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

Many people experience back pain throughout their lives. They can be localized in different areas for many different reasons. If a person has back pain in the area of the shoulder blades, this symptom should not be ignored.

However, it should be understood here that a momentary pain that passes quickly and no longer makes itself felt is not a cause for concern. Rather, anxiety is caused by systemic pain, regardless of its intensity or nature. Let's consider the causes and methods of diagnosing pain, talk about its nature and ways to get rid of it.

Nature of pain

Pain is not an independent disease - it is only a symptom. The appearance of back pain can be due to many factors, from pain after sleeping in an uncomfortable position to severe pathological processes in the body.

To understand why the back hurts between the shoulder blades, you need to find the cause of the pain. But first, it is worth considering another important issue about the nature of painful sensations, which helps to determine the main cause of this symptom.

Thus, doctors distinguish the following degrees of pain according to their nature:

• Sharp- different sudden onset, but always very intense. Whether the pain is in the lower back, above or between the shoulder blades, the pain appears on its own. At the same time, there is a certain feeling of "throwing", a person can scream, twist with the whole body, bend sharply. Such a reflex reaction is not only caused by the suddenness and intensity of painful sensations, but we instinctively try to avoid unpleasant sensations.
• Boring- fundamentally differs from the previous paragraph. It develops gradually and follows the patient for a long time. Dull pain is characterized by monotony and varies in intensity. In some cases, the painful sensation is so vivid that it prevents a person not only from moving or doing any movement, but even from sleeping. Dull pains indicate problems with muscles or depend on pathologies affecting tendons or ligaments. It tends to intensify during movement or physical exertion, it is localized 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 suggests, occurs suddenly, but differs in intensity. There may be a strong sudden back pain that causes the reflex movements described earlier. But in some cases, acute pains are quite weak, although they bring a lot of discomfort. Often when performing any movement, lifting weights, awkward movements, etc.
• stabbing- refers not to nature, but to the characteristics of painful sensations that manifest themselves depending on a certain disease. Stitching pains are spontaneous and wavy, cyclical. It is they, often radiating, localized behind the shoulder blades, for example, to the lower back, giving the level of the sacrum. Patients who feel high-intensity stabbing pain say that a knife or needle is stuck in a certain place.
• Painful- one of the types of pain of dull nature. Such painful sensations are also characterized by stability and duration. The aching pain is debilitating, follows a person everywhere, regardless of his actions, even without movement and physical strength. Localized in the spine between the shoulder blades, aching pain spreads to the chest region, patients have a feeling of heartache, even if there are no heart pathologies. Periodicity is also characteristic of aching pains, they are constantly present, but have a habit of changing intensity.
• do not 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 a feeling that someone or something is pulling the muscle or bone at the location of the unpleasant sensations. Severe pain of a pulling nature causes a lot of discomfort, prevents movement, often spreads to nearby areas.
• Burning or burning pain- an extremely rare type of pain commonly referred to as "burning back". Such feelings are characteristic of some forms and stages of osteochondrosis, which cooks the back with ischemic pathologies of the heart. In the second case, the pain that manifests itself in the area of the shoulder blades radiates;
• strong or weak- this indicator is both the main and the most controversial for every doctor. If the back hurts a lot, it brings maximum discomfort, makes a person tired and immobile. Mild pains are easier to tolerate and do not make life as difficult, but in most cases they are the most prolonged and difficult to treat. Subjective indicators of the intensity of painful sensations are due to the different degree of pain sensitivity of each person, a different pain threshold. In such cases, it is better to pay attention to the place 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. Moreover, even the concept of "character" is subjective, because each person has an individual threshold of sensitivity, and even the same disease 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 can be accompanied by pain:

• Numb back- a clinical sign indicating neurological disorders. It is often observed with intercostal neuralgia, osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, spondyloarthrosis.
• Don't freeze back- A series of other neurological symptoms combined with painful sensations. According to medical reference books, such a clinical symptom is characteristic of only two pathologies. In the first case, we are talking about the disruption of the nerve roots of the spinal cord, in the second case, the symptom is associated with an inflammatory disease, pyelonephritis.
• Increase in body temperature- with inflammation of the internal organs, sometimes the pain is accompanied by pain between the shoulder blades. Most of these symptoms indicate pneumonia or tuberculosis.
• In some cases, it is accompanied by pain in the scapular regionnausea, but such a clinical symptom usually occurs with very strong painful sensations.

In most cases, pain between the shoulder blades indicates diseases of the spine. However, there is always a possibility that painful sensations may spread due to other pathologies, for example, diseases of internal organs, of which heart and lung pathologies are the most common.

Why does the back hurt in the area of the shoulder blades

Considering all the different characteristics of back pain in the area of 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 eliminate them with painkillers, it is necessary to find the real reason for their appearance.

