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

Many people experience back pain during their lifetime. They can be located in different areas for a huge number of different reasons. If a person has back pain in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulder blades, then this symptom should not be ignored.

However, it is important to understand here that a momentary pain that quickly passed and no longer makes itself felt 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 an independent disease - it's just a symptom. The appearance of back pain can be due to a number of factors, from pain after sleeping in an uncomfortable position to serious pathological processes in the body.

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 significant question about the nature of painful sensations, which helps to establish the main cause of this symptom.

So, doctors distinguish the following gradation of pain according to its nature:

• acute- different sudden start, but always very intense. Regardless of whether the back hurts below, above or between the shoulder blades, the pain appears spontaneously. At the same time, a certain feeling of "shooting" appears, a person can scream, wriggle with his whole body, bend sharply. This reflex reaction is caused not only by the speed and intensity of the painful sensation, but instinctively we try to avoid unpleasant feelings.
• dull- is fundamentally different from the previous paragraph. It develops gradually and pursues the patient for a long time. Dull pain is characterized by its monotony, varies in intensity. In some cases, the painful sensation is so vivid that it prevents a person not only from moving or performing any actions, but also from sleeping. Dull pains indicate problems in the muscles or depend on pathologies that affect the tendons or ligaments. Tends to intensify during movement or physical exertion, is located on both sides (in the region of both shoulder blades).
• sharp- not much different from strong, but still has certain characteristics. Acute pain, as the name implies, also occurs suddenly but varies in intensity. It may be sudden severe lumbago causing the reflex actions described above. But in some cases, sharp pains are quite weak, although they bring a lot of discomfort. It often appears when performing any actions, lifting weights, awkward movements, etc.
• to stab- it is no longer about the nature, but about the specifics of the painful sensations that are manifested depending on a particular disease. The stabbing pains are spontaneous and undulating, cyclical. It is they who most often radiate, located on the back under the shoulder blades, give, for example, to the lumbar region, at the level of the sacrum. Feeling excruciating pain of great intensity, patients report that a knife or needle was stuck in a certain place.
• Aching- one of the types of pain of a dull nature. These painful sensations are also characterized by constancy and duration. Aching pain is debilitating, it accompanies a person everywhere, regardless of his actions, even in the absence of movements and physical exertion. Located between the shoulder blades on the spine, aching pains radiate to the chest area, patients have a feeling that the heart hurts, although there are no heart pathologies. For aching pains, cyclicity is also characteristic, they are constantly present, but have a habit of changing their intensity.
• Pull- this type of pain is characteristic of bone, muscle and ligament structures. The specificity of the pain is associated with the name, patients have the feeling that someone or something is pulling on a muscle or bone in the place of localization of unpleasant sensations. Intense pain of a pulling nature brings a lot of discomfort, makes movement difficult, often radiates to nearby areas.
• Burning or burning pain- a rather rare type of pain, often called "burning 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 that manifests itself in the region of the shoulder blades is radiated;
• strong or weak- it is this indicator that is the key and the most controversial for any doctor. If the back hurts a lot, it brings maximum discomfort, exhausts a person, disables him. Mild pains are easier to bear and do not complicate life so much, but in most cases they are the most prolonged and difficult to treat. Subjective indicators of the intensity of painful sensations exist because each person has a different degree of sensitivity to pain, 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 just by the nature of the pain. Furthermore, even the concept of "character" is subjective, as each person has an individual sensitivity threshold and even the same illness can be accompanied by different symptoms.

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

• numb in the back- a clinical sign indicative of neurological disorders. It is often observed with intercostal neuralgia, osteochondrosis of the chest region, spondyloarthrosis.
• freezing back- Another symptom of various neurological, which is 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 case, the symptom is associated with an inflammatory disease, pyelonephritis.
• Increased body temperature- with inflammation of Organs internal organs, sometimes the pain is accompanied by pain between the shoulder blades. Most of these symptoms indicate pneumonia or tuberculosis.
• In some cases, pain in the scapular region is accompanied bynausea, but such a clinical sign often 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 the possibility of radiating painful sensations due to the development of other pathologies, for example, diseases of internal organs, among which pathologies of the heart and lungs are the most likely.

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

Even taking into account all the variety of features of back pain in the shoulder blades, it is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis based on this symptom alone. At the same time, in order to completely get rid of the pain, and not temporarily relieve it with painkillers, it is necessary to find out the true cause of its appearance.

