If a person experiences back pain in the shoulder blade area, he automatically associates this with spinal conditions. They were partly right: this long-suffering core of our skeleton bears a heavy burden, which cannot but affect its condition.
But often this pain in the back area indicates a disturbance in the internal organs. The nature of the pain corresponds to the disease, so at an appointment with a doctor it is important to describe its manifestations in as much detail as possible.
What causes shoulder pain?
Pathological changes in:
- spine;
- internal organ;
- surrounding structure.
Pain in the scapula area and with some rare diseases:
- Spinal fractures and their systemic lesions;
- Metastases in the spine in cancer of the stomach, and sometimes other organs.
Pain according to the type of localized disease:
- Above the shoulder blades;
- Under the shoulder blades;
- Between the shoulder blades;
- On the shoulder blade.
Symptoms associated with pathology of internal organs
The stomach, lungs, liver and heart can project their pain under the shoulder blades - right or left.
If you feel pain on your left side, this may be a sign:
- Peptic ulcer of the stomach: pain is periodic, associated with seasonal exacerbations. They are accompanied by pain in the upper abdomen. During an increase in pain, vomiting occurs;
- Myocardial infarction: the disease is accompanied by acute retrosternal pain, extending under the left shoulder blade. Cardiac ischemia has similar signs, but in this case, the sensation of pain also occurs in the left hand;
- Stomach ulcer breakthrough: the patient's body is covered in cold sweat, he may feel nauseous to the point of vomiting. The patient tries to relieve the suffering by changing positions, but this does not have the desired effect;
- Intercostal neuralgia: pain under the left shoulder blade comes in attacks, exacerbated by the slightest physical exertion. It tickles and burns in the heart area. It hurts to cough and take deep breaths.
You may feel pain under your right shoulder blade when:
- Psychological failure in the body. At the same time, the patient feels heat in the chest, he may complain of tightness and tingling in the heart muscle;
- Pathological changes in the gallbladder: additional symptoms - bitterness in the mouth after fatty, salty and fried foods, pain in the right hypochondrium;
- Pleurisy and pneumonia: pain under the right shoulder blade is reflected when coughing;
- Kidney disease: in this case, coughing also causes increased pain, but, unlike lung disease, the patient has difficulty urinating.
Pain associated with spinal pathology
Spinal problems can occur after an injury, fracture or bruise. But there are also diseases that do not have a clear cause. And all of them are manifested by pain in the scapula area.
With any pathology of the spine, pain between the shoulder blades should be combined:
- stiffness;
- Goosebumps;
- numb.
Interscapular pain when coughing is typical for heavy smokers.
Osteochondrosis
If the nutrition of tissues is disturbed, dystrophic changes occur in them. In the spine, this process affects the intervertebral discs. They could no longer withstand the pressure exerted on them by the spine. Loss of disc elasticity causes spinal compression. The nerve endings of the spinal cord come under pressure - this is where severe pain occurs.
The body tries to protect the spine from heavy loads by growing bone tissue along the edges of the vertebral processes. Bone growths are called osteophytes. They can be removed, but against the background of osteochondrosis, they will grow again.
Pain in osteochondrosis is localized at the site of damage to the spine. If the cervical region is affected, the patient experiences pain in the morning on the right side of the neck. The pain radiates to the shoulder and arm, felt over the shoulder blade. The head may feel dizzy, the torment is aggravated by deep breathing and coughing.
Osteochondrosis in the thoracic region manifests itself as pain between the shoulder blades - on the right and left of the spine. Pain may be made worse by sneezing, coughing, and sudden movements. When you try to straighten your shoulders, your chest and interscapular zone begin to crackle.
It becomes difficult for a person to breathe from the chest, as the mobility of the ribs decreases, and he subconsciously switches to breathing with his stomach.
Treat osteochondrosis by conservative methods. Patients prescribed:
- Painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs;
- Physiotherapy procedures;
- therapeutic gymnastics;
- Reflexology;
- Massage;
- spinal traction;
- Manual therapy.
If none of the methods of treatment don't work, the surgeon gets to work.
Spondylarthrosis
Symptoms of this disease are similar to those of osteochondrosis. But in this case, the intervertebral disc is displaced, not exhausted. Hyaline cartilage is forced to accept the load. Under such extreme conditions, the tissue becomes thinner and loses its ability to perform its function.
If spondylarthrosis is not treated, the entire joint can become inflamed, and then lose mobility completely. The patient's condition was aggravated by osteophytes.
Scoliosis
Curvature of the spine relative to its axis to the right or left is common - almost half of humanity is affected by this disease. But for the most part, the disease is not pronounced, and therefore the pain appears periodically - if a person overexerts his back, or stands or sits in one position for a long time.
