Pain under the left shoulder blade is a common occurrence that can occur after sudden movement or due to an uncomfortable posture. They usually pass quickly and no longer bother you.
Constant discomfort under the shoulder blade can be a symptom of a serious illness that requires immediate treatment. In particular, do not underestimate this symptom if the pain radiates from the left to the sternum or the left arm becomes numb.
From the question of whether a person has turned to a specialist in a timely manner, based on their nature and location, an accurate diagnosis can be made, the direction of the examination, as well as the necessary treatment, can be selected in order to identify not only the disease itself, but also the causes of theirsOccurrence.
Causes of pain under the left shoulder blade
What does that mean? There are a sufficient number of reasons for left shoulder blade pain in adults, which can be related to both problems of the shoulder blade itself and diseases of the internal organs. Let's consider the most likely causes of this condition below.
Certain musculoskeletal disorders can be accompanied by a painful symptom in the area of the left shoulder blade. Most often it is expressed like this:
- Osteochondrosis of the thoracic or cervical spine.
- Intercostal neuralgia.
- Traumatic injury to the shoulder blade (compression injury to the suprascapular nerve).
- Broken rib.
- Sprengel Disease (Scapula alata) - Pterygoid shoulder blade.
- Myofascial Syndrome.
Cardiac diseases. That's not to say that it only hurts in the left shoulder blade area. The pain then goes into the left hand, then the collarbone, and then the lower abdomen. Depending on the clinical picture, patients experience a feeling of shortness of breath, a feeling of cardiac arrest or a narrowing of the throat. At this time, the chest appears constricted or oppressed by a sensation of heat. These are such diseases:
- Ischemic heart disease.
- Heart attack.
- Pericarditis.
- Angina pectoris (unstable, stable).
- Mitral valve prolapse.
- Less common aortic aneurysm.
Constant pain under the left shoulder blade can indicate diseases of the bronchopulmonary system. At the same time, painful sensations are always directed to the affected lungs, they have an average intensity and aching character, localized under the left shoulder blade at a point of pain. It can be:
- Pneumonia on the left side.
- Pleurisy (dry, left-sided).
- Tracheobronchitis with autonomic dysfunction.
- Acute bronchitis.
- Left lung abscess.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract:
- YABZH (gastric ulcer) - gastric ulcer.
- Duodenal ulcer - duodenal ulcer.
- Esophageal spasm.
- GERD is a gastroesophageal reflux disease.
- Rarely - exacerbation of pancreatitis.
Typical causes of pain under the left shoulder blade in prevalence are as follows:
- Cervical osteochondrosis, which most often manifests as unilateral pain on the underside of the occipital bone - the occiput. The pain is inherently painful, intensifies with active movements of the head and constantly radiates under the shoulder blade into the arm.
- Another disease, the typical symptom of which is pain under the left shoulder blade, is intercostal neuralgia. It is a common consequence of osteochondrosis and manifests itself as lumbago and severe pain in the form of a belt that radiates to the right or left, including under the shoulder blade.
- YABZH (stomach ulcer). The symptom is most often seasonal, depends on the nutritional factor and is characterized by paroxysmal, radiating pain.
Due to such a short anatomical overview, all causes of pain under the left shoulder blade can be divided into two large groups:
- Pain related to the pathology of internal organs (cardiovascular pathology, respiratory diseases, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and spleen).
- Pain related to musculoskeletal pathology and muscle pain, including neurogenic in nature.
To find out why it hurts under the left shoulder blade, you should undergo a comprehensive examination, which is prescribed by the attending physician on the basis of specific complaints and examination data. After all, pain in different diseases differ in type, intensity and provoking factors.
Angina pectoris
Another heart disease can manifest itself as acute pain under the left shoulder blade - this is angina pectoris. With her, the pain occurs mainly in the retrosternal area, then as if "spilled" onto the left side. Due to the nature of the manifestation, it is sharp and constricting, disappears at rest and after taking nitroglycerin. Validol helps the patient to a lesser extent.
In most cases, the disease is caused by arteriosclerosis of the coronary arteries. Angina attacks occur most often with physical and emotional stress, after sudden hypothermia or overheating of the body, alcohol consumption, and spicy and heavy food.
Osteochondrosis
The most common cause of pain under the left shoulder blade from behind is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, which is characterized by compression of the roots of the spinal nerves.
This ailment is characterized by a drawing, dull pain, often on one side just below the occiput. It can be permanent or it can manifest itself through lumbago, which always radiates under the shoulder blade on the affected side. A sharp increase in the symptom occurs when moving the head after a night's rest.
It is often the result of prolonged strain on the neck. In addition, patients note numbness in the hands, migraines, dizziness.
