Back pain in the shoulder blades: causes, diagnosis, full description of the problem

Many people suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. They can be located in different areas for a variety of reasons. If a person has back pain in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulder blades, then this symptom should not be ignored.

However, here it is important to understand that a temporary pain that quickly passes and does not make itself felt anymore is not a cause for concern. On the contrary, anxiety is caused by systematic pain, regardless of its intensity and nature. Consider the causes and methods of diagnosing pain, let's talk about its nature and methods of getting rid of it.

The nature of pain

Pain is not a disease in its own right - it is just a symptom. The occurrence of back pain can be due to a variety of factors, ranging from pain after sleeping in an uncomfortable position to serious pathological processes in the body.

In order to understand why the back hurts between the shoulder blades, it is important to find out the cause of the pain. But first it is worth considering another important issue related to the nature of painful sensations, which will help determine the root cause of this symptom.

Depending on the type, doctors distinguish between the following pain levels:

• Acute- Different sudden onset, but always very intense. Regardless of whether the back hurts under, over or between the shoulder blades, the pain occurs spontaneously. At the same time, there is a certain feeling of "shooting through", a person can scream, twitch the whole body, bend sharply. Such a reflex reaction is caused not only by the suddenness and intensity of the painful sensation, we instinctively try to avoid unpleasant feelings.
• blunt- differs fundamentally from the previous paragraph. It develops gradually and haunts the patient for a long time. Dull pain is characterized by its monotony, it varies in intensity. In some cases, the painful feeling is so strong that it prevents a person not only from moving or performing any actions, but even from sleeping. Dull pains indicate problems with the muscles or depend on pathologies affecting the tendons or ligaments. It tends to increase with movement or physical exertion, it is localized on both sides (in the area of both shoulder blades).
• Spicy- not much different than strong, but still has certain characteristics. Sharp pains, as the name suggests, also appear suddenly, but vary in intensity. It can be a strong sudden lumbago that causes the reflex actions previously described. But in some cases, sharp pains are rather weak, although they bring a lot of discomfort. Often occurs when performing an action, lifting weights, making awkward movements, etc.
• piercing- It is rather not about the nature, but about the specifics of painful sensations that are manifested depending on a specific disease. Lancinating pains are spontaneous and undulating, cyclic. They often radiate, localized in the back under the shoulder blades, give, for example, the lower back at the level of the sacrum. Patients feel a high-intensity stabbing pain and say a knife or needle got stuck in a certain spot.
• pain- one of the types of pain of a dull nature. Such painful sensations are also characterized by persistence and duration. Aching pains are debilitating, they follow a person everywhere, regardless of his actions, even without movements and physical exertion. Localized between the shoulder blades in the spine, aching pains radiate to the chest area, patients feel that the heart hurts, although there are no cardiac pathologies. Cyclicity is also characteristic of aching pains, they are constantly present, but they have a habit of changing intensity.
• Draw- This type of pain is characteristic of bone, muscle and ligament structures. The specificity of the pain is associated with the name, patients feel that someone or something is pulling a muscle or bone at the site of localization of unpleasant sensations. Severe pulling pain brings a lot of discomfort, impeding movement and often radiating to nearby areas.
• Burning or searing pain- a rather rare type of pain, which is usually referred to as "burn back". Such sensations are characteristic of some forms and stages of osteochondrosis, they also bake the back with ischemic pathologies of the heart. In the second case, the pain radiating, manifested in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulder blades;
• strong or weak- This indicator is both the key and the most controversial for any doctor. If the back hurts badly, it brings maximum discomfort, exhausts the person, incapacitates him. Mild pain is easier to endure and doesn't make life as complicated, but in most cases it is the most protracted and difficult to treat. Subjective indicators of the intensity of painful sensations are, because each person has a different level of pain sensitivity, a different pain threshold. In such cases, it is better to pay attention to where it hurts, in the middle, closer to the left or right shoulder blade.

We must not forget that it is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis based only on the nature of the pain. In addition, the term "character" is also subjective, since every person has an individual threshold of sensitivity and even the same ailment can be accompanied by different symptoms.

