Pain under the left shoulder blade is a common occurrence that can occur after sudden movement or because of an uncomfortable body position. They usually pass quickly and don't bother anymore.
Constant discomfort under the scapula can be a symptom of a serious illness that requires immediate treatment. In particular, don't underestimate this symptom if the pain radiates from the left to the sternum or if the left arm becomes numb.
Since if a person has resorted to a specialist in time for help, considering its nature and location, an accurate diagnosis can be made, the direction of examinations can be chosen, as well as the necessary treatment can be selected in order to eliminate not only the disease itself, but also the causes of its occurrence.
Causes of pain under the left shoulder blade
What does that mean? The reasons for pain under the left scapula in adults are sufficient and may be associated with problems with the scapula itself and diseases of Organs internal organs. We will consider the most likely causes of this condition below.
Certain diseases of the musculoskeletal system may be accompanied by a painful symptom in the left shoulder blade area. Most of the time, it manifests itself like this:
- Osteochondrosis of the thoracic or cervical spine.
- Intercostal neuralgia.
- Traumatic injury to the scapula (suprascapular nerve compression injury).
- Rib fracture.
- Sprengel's disease (scapula alata) - pterygoid scapula.
- Myofascial syndrome.
Cardiac diseases. This is not to say that it only hurts in the left shoulder blade region. The pain then moves to the left hand, goes to the collarbone, and moves down to the lower abdomen. Depending on the disease, patients experience a feeling of shortness of breath, a feeling of cardiac arrest, or a constricted throat. At that moment, the chest seems to them contracted or filled with a feeling of heat. These are the diseases:
- Ischemic heart disease.
- Myocardial infarction.
- Pericarditis.
- Angina pectoris (unstable, stable).
- Mitral valve prolapse.
- Less commonly, aortic aneurysm.
Constant pain under the left shoulder blade may indicate diseases of the bronchopulmonary system. At the same time, the painful sensations are always directed to the affected lung, have a medium intensity and painful character, located under the left shoulder blade at a point of pain. This can be:
- Left-sided pneumonia.
- Pleurisy (dry, on the left side).
- Tracheobronchitis with autonomic dysfunction.
- Acute bronchitis.
- Left lung abscess.
Gastrointestinal tract diseases:
- YABZH (Ulcus gastrica) - gastric ulcer.
- Ulcus duodeni - duodenal ulcer.
- Esophageal spasm.
- GERD is a gasoesophageal reflux disease.
- Rarely - exacerbation of pancreatitis.
Typical causes of prevalence of pain under the left shoulder blade are as follows:
- Cervical osteochondrosis, which most often manifests as unilateral pain in the lower part of the os occipitale - the occipital bone. The pain is painful in nature, intensifies with active movements of the head, and constantly radiates from under the scapula to the arm.
- Another disease, whose typical symptom is pain under the left shoulder blade, is intercostal neuralgia. It is a frequent consequence of osteochondrosis and manifests as low back pain and intense belt-like pain, radiating to the right or left, including under the scapula.
- YABZH (gastric ulcer). The symptom is most often due to seasonality, depends on the nutritional factor and is characterized by paroxysmal pain with irradiation.
Based on this brief anatomical overview, all causes of pain under the left shoulder blade can be divided into two broad groups:
- Pain associated with internal organ pathology (cardiovascular pathology, respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal tract and spleen diseases).
- Pain associated with pathology of the musculoskeletal system and muscle pain, including neurogenic pain.
To find out why it hurts under the left shoulder blade, you should have a comprehensive exam, which, based on specific complaints and test data, will be prescribed by the treating physician. After all, pain in different diseases will have different nature, intensity and triggering factors.
Angina pectoris
Another heart disease can manifest as sharp pain under the left shoulder blade - this is angina pectoris. With it, the pain occurs mainly in the retrosternal region, then, as if it "spills" to the left side. Due to the nature of the manifestation, they are acute and constrictive, disappearing at rest and after ingestion of nitroglycerin. To a lesser degree, validol helps patients.
In most cases, the disease is caused by atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries. Angina attacks most often occur during physical and emotional stress, after sudden hypothermia or overheating of the body, ingestion of alcohol, as well as spicy and heavy foods.
osteochondrosis
The most common cause of pain under the left scapula behind the back is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, which is characterized by compression of the spinal nerve roots.
This disease is characterized by dull, crushing pain, usually unilateral just below the occipital region. It can be permanent and manifest as low back pain, which always radiates under the scapula on the affected side. A marked increase in the symptom occurs with head movements after a night's sleep.