Pneumonia and pleurisy
In the case of pneumonia on the left side, moderate pain, accompanied by coughing with sputum and wheezing in the lungs, including in the area of the shoulder blade, is a nuisance. At the same time, temperature "candles" are often found.
Pleurisy (inflammation of the pleura) can be dry or purulent. Both types of this pathology are accompanied by severe pain when breathing, while the victim protects the affected side: breathing becomes shallower.
With purulent pleurisy, a puncture is required, followed by an analysis of the outflow and drainage of the pleural cavity.
Stomach ulcer
A stomach ulcer is a common condition that causes increasing pain under the left shoulder blade. The sensations gradually spread to the entire chest, nausea and vomiting appear. Severe back pain is observed after eating junk food: too salty, spicy and oily. Also noted:
- Pallor of the skin.
- nervous anxiety.
- cold sweat.
- Blood clots in the vomit (the main sign of an urgent need to see a home doctor).
A person cannot move normally when there is painful sensation. The aching pain increases with every perfect movement. A sharp pain can be a signal that an exacerbation has occurred and you need to call an ambulance.
Intercostal neuralgia
This pathology often occurs in patients with pain under the left shoulder blade. In this case, the pain extends to an intercostal space, is accompanied by numbness or tingling along the affected area, increases when it is tilted to the diseased side, that is, to the left. In some cases, rashes or redness may appear along the inflamed intercostal nerve.
trauma
The most common pain is caused by traumatic injuries to the shoulder blades from a direct impact on the shoulder blades or from a fall on the back. The pain syndrome is particularly intense in the first few hours after the injury.
In the future, it appears or intensifies with movement, edema and swelling develop. Trauma pain can also be caused by a fracture of the shoulder blade or ribs. It is therefore imperative to take an X-ray.
Heart attack
A heart attack is characterized by a sharp, stabbing pain under the left shoulder blade, which can also appear on the entire left side of the body (in the left hand, left side of the neck).
The cause of an acute attack of angina during a heart attack can be the most common emotional distress, which is why people with heart problems are advised not to be nervous.
Heart attack pain can vary in nature - cutting, squeezing, or squeezing. But there are also special cases in which pain can manifest itself in the most unexpected places and in the most unusual ways, for example in the peritoneal area.
Pericarditis
The disease is associated with inflammation of the serous membrane of the heart. With this disease, tachycardia often develops, hence the cause of pain in the left side of the back. The pain is sharp but subsides when the person is calm or leans forward.
This disease is dangerous in that adhesions can form and organs contract along with the contraction of the heart. In addition, calcium salts can be deposited in the pericardium, which leads to a thickening of the heart lining.
Psychosomatic illnesses
Pain under the left shoulder blade is often noted with psychological stress and psychosomatic illnesses. The reasons lie in stress and emotional upheavals that the body cannot cope with on its own and signals problems with the help of psychosomatic pain.
In addition to painful sensations in the rear shoulder blade area, the following symptoms can occur in psychosomatics:
- Warmth;
- Chest discomfort;
- Cramps in the throat;
- Lack of air.
diagnosis
To understand how to treat pain under the left shoulder blade in the back from behind, it is necessary to undergo a thorough examination to determine the exact cause of this symptom.
First of all, these are:
- Collect anamnesis. It is rather short, as pain under the left shoulder blade in the back is not considered a life-threatening pathology.
- Acquaintance of the doctor with a detailed description of the nature of the pain.
- Examination of the patient's back.
- Instrumental examination is carried out only if there is a suspicion of acute infection, oncology, trauma and severe neurological symptoms.
First of all, the doctor conducts a full diagnosis to rule out myocardial infarction, spinal oncology, and neurological disorders that require urgent treatment. And only then does he decide how to treat this patient.
Which doctor should I go to?
Depending on how pain sensations arise, what features they have and what they are associated with, you should choose a specialist to whom you can seek advice:
- Gastroenterologist - for pain related to meals, the presence of dyspepsia.
- Therapist or pulmonologist - for pain aggravated by breathing, accompanied by shortness of breath, cough, fever.
- Neurologist - for pain related to movement, stress.
- Traumatologist - when an injury is indicated that precedes the onset of pain.
- Cardiologist - with burning behind the sternum with radiation under the shoulder blade, in the tongue, left arm.
- Psychologist and psychiatrist - for pain, the causes of which have not been found on the basis of the results of a detailed examination, especially if there are other signs of psychosomatic disorders and neuroses.
Disease and pain are much easier and safer to prevent than to cure. Even if there are no health problems or complaints, you must regularly consult a doctor and undergo a medical examination. If the pain persists, you can not self-medicate, you need to immediately contact a specialist in the field. By eliminating pain with pain relievers and without extensive treatment, you contribute to the development of serious diseases of the heart, gastrointestinal tract or spine.