Early scoliosis cannot be determined visually, therefore, if pain occurs in the scapula area, the patient should consult a doctor. He will prescribe x-rays - direct and lateral.
With further development of scoliosis, scoliosis can be detected independently: "zigzags" of the spine become apparent. Running scoliosis is also determined by the relative position of the shoulders - one of them will be lower than the other.
Scoliosis treatment is a long term affair even with high intensity. Massage, special exercises, and wearing a corset will help to get rid of the curvature of the spine.
Intervertebral hernia
The intervertebral disc consists of:
- gelatin core;
- Fibrous rings, consisting of fibers;
- Two thin layers of cartilage that cover the disc above and below.
The nucleus is located in the ring, and the cartilaginous tissue, covering the structure, simultaneously serves as a conductor of nutrients from the vessels of the vertebral body to the disc.
Pathological changes in the vertebrae cause disruption of metabolic processes in the intervertebral disc. Its thickness decreases, the fibrous ring cracks under the influence of loads, opening the way to the outer gelatinous mass of the nucleus. This process is accompanied by severe pain. It is concentrated at one point, but occasionally returns to the pulmonary and cardiac regions.
Intervertebral hernias in the thoracic region are extremely rare, therefore, when pain appears in the scapula region, the patient is first examined for other diseases.
Intervertebral hernias are treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy, and special exercises. In severe conditions, only surgery can help.
Tuberculosis of the spine
Mycobacteria tuberculosis can affect any part of the spine, but 60% of cases occur in the thoracic region. Most often men suffer from this disease. Basically, several vertebrae are involved in the process, but there are cases when tuberculosis spreads to three or more.
Symptoms of the disease may vary depending on the amount of spine affected. But there is one constant symptom - it is pain. If it is felt between the shoulder blades, this indicates a lesion of the cervical vertebrae.
Also pain with tuberculosis in the thoracic region, but in this case the pain will radiate (spread) to the chest, groin or abdomen. The patient complains of burning, twisting, "drilling" in the back.
Tuberculosis of the spine is difficult to diagnose, severe pain already appears at the stage of emergence of various complications. If you have the slightest suspicion of this disease, immediately go to a specialist for examination.
Overvoltage and hypothermia
If the back is overloaded, painful sensations may also appear in the scapula area. By itself, this phenomenon is not considered a disease, but constant overload can lead to osteochondrosis, curvature of the spine, and the formation of an intervertebral hernia.
Tailors, drivers, surgeons, sedentary people, etc. complain about back pain. If hypothermia (draft, working AC) is added to the overvoltage, then back pain can be taught - severe pain is concentrated under the shoulder blades, or in the spine.
This problem is treated with warming ointments, anti-inflammatory drugs and massage.
myositis
Influenza, SARS, severe hypothermia can cause myositis - inflammation of muscle tissue. Most often, the disease affects the muscles located in the scapula region. This condition does not threaten the body with anything terrible, but the painful pain creates discomfort.
Pain in the shoulder blade
Pain occurs for several reasons:
- Fracture or injury from a fall. Swollen shoulder joint, pain to move limbs;
- Osteomyelitis (inflammation of bone tissue): accompanied by fever, fever due to poisoning of the whole organism;
- Pterygoid scapula: this effect is caused by damage to the anterior dentate (located on the side of the chest), rhomboid paralysis, trapezius muscle or its traumatic rupture (inflicted by circus acrobats and gymnasts, professional athletes).
If the synovial bag becomes inflamed, the shoulder blades begin to crackle. In addition to these problems, patients worry about weight and clicks in the shoulder joint.
Diagnostic
Since pain in the scapula zone of the back portends one of many diseases, the examination is carried out according to different methods:
- chest x-ray;
- laboratory research;
- ultrasound;
- Magnetic resistance or computed tomography;
- ECG.
All examinations are determined by the surgeon - if your back hurts, first go to him. But going forward, based on the results of the research, he will need advice:
- Orthopedist;
- Gastroenterologist;
- Neurologist;
- Pulmonologist.
If for any reason the doctor does not notice the accompanying symptoms, go for a consultation on your own initiative.
Treatment
Self-medication for pain in the scapula area is a categorical contraindication. The maximum that the patient can afford is to take painkillers and analgesics. Admission should be single and only if it is necessary to stop the pain syndrome before visiting a doctor.
Treatment is prescribed by a doctor: usually, to relieve the condition, it is enough to take analgesics, chondroprotectors, anti-inflammatory drugs. In addition, the doctor prescribes a treatment regimen designed to eliminate the root cause of pain in the scapula area.