requires specific clinical therapy, which includes:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs.Pain sensations are effectively relieved with the help of corticosteroids and non-steroidal drugs.They can be used externally by applying doctor-recommended ointments to 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 the pain is caused by an intervertebral hernia or protrusion.Preparations containing mucopolysaccharides, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate will help improve the nutrition of cartilage tissue and increase its elasticity.
- Physiotherapy.Physiotherapy procedures show good results for joint tissue damage.The most popular is the shock wave technique, in which infrasound affects the tissues of the body..It is able to destroy bone growths, improve blood flow, which leads to increased cartilage nutrition, reduce muscle tone and eliminate pain in the shoulder blades.In addition, electrophoresis, massage, paraffin baths and manual therapy are widely used.
If a vertebrogenic cause of pain is found, warming compresses with a solution of dimethylsulfoxide, 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 pain in the scapula, but they perform only 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.Deficiency of microelements necessary for cartilage tissue leads to 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.Walks in the fresh air, sports games, gymnastics 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.