In addition, pain in various pathological processes is often accompanied by other symptoms. Now we will consider what clinical signs may be present along with pain:

• back numb- a clinical sign indicating neurological disorders. It is often observed with intercostal neuralgia, osteochondrosis of the chest region, spondyloarthrosis.
• freezing back- Another symptom from a series of neurological combined with painful sensations. According to medical reference books, such a clinical sign is inherent in only two pathologies. In the first case, we are talking about a violation of the nerve roots of the spinal cord, in the second - the symptom is associated with an inflammatory disease, pyelonephritis.
• increase in body temperature- With inflammation of the internal organs, pain is sometimes accompanied by pain between the shoulder blades. Most of these symptoms indicate pneumonia or tuberculosis.
• In some cases, pain in the shoulder blade region is accompanied bynausea, but such a clinical sign usually occurs with very strong painful sensations.

In the vast majority of cases, pain between the shoulder blades indicates diseases of the spine. However, there is always a chance that painful sensations will radiate due to the development of other pathologies, for example, diseases of the internal organs, among which the most likely are pathologies of the heart and lungs.

Why does the back hurt in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulder blades

Even considering all the different manifestations of back pain in the shoulder blade area, it is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis based on this symptom alone. At the same time, it is necessary to find out the true cause of their occurrence in order to completely eliminate pain and not temporarily relieve it with painkillers.

In order to understand why back pain occurs in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulder blades, it is necessary to highlight the main causes of its occurrence:

• Mechanical damage to the spineespecially in the cervical or thoracic area. It's not just about recent injuries, including bruises, dislocations, sprains and fractures. Old injuries can be remembered years later or serve as the development of other pathologies in which the spine hurts between the shoulder blades.
• osteochondrosis- one of the most common causes of pain in different parts of the back. Of course, when it comes to pain in the shoulder blades, it means osteochondrosis of the cervical or chest region, that is, the upper back.
• postural disorder, that is, any pathology that can lead to curvature of the spine. First of all, scoliosis is implicated in its various manifestations, but curvature can appear even from banal flat feet. The most severe forms of curvature of the spine are kyphosis and kyphoscoliosis;
• disc prolapsein the thoracic spine also provokes the development of pain. At the same time, pain intensifies with movements, and the pathological process itself is dangerous, pinching nerves and adding neurological symptoms to the clinical picture.
• Periarthrosis of the shoulder or scapula joint- a disease of the musculoskeletal system, characterized by an inflammatory process in the periarticular tissues. The pathology is accompanied by acute pain symptoms in the area of \u200b\u200bthe scapula and upper limbs, and significantly impedes hand movements.
• intercostal neuralgia- The pathological process is caused by disorders of neurological origin, pinching of nerves in the area of \u200b\u200bthe ribs (chest). At the same time, the pain is belt-shaped and also touches the shoulder blades.

• Wandering or radiating pain in the shoulder blade area is often foundpathologies of the heartamong which ischemia and myocardial infarction are often distinguished. In such cases, the pain "radiates" from the heart to the back.
• pregnancy- Another cause of back pain, including between the shoulder blades. The appearance of painful sensations is explained by the growth of the fetus, in which the center of gravity shifts and the load on all parts of the spine increases. Usually, pain occurs closer to the third trimester, when the fetus reaches a large size.
• Pain can occurafter vaccinationunder the shoulder bladeThis area is very convenient for injections, and the fact that the vaccine is administered at the same time only aggravates the pain syndrome, which lasts 1-2 days.

It is difficult to identify all causes of pain between the shoulder blades, as there are many. This list contains only the most important ones. As for the less common causes, most are signs of other diseases. We are talking about diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, liver, kidneys, in each of these cases the pain radiates.