In order to understand why there are back pains in the area of the shoulder blades, it is necessary to highlight the main reasons for their occurrence:

• Mechanical damage to the spineespecially in the cervical or thoracic region. It's not just about recent injuries, including bruises, dislocations, sprains and fractures. Old injuries can remind themselves 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, this means osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic region, that is, the upper back.
• Posture disorder, that is, any pathology that can cause curvature of the spine. First of all, scoliosis is considered in its various manifestations, but curvature can occur even due to banal straight legs. The most severe forms of curvature of the spine are kyphosis and kyphoscoliosis;
• A ruptured discit also causes pain in the thoracic spine. At the same time, the pain intensifies with movements, and with the addition of neurological symptoms to the clinical picture, the pathological process itself is dangerous by compressing the nerves.
• Periarthrosis of the shoulder or scapular joint- musculoskeletal system disease characterized by an inflammatory process in periarticular tissues. It is accompanied by acute pain symptoms in the pathological scapula and upper extremities, significantly inhibiting hand movements.
• Intercostal neuralgia- the pathological process is caused by disorders of neurological origin, compression of nerves in the rib (chest) region. At the same time, the pain touches the girdle, including the shoulder blades.

• Migrating or radiating pain in the area of the shoulder blades is commonpathologies of the heartamong them, ischemia and myocardial infarction are often distinguished. In such cases, the pain "radiates" from the heart to the back.
• Pregnancy- Another cause of lower 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 in the third trimester, when the fetus reaches a large size.
• Pain may occurafter vaccinationunder the shoulder blade This area is very convenient for injection, and the simultaneous injection of the vaccine only increases the pain syndrome that lasts 1-2 days.

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

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

Diagnostics

A doctor can accurately determine the causes of pain and make a diagnosis only on the basis of obtaining diagnostic information. For a large number of reasons, diagnostics includes many procedures, among which the following are most often required:

• Initial examination and anamnesis collection- the doctor asks the patient about the localization, frequency, nature and intensity of painful sensations. After that, examination of the patient with palpation and functional diagnosis of the indicated painful areas, including hand movements, inclinations, etc.
• Radiography- if a person suffers from pain in the spine below, above or in the middle of the shoulder blades, the easiest way to determine the cause is an X-ray. This method of examination is used to determine the shape of the spine and intervertebral discs, to detect curvatures, irregularities, etc.
• CT scan- a modern and more informative diagnostic method that gives a more detailed picture in the presence of spinal pathologies.
• Magnetic resonance imaging- this examination method is necessary in cases where X-ray and CT do not provide the necessary information. MRI can detect pathologies affecting the spinal cord and its branches.

If the causes of pain are not determined during the examination of the spine, the diagnosis of pathologies of the cardiovascular system, organs of the gastrointestinal tract, etc.

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, if the painful sensations do not pass or their intensity is so high that there is no strength to endure, consult a doctor urgently.

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 necessary to understand that in most cases, doctors resort to conservative treatment methods.

The basis of treatment is drug therapy:

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

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 to prescribe each treatment method is taken together with the doctor. The duration of therapy depends on the disease itself, the degree of its development and other factors, but a full course includes at least 10 procedures. Only then can significant progress be observed.

To overcome the problem more effectively and faster, a massage course is added to the complex of therapeutic measures. It should be done by an experienced professional. This procedure helps with shoulder blade injuries and most back ailments. However, massage is recommended in case of positive dynamics of drug treatment and physiotherapy. The treatment course normalizes blood circulation, accelerates metabolism, reduces pain, restores muscle tone and elasticity.

Later, massages are replaced by physiotherapy exercises, which allows to consolidate the course of recovery and prevent further development of back diseases. The patient performs exercises related to small physical strength, the main focus is on stretching the muscles and keeping them in good condition. It should be remembered here that the intensity of exercises increases gradually, the patient should not experience any discomfort. A systematic approach is also very important, but if you feel pain in your lower back under the shoulder blades again, consult a physiotherapist.

Prevention

The back hurts under the shoulder blades or between them - this feeling is very unpleasant, especially in connection with the development of any pathological process. Follow these simple preventative tips to protect yourself from back ailments and pain:

• Always monitor physical activity, whether it's vigorous exercise or heavy physical labor at work. You can't lift too much weight by overloading the back.
• If heavy lifting is unavoidable, do it properly. Lift weights only with a straight back.
• To protect your back muscles, lead an active lifestyle and do sports. Daily exercises, swimming and hanging out at the bar are the most beneficial.
• Try to keep your back straight while sitting, take a break every 1-2 hours, walk or warm up by doing a series of bends and squats.
• Sleep on a flat, hard surface to prevent muscle back pain, osteochondrosis and other diseases. Get an orthopedic mattress and a pillow that fits the shape of your head and neck.

By following these simple rules, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of developing back diseases and pain. But remember that if pain appears, does not pass more than a week or is very intense, be sure to consult a doctor. Timely diagnosis and starting treatment can minimize damage to the body and defeat the disease faster.