People often complain of back pain in the area of the shoulder blades. They postpone visits to the doctor because they are overworked, sitting for long periods of time, or moving heavy objects.
However, any pain can indicate the presence of serious diseases of the spine, threatening the development of complications.
The main reasons
Pain in the spine in the region of the shoulder blades is explained by the presence of a large number of receptors that respond to any pathological change. With the inflammatory process, the production of leukocytes increases, edema occurs, nerve endings are constricted, which causes pain.
When there is pain in the lumbar region, shoulder blades, the possibility of a disease that requires a therapeutic course is not ruled out. Diseases that affect vital organs, such as the heart and lungs, often cause severe pain.
Exacerbation occurs under the influence of provocative factors - posture disorders, overweight, lack of physical activity. If the back hurts under the shoulder blades, it may be one of the symptoms of a stomach ulcer.
Often the root cause is illness, injury, a person's psychological condition.
Do not try to eliminate the unpleasant symptom yourself by using various ointments and ointments. It is necessary to determine the causes of back pain in the area of the shoulder blades, to do this you need to see a doctor and undergo an examination.
Scapular injuries
This bone is located on the side of the spine, is protected by many muscles, and is very rarely damaged. His injury is often associated with a fracture of the ribs, so it is not always possible to diagnose in time.
In this condition, the victim feels severe pain in the area of the shoulder blades, sometimes bleeding and the development of shoulder hemarthrosis is possible.The cause of the damage is a fall, an accident, a blow.
If there is pain, redness and swelling under or above the back shoulder blades, you should see a doctor immediately. This can be an inflammation of the synovial sac, often accompanied by a crisis, a feeling of heaviness.
Dislocation, or rather the displacement of the humerus and scapula relative to each other, is another reason that can cause pain in the shoulder blades of the back. Injury occurs with a strong blow to the arm during the blow. Scapular dislocation prevents active movement of the upper extremities.
Severe pain is felt on palpation. Visually, the asymmetry of the shoulder blades is clearly visible, one of them has a prominent 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 the back hurts under the shoulder blades, it may be a sign of an intervertebral hernia. Chest hernia causes various symptoms.
The most common of them:
- cough or pain between the shoulder blades that increases sharply with physical force. Its nature is different - there can be both dull and sharp pain in the back.
- Paresthesia.
- Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing.
- Muscle weakness, problems with lifting arms.
The intensity of symptoms depends on the size of the hernia and the stage of the disease.
Osteomyelitis
Painful pain between the shoulder blades may be a sign of osteomyelitis. This is the name of a purulent infection that affects the bone tissue.
The disease is usually very severe. The tissues above the bone are quite thin, so the symptoms at the site of the lesion are immediately visible. The main symptom of the pathology is a purulent wound, hyperemia and soft tissue edema. A person complains of pain in the back of the shoulder blades, sometimes accompanied by tremors, fever and rapid heartbeat.
There are several types of this pathology. Osteomyelitis, which occurs when bacteria enter the bone tissue through the blood, is called hematogenous. Its acute form is most common in children and adolescents.
Microorganisms that penetrate the environment cause exogenous osteomyelitis. This is due to a wound, trauma or open fracture. When a purulent lesion spreads from the soft tissues to the bone, they talk about the contact form of the disease.
Scoliosis
One of the most common causes of back pain in the shoulder blades is scoliosis of the thoracic segment of the spine. Given that this section is associated with the ribs, there is a deformation of the thorax.
In addition to the main symptom, when there is pain under the back shoulder blades and above the waist, increased fatigue, it is necessary to emphasize the different levels of the shoulders.
Diagnosis is made only by radiography. When running the stage, there is almost constant pain in the lower back.
Osteochondrosis
Low back pain in the shoulder blades is a major symptom of osteochondrosis when the upper part of the spine is exposed to degenerative processes. The disease is often confused with pneumonia and tuberculosis.
An experienced neurologist diagnoses osteochondrosis with several cumulative symptoms. The localization of the pain syndrome depends on the area where the nerve endings are compressed. Therefore, a distinction is made between left and right side pathology.
