If a person has back pain around the shoulder blades, it is automatically related to the condition of the spine. They are partly right: this long-stemmed nucleus of our skeleton carries a heavy load that can not affect its condition.
But often pain in this area of the spine indicates a disorder of the internal organs. The nature of the pain corresponds to the disease, so it is important to describe its manifestations in as much detail as possible when visiting a doctor.
What causes shoulder pain
Abnormal changes:
- Vertebrae;
- Internal organs;
- Adjacent structures.
It hurts in the area of the scalp and with some rare diseases:
- Spinal fractures and its systemic injuries;
- Metastases in cancers of the spine, stomach and sometimes other organs.
The pain is localized according to the type of disease:
- Above the shoulder blades;
- Under shoulder blades;
- Between shoulder blades;
- In shoulder blades.
Symptoms associated with pathologies of internal organs
The stomach, lungs, liver and heart can express their pain under the shoulder of the shoulder - right or left.
If the left side hurts, this could be a sign:
- Peptic ulcer of the stomach: The pain is periodic, associated with exacerbations of a seasonal nature. They are accompanied by pain in the upper abdomen. Vomiting occurs when the pain increases;
- Myocardial infarction: The disease is accompanied by severe retrosternal pain that extends under the mouth of the left shoulder. Heart ischemia has similar signs, but in this case pain sensations also appear on the left hand;
- Gastric or peptic ulcer: The patient's body is covered in cold sweat and may feel sick before vomiting. The patient tries to alleviate the suffering by changing position, but these actions do not give the expected effect;
- Intercostal neuralgia: Pain under the mouth of the left shoulder occurs during an attack that is exacerbated by slight physical exertion. It burns and burns in the heart area. It hurts to cough and take deep breaths.
It can hurt under the mouth of the right shoulder when:
- Psychological failure in the body. At the same time, the patient feels heat in the chest area, may complain of contraction and tingling of the heart muscle;
- Abnormal changes in the gallbladder: Additional symptoms - bitterness in the oral cavity after fatty, salty and fried foods, pain in the right hypochondria;
- Pleurisy and pneumonia: pain under the mouth of the right shoulder is reflected during coughing;
- Kidney Diseases: In this case, the cough also causes pain, but, unlike lung diseases, the patient has difficulty urinating.
Pain associated with spinal pathologies
Spinal problems can occur after injuries, fractures or bruises. But there are diseases for which there are no obvious causes. And all of them are manifested by pain in the scalp.
With any pathology of the spine, pain between the shoulder blades should join:
- Hardness;
- Feeling of pus;
- Numbness.
Intracranial pain during coughing is characteristic of smokers.
Osteochondrosis
If tissue nutrition is disrupted, dystrophic changes occur in them. In the spinal column, this process affects the intervertebral discs. They can no longer withstand the pressure exerted on them by vertebrates. The loss of disc elasticity causes the spine to contract. The nerve endings of the spinal cord are under pressure - this is where the strong pain occurs.
The body tries to protect the spine from heavy loads by increasing the bone tissue along the edges of the vertebral processes. Bone formations are called osteophytes. They can be removed, but will grow again against the background of osteochondrosis.
In osteochondrosis the pain is localized at the site of the spinal cord injury. If the cervical region is damaged, the patient has pain in the morning on the right side of the neck. The pain extends to the shoulder and arm, is felt on the shoulder blade. May feel dizzy, aggravated by deep breathing and coughing.
Osteochondrosis of the chest region is manifested by pain between the shoulder blades - to the right and left of the spinal column. The pain may be exacerbated by wheezing, coughing, and sudden movements. When you try to straighten your shoulders, the chest and interstitial zone begin to crack.
It is difficult for a person to breathe through the chest because the mobility of the ribs decreases and he unconsciously moves to breathe through the stomach.
Treatment of osteochondrosis by conservative method. The patient is prescribed:
- Analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs;
- Physiotherapy procedures;
- In therapeutic gymnastics;
- Reflexology;
- Massages;
- Spine traction;
- Manual therapy.
If none of the treatments help, surgeons will let the case work.