Also, we must not forget that there are pains associated with heavy physical exertion. They can be pathological or muscular, in the second case you just need to rest the muscles of the back, with pathological pain it is important to consult a doctor.

diagnosis

The doctor can accurately establish the causes of pain and make a diagnosis only on the basis of diagnostic data. For a variety of reasons, diagnostics includes many procedures, among which the following are most in demand:

• Initial examination and anamnesis- The doctor asks the patient about the localization, frequency, nature and intensity of painful sensations. An examination of the patient follows with palpation of the indicated painful areas and functional diagnostics, including hand movements, inclinations, etc.
• radiography- When a person suffers from pain in the spine below, above, or in the middle of the shoulder blades, the easiest way to identify the cause is with an x-ray. This method of examination allows you to determine the shape of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs, detect curvature, injuries, etc.
• CT scan- a modern and more informative diagnostic method that provides a more thorough picture in the presence of spinal pathologies.
• Magnetic resonance imaging- This method of examination is necessary in cases where X-ray and CT did not provide the necessary information. MRI can detect pathologies affecting the spinal cord and its branches.

If, when examining the spine, the causes of pain are not identified, then diagnostics of the pathologies of the cardiovascular system, organs of the gastrointestinal tract, etc. are required.

What to do if the back hurts between the shoulder blades

If a person feels a sharp pain in the spine between the shoulder blades for a long time, the painful sensations do not go away, or their intensity is so high that there is no strength to endure them, urgently consult a doctor.

Combating most pathological processes with such symptoms does not tolerate self-treatment, combating diseases is carried out only under the guidance of a specialist. In addition, it is important to understand that in most cases doctors resort to conservative methods of treatment.

The basis of treatment is drug therapy:

• The first task is to reduce the intensity of pain or completely stop pain in the back. For this, painkillers with an analgesic effect or antispasmodics are prescribed.
• The best treatment for various diseases of the musculoskeletal system are drugs from the group of NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). They are prescribed in the form of ointments, injections, tablets. Thanks to ointments, the analgesic effect is quickly achieved, in addition, these drugs have an anti-inflammatory effect, and also allow you to reduce the local temperature.
• With certain pathological processes, to cope with the cause of pain, group B drugs are prescribed in combination with NSAIDs, which help to normalize metabolic processes in tissues, improve nerve conduction, and are especially good with osteochondrosis-neuralgia.

If the back hurts under the shoulder blades, then in addition to drug treatment, physical therapy is required, which includes the following procedures:

• electrophoresis.
• laser therapy.
• magnetotherapy.
• Ultrasonic.

The decision on the allocation of the respective treatment method is made together with the doctor. The duration of therapy depends on the disease itself, the degree of its progression and other factors, but the entire course includes at least 10 procedures. Only then can significant improvements be observed.

In order to cope with the problem even more effectively and quickly, the complex of therapeutic measures is supplemented with a massage course. It must be performed by an experienced professional. This procedure helps with injuries to the shoulder blades and most diseases of the back. However, massage is recommended with positive dynamics of drug treatment and physiotherapy. The course of treatment normalizes blood circulation, speeds up metabolism, relieves pain, restores muscle tone and elasticity.

After that, massages are replaced by physiotherapeutic exercises, which allow you to consolidate the progress of recovery and prevent the further development of back diseases. The patient performs exercises that involve low physical exertion, the emphasis is on stretching and maintaining muscles. It is important to remember here that the intensity of the exercises will gradually increase, the patient should not feel any discomfort. A systematic approach is also very important, but if you experience renewed pain in the back below the shoulder blades, seek the advice of a physical therapist.

prevention

The back hurts under the shoulder blades or between them - this feeling is very uncomfortable, especially if it is associated with the development of a pathological process. To protect yourself from back disease and pain, follow these simple preventative recommendations:

• Always control physical activity, whether it is heavy sports or heavy physical labor at work. You can't lift too much weight and put undue strain on your back.
• When lifting heavy loads is unavoidable, do it right. Only lift weights with a straight back.
• Keep an active lifestyle and exercise to maintain back muscles. It makes the most sense to do exercises every day, go swimming and hang on the horizontal bar.
• While seated, try to keep your back straight, take a break every 1-2 hours, go for a walk, or warm up with a series of bends and squats.
• To prevent back pain, osteochondrosis and other diseases, sleep on a flat, hard surface. Buy an orthopedic mattress and pillow that conforms to the shape of your head and neck.

By following these simple rules, you can significantly reduce the chances of back problems and pain. But remember, if the pain appears, does not go away for more than a week, or becomes too intense, be sure to consult a doctor. Timely diagnosis and initiation of treatment can minimize damage to the body and defeat the disease more quickly.