If you have back pain in the shoulder blades, you must be examined to begin treatment at an early stage. This guarantees faster recovery.
Spondylarthrosis
It is the name of a polyetiological disease that often occurs in combination with osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia and spondylosis. Spondyloarthritis is an arthrosis that affects the intervertebral joints and develops as a result of injuries, birth defects, and overuse.
A pathological suspicion causes unexplained pain in the back under the shoulder blades for no apparent reason, especially when the weather changes, when moving. The advanced stage is defined by a characteristic crisis.
Subdiaphragmatic abscess
This is the name of a rare but serious complication after inflammation that affects 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 localization of pain in the spine under the shoulder blades, it can also spread to the right hypochondrium.
Diseases of the internal organs
If there is too much pain in the area of the back shoulder blades, it may cast doubt on existing diseases of the heart, bronchopulmonary system and gastrointestinal tract.
Therefore, these symptoms should not be ignored.. Immediate attention should be paid to traction pain, especially chest pain, which hides cardiovascular disease and other equally serious diseases of the internal organs. It is important to diagnose and start treatment in time.
Intercostal neuralgia
The cause of the phenomenon is a burning sensation in the back when burning in the shoulder blades, often intercostal neuralgia.
Unpleasant symptoms are caused by pathological changes affecting the spine that cause compression of the intercostal nerves.
Pain in neuralgia occurs at the level of the shoulder blades and has different intensities. It may get worse when you cough or take deep breaths.
Psychological problems
Low back pain under the shoulder blades often occurs for psychological reasons. The patient feels tightness and tingling, a feeling of anxiety and inexplicable fear. The pain can spread to the right arm and neck.
Diagnostics
Often, back pain under the shoulder blade is the result of professional activity. Drivers, drivers, seamstresses, athletes, designers are people whose work is associated with the daily tension of the back muscles.
When the first symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor and undergo an examination.Many serious complications can be prevented if the disease is detected early and treatment is started in time.
If you have back pain in the shoulder blades, your doctor will prescribe modern diagnostic methods, including x-rays, computed tomography, and ultrasound.
It is almost impossible to determine the exact cause of pain yourself. Delaying a visit to the doctor is extremely risky, given that it can often occur with a heart attack.
Treatment
What to do if your back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades? Keep in mind that there may be various pathologies that cause such a symptom. Therefore, treatment should be prescribed only by a doctor and carried out under his supervision.
The traumatic and articular origin of pain requires special clinical therapy, which includes:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs. Painful sensations are effectively relieved with the help of corticosteroids, non-steroidal agents. They can be used externally by applying ointments recommended by a doctor to the shoulder blades or by injection. The combination of these methods allows you to get the best results.
- Chondroprotectors. It is used to treat the scapular region of the back when the pain is caused by an intervertebral hernia. Preparations containing mucopolysaccharides, glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate will help to improve the nutrition of cartilage tissue and increase its elasticity.
- Physiotherapy. Physiotherapy procedures with articular tissue damage show good results.The most popular shock wave technique in which the infrastructure affects the tissues of the body. It is able to destroy bone growth and improve blood flow, which leads to increased nutrition of cartilage, reduces muscle tone and relieves pain in the shoulder blades. In addition, electrophoresis, massage, paraffin applications, hand therapy are widely used.
If the vertebrogenic cause of the pain is identified, warming compresses using a solution of dimethyl sulfoxide, turpentine, and alcohol will be effective. By improving blood circulation, muscle spasms are eliminated and pain is reduced.
Folk remedies for scapular pain can also be used, but they only perform an auxiliary function.
Prevention
It will help to follow certain rules to prevent an unpleasant symptom such as back pain in the shoulder blades.
To do this, you need:
- Eat right. Lack of micronutrients necessary for cartilage tissue leads to degeneration of intervertebral discs.
- Maintain your posture. Uneven loading of the spine is one of the first causes of pain.
- Take more action. It helps to prevent excessive muscle tone and normalize blood circulation. Useful walks in the fresh air, sports games, gymnastics.
We must not forget that regular medical examinations allow to detect the development of any pathology at a very early stage.