To understand why there are back pains in the shoulder blades, it is necessary to highlight the main causes of their occurrence:

• Mechanical damage to the spineespecially in the cervical or thoracic region. It's not just about recent injuries, including bruises, strains, 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 thoracic region, that is, the upper back.
• posture 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 occur even due to banal flat feet. The most severe forms of spinal curvature are kyphosis and kyphoscoliosis;
• herniated discin the thoracic spine also provokes the development of pain. At the same time, the pain intensifies with movements, and the pathological process itself is dangerous when pinching the nerves with the addition of neurological symptoms to the clinical picture.
• Periarthrosis of shoulder or scapular joint- a disease of the musculoskeletal system, characterized by an inflammatory process in the periarticular tissues. Pathology is accompanied by symptoms of acute pain in the area of \u200b\u200bthe scapula and upper limbs, significantly hampering hand movements.
• intercostal neuralgia- the pathological process is caused by disorders of neurological origin, pinching of the nerves in the region of the ribs (chest). At the same time, the pains are in the waist, touching even the shoulder blades.

• Migrating or radiating pain in the area of the shoulder blades is often found withheart pathologiesamong 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 changes and the load on all parts of the spine increases. Usually, the pain appears 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 given at the same time only increases the pain syndrome, which lasts 1-2 days.

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

Nor should we forget that there are pains associated with great physical exertion. They can be pathological or muscular, in the second case, it is enough to rest the back muscles, 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 obtaining diagnostic data. Due to a wide range of reasons, diagnosis involves many procedures, among which the most sought after are:

• Initial examination and anamnesis- the doctor asks the patient about the localization, frequency, nature and intensity of painful sensations. This is followed by an examination of the patient with palpation of the indicated painful areas and functional diagnostics, including hand movements, inclinations, and so on.
• X-ray- if 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 an x-ray. This method of examination allows you to determine the shape of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs, identify curvatures, infractions, etc.
• computed tomography- a modern and more informative diagnostic method that gives a more complete picture in the presence of pathologies of the spine.
• MRI image- this method of examination is necessary in cases where radiography and computed tomography did not provide the necessary information. Magnetic resonance imaging can detect pathologies that affect the spinal cord and its branches.

If, during the examination of the spine, the causes of pain are not identified, diagnoses of 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 has 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 bear it, urgently consult a doctor.

The fight against most pathological processes with such symptoms does not tolerate self-treatment, the fight against diseases takes place 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 back pain. For this, analgesics with analgesic action or antispasmodics are prescribed.
• The best treatment for various diseases of the musculoskeletal system are drugs from the group of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). They are prescribed in the form of ointments, injections, pills. Thanks to the ointments, the analgesic effect is achieved quickly, in addition, these drugs have an anti-inflammatory effect, and also allow you to reduce the local temperature.
• In certain pathological processes, to cope with the root cause of pain, in combination with NSAIDs, drugs from group B are prescribed. They help to normalize metabolic processes in tissues, improve nerve conduction, and are especially good for neuralgia from osteochondrosis.

If the back hurts under the shoulder blades, in addition to drug treatment, a course of physiotherapy is required, including the following procedures:

• Electrophoresis.
• Laser therapy.
• Magnetotherapy.
• Ultrasound.

The decision on the indication of each 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 full course includes at least 10 procedures. Only then can significant improvements be observed.

To deal with the problem even more effectively and quickly, a massage course is added to the complex of therapeutic measures. It must be carried out by an experienced specialist. This procedure helps with shoulder blade injuries and most back ailments. However, massages are recommended in the presence of positive dynamics of drug treatment and physiotherapy. The course of treatment normalizes blood circulation, accelerates metabolism, reduces pain, restores muscle tone and elasticity.

Subsequently, massages are replaced by physiotherapy exercises, which allow you to consolidate the recovery progress and prevent the development of back diseases. The patient performs exercises associated with less physical effort, with the main emphasis on stretching the muscles and maintaining good shape. It is important to remember here that the intensity of the exercises gradually increases, the patient should not experience any discomfort. A systematic approach is also very important, but if you experience back pain below your shoulder blades again, consult a physiotherapist.

Prevention

The back hurts below the shoulder blades or between them - this sensation is very unpleasant, especially if it is associated with the development of some pathological process. To protect yourself from back pain and illness, follow these simple preventive recommendations:

• Always control physical activity, be it hard sports or heavy physical work at work. You cannot lift a lot of weight, excessively loading your back.
• If lifting heavy loads is unavoidable, do it right. Lift weights only with a straight back.
• Maintain an active lifestyle and play sports to maintain your back muscles. It is more useful to do exercises daily, swim and hang on the horizontal bar.
• When sitting, try to keep your back straight, take a break every 1-2 hours, walk around or warm up by doing a series of push-ups and squats.
• To prevent muscle pain in the back, osteochondrosis and other diseases, sleep on a flat hard surface. Purchase an orthopedic mattress and pillow that follows the shape of your head and neck.

Following these simple rules, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of developing back pain and ailments. But remember, if the pain appears, does not go away for more than a week or becomes very intense, be sure to consult a doctor. Timely diagnosis and initiation of treatment can minimize damage to the body and defeat the disease faster.