Because of ignorance of the specificity of diagnosis of diseases of the spine begins self-treatment (poultices, ointments, compresses), but often to no avail, only a doctor can find the cause and prescribe treatment. Why is back pain below shoulder blades?
What could be the pain?
The blade lies close to the clavicle and humerus, localizes in the back of the back. In essence, it is paired bone that has the shape of a triangle, that it is attached to the muscles responsible for the mobility of the shoulder girdle. Ribs and shoulder – is a frame for the muscles throughout the back, pain under shoulder blades is invalid, you should immediately to diagnose the underlying cause and begin a course of therapy.
Types of pain under shoulder blades can be divided into several subgroups:
- By location of pain (under which one of the blades; in the middle; give pain in the chest or between the ribs; localized above or below the shoulder blade);
- The nature of sensations (pulling, burning, sharp, spasm, throbbing, give, whining, bottled, etc.);
- The duration of pain symptoms (occurs with a frequency that begins abruptly, how long the attack increases or decreases the pain).
For accurate diagnosis and identify the cause the doctor should ask the details and understand what could be the factor causing the pain (e.g., spinal injury), and treat the patient.
Causes of pain
Why back pain in the blades? The major underlying causes are rooted in the pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, diseases of the vertebral column, lungs and heart. An important factor is the psychological state of the patient, and injury.
As a rule, if a patient pursues a sharp pain, then the reasons lie in acute inflammation, the tissue or muscle (e.g. in the fall). If the pain symptoms nagging and not very strong, so the causes of pain lie in chronic diseases of the patient. The blunt nature of pain symptoms frequent companion of heart attack or problems with the bladder.
The reasons due to which back pain under the shoulder blades associated with abnormalities of the vertebral column occupy a leading place among other factors. Because the spine holds the entire weight of the human body, thanks to him a man walks upright, not on four legs like animals.
If the back muscles are loosened, the person moves a little, the problem starts with the spine.
Osteochondrosis
If the muscles on the back and chest corset atrophy, and the person moves a little, the spine loses its role in maintaining the body and it is accompanied by pain. The vertebrae put pressure on the discs between them, not letting the core discs to fill with fluid. The disks begin to sink, bulges, gaps appear. It causes unnecessary irritation of the nerve roots, the vertebral column loses its elasticity and develops low back pain. The body in its sole discretion strengthens the spine, strengthening his bone growths.
The spine loses mobility and aches in the back under the shoulder blade on the right and left side. The pain symptoms are localized in the side where the pinched nerves.
Osteochondrosis in the neck begins with pain in the nape, the area with insufficient blood supply to the numb, the pain starts in the back below the shoulder blades. Often the pain is localized on the left side. Osteochondrosis in the thoracic spine starts with pain in the back under the shoulder blades. The pain experienced in the sternum. The patient complains of a feeling of heaviness in the chest when breathing. Pain caused from osteochondrosis of the thoracic, is often given to heart.
Back pain cause and other reasons, it is often the osteochondrosis of a loin. It will recognize the impact of pain in the leg like an electric shock, discomfort with the progression of osteoarthritis is moved under the left shoulder blade. And with a long pose of the body without changing position, most when the patient is sitting waist covers girdle pain. Causes of pain just below the shoulder blades associated with abnormalities of the spine, are recognized by the physician with complaints about the growing pain symptoms with movement.
Diseases of internal organs
Often pain caused by heart disease. To ache under the shoulder blade may myocardial infarction, and his companion and pressing sensation in region of heart. If the pain persists during exercise or workout and with a deep breath, the patient should be hospitalized immediately to the hospital. Another striking symptom of the pain associated with a myocardial infarction serve pain under left shoulder blade radiating to neck, jaw left side or left arm.
Causes of pain on back below shoulder blades lie in problems with the gastrointestinal tract. First and foremost, it's a stomach ulcer.
With the progression of the disease the mucous membrane of the body is exposed to destruction by acid, resulting in nerve irritation of the diaphragm and start the pain attacks under the shoulder blade. They are periodic in nature, increasing after a meal or when fasting. The pain goes away after vomiting attack, and applying warm compresses. The patient is not sick and vomits when reaching the peak of pain.
Another striking symptom is belching, severe heartburn. Pain away from the blades, begins to give in the region of the heart. The total destruction of the walls of the stomach, the patient complains of giving pain in the shoulder or collarbone, sweating, pale. Often the cause of pain in the back from the back caused by problems with the lungs, for example, disease of the lungs. If it hurts right lung, localized pain under the right shoulder blade. The patient coughs, the lungs wheezing, shortness of breath.
Psychosomatics
Psychological problems of man may also cause pain below the shoulder blade. When people experience chronic stress, tension is transmitted to muscles of the back and the patient becomes difficult to stand for long or sit because of aching pain. Often these reasons are chasing people with a sedentary lifestyle, high levels of stress and aggression (managers, agents, sales consultants, administrators).
Injury
Can cause pain and trauma to the bone resulting from a fall or blow. Often the cause is damage to the blades due to the elbow or falling on a straight arm. The pain symptoms will manifest themselves in the movements of the hands, and the area of the blade red and swollen. There is and inflammation of the synovial bags, then the motion of the blades you hear a crunch, and the patient experiences in this area, heaviness and pain.
Another factor that precedes the pain – osteomyelitis. It manifests itself in purulent inflammation of tissues, pain, intoxication. Occurs due to injury or stab. Less likely to cause pain become cancerous tumors in this region, affecting the tissues around the scapula.
Diagnosis
Since the factors preceding the syndrome of pain, a lot of diagnostics to identify causes of the pathology of a complex procedure. Diagnosis is complex, using several methods. In the first phase, the doctor listens attentively to the patient for the presence of complaints and manufactures its rating. Second stage: palpation of the painful area of the spine, orthopedic testing to identify the symptoms.
If the doctor is ready to make a diagnosis, then directed the patient to the physician with a more narrow profile (cardiologist, oncologist, orthopedic).
Depending on the factors produce an x-ray of the thoracic or vertebral column, MRI, ECG is removed, the heart is examined with ultrasound. If the factors causing pain lies in the diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the patient is instructed to go through fibrogastroduodenoscopy. If there were pathology of the respiratory system, the doctors performed the bronchoscopy. Additionally, the patient is dealt a number of tests: urine, feces, blood, etc.
Treatment
If the patient pursues a sharp pain that is impossible to endure, the medical staff focuses on relief of pain symptoms. The patient was prescribed medications, relieves inflammation and relieves pain in the form of injections, ointments, tablets.
The main task of the doctor to cure the root cause that caused the disease, not the consequence. The treatment is prescribed by a specialist after all the tests and analyses. Remember that pain protracted nature regardless of the location and nature is not going to disappear, it must be treated until it is complicated by inflammation.
If the root cause are the diseases of musculoskeletal apparatus, for treatment using a course of massage or manual therapy supplemented with electrophoresis. In exceptional cases, patients, surgical intervention with a course of anti-inflammatory drugs or antibiotics.
If back pain from myositis or problems with low tone back, it is enough to do exercises at home to warm up the muscles ointments, tinctures grind. The other problems and disease are treated only by a physician that recommends treatment in accordance with the root cause of the disease. Do not neglect the advice of a physician when any type of back pain, because they can be the consequence of chronic or acute diseases which should be treated immediately.