Causes and treatments of back pain in the scapula area

Pain, regardless of its location, intensity, and cause, always indicates a malfunction in the body. If it occurs frequently, you should not immediately self-medicate, since the pathological causes may be different. You first need to find out the cause of pain in the shoulder blade area of your back.

What is the nature of the pain?

If you pay attention to the causes of discomfort in the shoulder blade area, you need to understand that they have different characteristics. Back pain should be classified as follows:

• Pulling or pain.It occurs due to severe compression of nerve roots, changes in muscle tone, and damage to the spine.
• Long lasting and very intense.It is caused by neuralgia (traumatic injury to the shoulder blade).
• Severe and unexpected pain.It is a classic complication of stomach ulcers, spasmodic contractions of the gallbladder muscles, and heart attacks.
• paroxysmal painWith gradual increase in intensity. It is also caused by ulcers.
• If there is no back pain in the scapula area, but the patient feelsnumbness, stress, then this may be the result of excessive emotional stress or insufficient physical stress.

As for the location of pain, it can be between the shoulder blades, under the shoulder blades, or inside the joint. Now you can find out the cause of your discomfort.

Internal organ disease is a predisposing factor

If you experience discomfort in your back below your shoulder blades, it may be due to normal muscle tension. However, if it recurs periodically and increases in intensity, then it is better not to hesitate and urgently consult a doctor. Causes of pain include:

• Myocardial infarction.In this case, the pain below the shoulder blade is intense and sharp. Other signs include widespread discomfort, increased sweating, and increased heart rate. A distinguishing feature of a heart attack is that even taking nitrates does not help relieve the attack.
• Gastrointestinal ulcers.In this case, the pain syndrome has an increasing and paroxysmal character. Discomfort in the upper abdomen often occurs after eating. The pain radiates to the sternum, lower back, and heart. Patients may also experience heartburn and hiccups. He becomes nauseous and may vomit.
• Perforated gastric ulcer.It represents a hole in the wall of an organ that opens into the abdominal cavity. This person needs emergency surgery. Pathological symptoms are clearly expressed. The patient suddenly felt severe pain under the shoulder blades, was in a state of shock, and had sharp tension in the abdominal muscles. Cold sweat appears on the face and the skin becomes pale. The patient's breathing becomes rapid and she experiences severe discomfort on palpation of her abdomen.
• Gallbladder muscle spasm.Pain in the shoulder blade area is a cutting or stabbing pain. The unpleasant feeling won't last long. The pain occurs in the back just below the ribs on the right side and then radiates to the neck, collarbone and jaw.
• Subdiaphragmatic abscess.It is characterized by an accumulation of pus in the diaphragm area. The pain gradually worsens, general weakness and loss of appetite occur, and the body temperature may rise. Pale skin and increased sweating.
• Renal pathology.Here, the pain is not only localized to the area of the back below the shoulder blades, but is also located in the lower back. The nature of the sensation is that of pulling, but in the development of renal colic, the sensation can become severe. The patient cannot go to the toilet normally.
• Pneumonia or pleurisy.This pathology is characterized by increased pain during coughing.
• Neuralgia.Here, the pain is primarily felt below the shoulder blade, more commonly on the left side. These sensations are paroxysmal in nature and become stronger with any physical activity. The pain syndrome may also be a burning sensation. A cough can turn into shingles.
• Pathology of muscles and ligaments.Back pain is a pain that comes in cycles. After resting, the comfort disappears.

In addition, psychological issues should be emphasized, which can also cause pain under the shoulder blades. Severe stress or emotional tension, neurosis, or increased anxiety are obvious causes of discomfort. In fact, a person's back muscles are tense and, as a result, spasms occur, causing nerve processes to become pinched and inflamed. The pain is pressing and radiates to other parts of the body. There is a feeling of pressure and stiffness in the shoulder blade area. A man feared for his life, he was starved of air, his heart began to beat violently and a lump appeared in his throat.

Bone disorders cause pain

There are many spinal conditions that can cause back pain in the shoulder blade area. The most common of these are:

1. Osteochondrosis of the neck.It causes periodic pain that radiates to the shoulder blade area. The disease develops gradually and has no cure. Other symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis include stiffness of movement and pain when turning the head. The feeling is painful in nature and intensifies with any movement. The person's neck begins to become numb.
2. herniated discin the neck area.
3. Radiculitis.

All of these diseases can cause considerable pain and interfere with normal activities and work life. Of course, it is necessary to fight against them, but this should be done at the initial stages of development. If you have recurring back pain and the symptoms don't go away for a long time, see your doctor as soon as possible. Self-medication is dangerous.