It is often the result of prolonged stress on the neck. In addition, patients notice numbness in the hands, migraines, dizziness.
Pneumonia and pleurisy
In left-sided pneumonia (pneumonia), moderate pain, accompanied by coughing up sputum and wheezing in the lungs, also bothers the scapula area. At the same time, temperature "candles" are often observed.
Pleurisy (inflammation of the pleura) can be dry or purulent. Both types of this pathology are accompanied by severe pain when breathing, while the person protects the affected side: breathing becomes shallower.
In purulent pleurisy, a puncture is necessary, followed by analysis of secretion and drainage from 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 throughout the chest, nausea and vomiting appear. Back pain is seen after eating junk food: very salty, peppery and oily. Also noted:
- paleness of the skin.
- nervous fear state.
- cold sweat.
- blood clots in vomiting (the main sign of an urgent need to call a doctor at home).
A person cannot move normally when painful sensations arise. Sharp pain increases with any perfect movement. Sharp pain may be a sign that an exacerbation has occurred and that you need to call an ambulance.
intercostal neuralgia
This pathology usually occurs in patients with complaints of pain under the left shoulder blade. In this case, the pain extends to an intercostal space, is accompanied by a feeling of numbness or tingling along the affected area, and increases when tilted to the sick side, that is, to the left. In some cases, along the inflamed intercostal nerve, skin rash or redness may occur.
Trauma
Most of the time, pain caused by traumatic injuries to the shoulder blades occurs with a direct impact on the shoulder blades or when falling onto the back. The painful syndrome is intense, especially in the first hours after the injury.
In the future, it appears or intensifies with the development of movement, edema and swelling. Trauma pain can also be caused by a fractured scapula or ribs. Therefore, it is imperative to take an X-ray.
myocardial infarction
A heart attack is characterized by a sharp, sharp pain under the left shoulder blade, which may also appear all over the left side of the body (left hand, left side of the neck).
The cause of an acute angina attack in a heart attack may be the most common emotional stress, which is why people with heart problems are advised not to get nervous.
The pain in a heart attack can be of a different nature - cutting, squeezing, or pressing. But there are also atypical cases where pain can manifest itself in the most unexpected location and in the most atypical way, for example, in the peritoneal region.
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 lessens when the person is calm or leans forward.
This disease is dangerous because adhesions can form and organs contract along with the contraction of the heart. In addition, calcium salts can be deposited in the heart's pericardium, which leads to a thickening of the heart's lining.
psychosomatic illnesses
Pain under the left shoulder blade is often seen with psychological stress and illnesses of a psychosomatic nature. The reasons are stress and emotional turmoil, which the body cannot deal with on its own and which signals problems with the help of psychosomatic pain.
In addition to painful sensations in the posterior part of the scapula, with psychosomatic symptoms, the following symptoms may occur:
- heat;
- discomfort in the chest region;
- throat cramps;
- shortness of breathe.
Diagnosis
To understand how to treat pain under the left scapula in the back, you need to undergo a thorough examination to establish the exact cause of this symptom.
First, they are:
- Collecting anamnesis. It is quite short as pain under the left scapula in the back is not considered a life-threatening condition.
- Physician's knowledge with detailed description of the nature of the pain.
- Examination of the patient's back.
- Instrumental examination is performed only in cases of suspected acute infection, oncology, trauma and severe neurological symptoms.
First, the doctor makes a complete diagnosis to exclude myocardial infarction, spinal oncology, neurological disorders that require urgent treatment. And only then does he decide how to treat this patient.
Which doctor should I see?
Depending on how pain sensations arise, what are their characteristics and what they are associated with, you should choose a specialist who you will consult:
- Gastroenterologist - for pain associated with meals, the presence of dyspepsia.
- Therapist or pulmonologist - for pain, aggravated by breathing, accompanied by shortness of breath, cough, fever.
- Neurologist - for pain associated with movement, stress.
- Traumatologist - when indicating an injury that precedes the onset of pain.
- Cardiologist - with a burning sensation behind the sternum radiating under the scapula, on the tongue, left arm.
- Psychologist and psychiatrist - for pain whose causes were not found based on the results of a thorough examination, particularly if there are other signs of psychosomatic disturbances and neurosis.
Disease and pain are much easier and safer to prevent than to cure. Even if there are no health issues and discomfort, you still need to visit a doctor regularly and get a medical exam. If the pain still appears, you cannot self-medicate, you need to contact a specialist in this area immediately. By eliminating pain with analgesics and without taking complex treatments, you contribute to the development of serious heart, gastrointestinal tract or spine diseases.