People often complain that their back hurts in the shoulder blade area.Attributing this to overwork, work that involves sitting for a long time or moving heavy objects, they put off seeing a doctor.
However, any pain can signal the presence of serious spinal diseases that threaten the development of complications.
Main reasons
Pain in the spine in the region of the shoulder blades is explained by the fact that it is here that a large number of receptors are located that respond to any pathological changes.During the inflammatory process, the production of leukocytes increases, swelling forms, nerve endings are compressed, which causes pain.
When your back hurts in the lower back and shoulder blades, the possibility of a disease that requires a therapeutic course cannot be ruled out.Often the cause of severe pain is diseases that affect important organs such as the heart and lungs.
Exacerbation occurs under the influence of provoking factors - poor posture, excess weight, lack of physical activity.If your back hurts below your shoulder blades, this could be one of the symptoms of a stomach ulcer.
Most often, the root cause is illness, injury, or a person's psychological state.
You should not try to eliminate an unpleasant symptom on your own using various poultices and ointments.It is necessary to identify the reasons for back pain in the shoulder blade area, for this you will need to consult a doctor and undergo an examination.
Scapula injuries
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 associated with rib fractures, so it is not always possible to make a diagnosis in time.
In this case, the victim feels severe pain in the area of the shoulder blades, sometimes bleeding and the development of hemarthrosis in the shoulders are possible.Damage can be caused by a fall, traffic accident or impact.
If your back hurts under the shoulder blades or above, redness and swelling appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.This could also be an inflammation of the synovial bursa, which is often accompanied by a crushing and heaviness sensation.
Dislocation, or more precisely the displacement of the humerus and scapula in relation to each other, is another reason why the back can hurt in the shoulder blade area.The injury occurs when there is a strong pull on the arm or when there is a blow.A dislocated scapula does not allow active movement of the upper limb.
When palpated, intense pain is felt.Visually, the asymmetry of the shoulder blades is clearly visible;one of them has a noticeable protrusion on the axillary border.
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 your back hurts below your shoulder blades, it could be a sign of a lumbar intervertebral hernia.In thoracic hernia, several symptoms are observed.
The most common of them:
- pain between the shoulder blades, which intensifies markedly when coughing or doing physical activity.Its nature may be different - it may be a dull or sharp pain in the back.
- Paresthesia.
- Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing.
- Muscle weakness, problems lifting your arms.
The intensity of symptoms depends on the size of the hernia and the stage of the disease.
Osteomyelitis
Severe pain between the shoulder blades can be a sign of osteomyelitis.This is the name for a purulent infection that affects bone tissue.
This disease is generally very difficult.The tissue located over the bone is quite thin, so symptoms at the site of the injury appear immediately.The main sign of pathology is the presence of a purulent wound, swelling of soft tissues with hyperemia.The person complains that his back hurts in the shoulder blade area, sometimes chills are added, the body temperature rises and the pulse quickens.
There are several varieties of this pathology.Osteomyelitis that occurs when bacteria enter bone tissue through the blood is called hematogenous.Its acute form is most frequently found in children and adolescents.
Microorganisms that penetrate the environment cause exogenous osteomyelitis.The cause of this is injury, trauma or open fracture.When a purulent lesion passes from the soft tissues to the bones, it is referred to as a contact form of the disease.
Scoliosis
One of the most common reasons why back pain occurs in the shoulder blade area is scoliosis of the thoracic segment of the spine.Considering that this section is connected to the ribs, deformation of the chest is observed.
In addition to the main symptom, when the back hurts below the shoulder blades and above the lower back, increased fatigue and different levels of the shoulders should be highlighted.
Diagnosis is made only by radiography.When the stage is advanced, the back in the spinal region hurts almost constantly.
Osteochondrosis
Back pain in the shoulder blade area 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 and tuberculosis.
An experienced neurologist determines osteochondrosis based on several combined features.The location of the pain syndrome depends on which part of the nerve endings is compressed.Therefore, a distinction is made between left-sided and right-sided pathology.
If your back hurts in the shoulder blade area, you should definitely get checked out to start treatment early.This ensures a 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, congenital defects and excessive overload.
The suspected pathology is caused by pain in the back, below the shoulder blades, which appears for no apparent reason, especially when the weather changes or during movement.The advanced stage is determined by a characteristic crunching sound.
Subphrenic abscess
This is the name of a rare but serious complication following inflammation affecting the abdominal cavity.The main symptoms are a burning sensation in the back, especially in the shoulder blade region, shortness of breath, hyperthermia and cough.
In addition to back pain being located below the shoulder blades, it can also spread to the right hypochondrium.
Diseases of internal organs
If your back hurts a lot in the shoulder blade area, this may raise suspicions of existing diseases in the heart, bronchopulmonary system or gastrointestinal tract.
Therefore, such symptoms cannot be ignored.It is necessary to immediately pay attention to annoying pains, especially chest pains, which hide coronary heart disease and other equally serious diseases of internal organs.It is important to make a timely diagnosis and begin treatment.
Intercostal neuralgia
The cause of the phenomenon when there is a burning sensation in the shoulder blade area, a feeling that the back is on fire, is often intercostal neuralgia.
Unpleasant symptoms occur due to the fact that pathological changes affecting the spine cause compression of the intercostal nerves.
The painful sensations of neuralgia occur at the level of the shoulder blades and have variable intensity.They can get worse when you cough or take a deep breath.
Psychological problems
Back pain under the shoulder blades usually occurs due to psychological reasons.The patient feels compression and tingling and experiences a feeling of inexplicable anxiety and fear.The pain may radiate to the right arm and neck.
Diagnosis
Often, back pain, under the shoulder blade, 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 consult a doctor and undergo an examination.When the disease is detected early 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.Considering that it can often occur during a heart attack, postponing a doctor's appointment is extremely risky.
Treatment
What to do if your back hurts in the shoulder blade area?Do not forget that the cause of this symptom can be a variety of pathologies.Therefore, treatment should only be prescribed by a doctor and carried out under his supervision.
The traumatic and joint origin of pain requires specific clinical therapy, which includes:
- Anti-inflammatory medications.Painful sensations are effectively relieved with corticosteroid and non-steroidal medications.They can be used externally, applying ointments recommended by the doctor to the shoulder blade area, or by injection.The combination of these methods allows you to obtain the best results.
- Chondroprotectors.They are used to treat the scapular region of the back when the pain is caused by a hernia or intervertebral protrusion.Preparations containing mucopolysaccharides, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate help to improve the nutrition of cartilage tissue and increase its elasticity.
- Physiotherapy.When joint tissue is damaged, physiotherapeutic procedures show good results.The most popular is the shock wave technique, in which infrasound affects the body's tissues..It is able to destroy bone growth, improve blood flow, which leads to increased cartilage nutrition, reduces muscle tone and eliminates pain in the shoulder blades.In addition, electrophoresis, massage, paraffin baths and manual therapy are widely used.
If a vertebrogenic cause of pain is established, warm compresses with a solution of dimethyl sulfoxide, 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 scapular pain, but they only perform 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 cartilaginous tissue leads to degeneration of intervertebral discs.
- Maintain correct posture.Irregular load on 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 and gymnastics are useful.
We must not forget about regular medical examinations, thanks to which the development of any pathology can be detected at a very early stage.