Shoulder blade injuries causing pain

Usually, scapula pain is an independent phenomenon and is not associated with other conditions. The main cause of discomfort is processes occurring directly within the joint itself. The following are causes of discomfort:

• Injuried.It rarely occurs because this part of the skeleton is most protected by muscles. Broken bones or other types of injuries most often occur as a result of accidents or falls from heights or severe blows. Immediately after the injury, the victim experienced severe pain, hematoma and swelling in his back. Worsening or complete loss of function in the limbs and shoulder joints.
• Wing blade.It occurs due to weakness of the corset muscles. The shoulder girdle has completely lost its function and the pain behind the shoulder blade is excruciating. The discomfort increases when you move.
• Tightening of shoulder blades.This is a congenital abnormality of the scapula structure. It rarely occurs as a result of abnormal physical activity. In this case, shoulder blade pain is considered another symptom.
• osteomyelitis.This is an infectious bone lesion that is accompanied by inflammation and pus. It causes slight displacement of the shoulder blade, severe pain, inflammation and redness of the joint skin, changes in basal body temperature, and impaired mobility.

It is best not to delay identifying the cause of pain, since this is a serious pathological process and the prognosis of treatment depends on the timeliness of diagnosis.

Other causes of pain

In addition to the proposed pathology, other causes of subscapular pain can be identified:

1. malignant tumors.
2. Bone tuberculosis.
3. polio.
4. Myositis.
5. Mechanical damage to the back and continued incorrect sitting posture.
6. Pregnant.
7. Various types of postural disorders: kyphosis, scoliosis, lordosis.
8. Spondyloarthropathy.
9. Herniated disc.

In order to start treatment and make it effective, examinations are necessary. Based on laboratory testing and instrumentation techniques, experts can make an accurate diagnosis.

Pathological diagnosis

The first thing you need to do is consult different experts. So if you have back pain, whether the discomfort is dull or sharp, you need to contact the following doctors: a therapist, a neurologist, a cardiologist, an orthopedic and traumatologist, and a pulmonologist. It is important to consult with your surgeon. The inspection includes the following procedures:

1. MRIorCT.
2. If you have pain in your back below your shoulder blades, you should definitely do thisX-ray, which allows you to identify spinal disorders.
3. lab testing, making it possible to detect inflammatory processes.
4. electrocardiogram.

Specialists will also perform neurological tests. If your back hurts in the shoulder blade area after a night's sleep, you'll need to change your mattress first. If the problem doesn't go away, the problem may be a disease.

Pathological treatment

If your back begins to hurt during sleep or after some kind of exercise, and coughing or shallow breathing only aggravates the situation, then you should definitely start treating the pathology causing the discomfort. Additionally, treatment should be comprehensive, such as:

• If you are injured, painkillers can be used to relieve pain. There is also a need to limit mobility provided by various bandages or orthotic devices. In addition, physical therapy procedures are used for treatment: electrophoresis, ultrasound with drugs.
• To solve neurological problems, it is necessary to consult an appropriate specialist. He prescribes medication, massage and electrical stimulation.
• If osteomyelitis causes pain in the shoulder blade area of the back, the patient must take antibiotics. Surgery is often used to eliminate foci of suppuration.
• Tuberculosis requires special treatment, which needs to be given in special institutions.
• If a patient is diagnosed with a malignant bone disease, this may not be possible without surgical intervention.
• If the scapula is severely damaged due to osteochondrosis, treatment should be comprehensive and comprehensive. To eliminate the source of inflammation, use non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs. Manual therapy is thought to be helpful. Good results can be achieved with the help of acupuncture and needle applicators.
• If myocardial infarction is suspected, the patient requires urgent hospitalization. Here, he received adequate rest and appropriate treatment with anticoagulants and fibrinolytic drugs. Glucocorticoids are often used to relieve pain.

prevent disease

In order to avoid the occurrence of pain under the shoulder blades, the main causes of which have been discussed earlier, the following preventive measures should be taken:

• Give up negative lifestyle and bad habits.
• Perform gymnastics or comprehensive physical therapy after bed and regularly throughout the day.
• Have regular therapeutic or preventive massage sessions.
• Pay attention to your posture.
• Enhance the body's defense capabilities.
• Avoid stress and intense emotional experiences.
• Manage your working hours correctly so you have opportunities to take breaks.
• Buy an orthopedic mattress.
• Sleeping time should last at least 8 hours a day and not exceed 10 hours.
• If a person has a health problem, it needs to be treated at an early stage.
• Pregnant women should wear a support bra or bandage to relieve pressure on the spine.

With these precautions, you can prevent shoulder blade pain from occurring. But if it is already present, then you cannot postpone seeing a doctor.