Spondylarthrosis
The symptoms of this disease are similar to osteochondrosis. But in this case, the intervertebral disc is displaced, not exhausted. Hyaline cartilage is forced to take the load. In such extreme conditions its fabric thins and loses its ability to perform functions.
If spondyloarthritis is not treated, the entire joint may become inflamed and then completely lose mobility. The condition of the patient is aggravated by osteophytes.
Scoliosis
Bending of the spinal column to its right or left axis is common - almost half of humanity suffers from this disease. But for most people the disease is not pronounced and therefore the pain occurs periodically - if the person is too tense on his back, or has long stood or sat in one posture.
Early scoliosis cannot be visually diagnosed, so if pain occurs in the area of the scalp, it is in the patient's best interest to consult a physician. He will prescribe a radiograph - straight and sideways.
With the further development of scoliosis, it can be detected independently: the "zigzags" of the spinal column are clearly expressed. Running scoliosis is also determined by the relative position of the shoulders - one of them will be lower than the other.
Treatment of scoliosis is a long-term affair even with its high intensity. Massage, special exercises and wearing a corset will help to remove the curvature of the spine.
Intervertebral hernia
The intervertebral disc consists of:
- Gelatin core;
- A fibrous ring composed of fibers;
- Two thin layers of cartilage that cover the discs above and below.
The nucleus is located inside the ring, while the cartilage tissue that encloses the structure simultaneously serves as a food conductor from the vessels of the spinal body to the disc.
Abnormal changes in the vertebrae lead to disruption of metabolic processes in the intervertebral discs. Their thickness decreases, the fiber ring cracks under the influence of the load, opening the way out of the core gelatin mass. This process is accompanied by severe pain. It is concentrated at one point, but sometimes occurs in the lung and heart regions.
Interstitial hernia in the thoracic region is very rare, so when pain occurs in the thoracic region, the patient is first screened for other diseases.
Interstitial hernia is treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy and special exercises. In severe conditions, only surgery can help.
Spinal tuberculosis
Tuberculosis microbacteria can affect any part of the spine, but 60% of cases occur in the chest area. Most often men suffer from this disease. Basically, several vertebrates are involved in the process, but there are cases where TB has spread to three or more.
The symptoms of the disease can vary depending on the number of affected spine. But there is one constant symptom - it is pain. If it is felt between the shoulder blades, it indicates damage to the cervical spine.
It also hurts with chest tuberculosis, but in this case the pain radiates (gives) to the chest, groin or abdomen. Patients complain of burning, spinning, "drilling" in the back.
Spinal tuberculosis is difficult to diagnose, strong pain appears already at the stage of appearance of various complications. If you have the slightest suspicion of this disease, contact a specialist immediately for examination.
Excess voltage and hypothermia
If the spine is overloaded, painful sensations may also appear in the area of the forearm. By itself, this phenomenon is not considered a disease, but constant overload can lead to osteochondrosis, curvature of the spine, and the formation of an intervertebral hernia.
Back pain is complained of by tailors, drivers, surgeons, people in a sedentary job, and so on. Sh. If excessive tension is added to hypothermia (drawings, acting conditioner), then you may be taught back pain - severe pain concentrated below the shoulder blades, or in the spine.
This trouble is treated with warming ointments, anti-inflammatory drugs and massages.
Myositis
Influenza, SARS, severe hypothermia can cause myositis - inflammation of muscle tissue. Most often, this disease affects the muscles located in the area of the forearm. This condition does not threaten the body at all, but the excruciating pain creates discomfort.
Pain in the shoulder blades
Pain occurs for several reasons:
- Fracture or injury as a result of a fall. The shoulder joint is swollen, it hurts to move the limb;
- Osteomyelitis (inflammation of bone tissue): accompanied by fever, fever due to intoxication of the whole organism;
- Pterygoid scapula: This effect is caused by damage to the front teeth (located on the side of the chest), paralysis of the rhomboid, trapezius muscles, or their traumatic rupture (experienced by circus acrobats and gymnasts, professional athletes).
If the synovial sac is inflamed, the shoulder blade begins to crack. In addition to this misfortune, the patient suffers from heaviness and clicks in the shoulder joint.
Diagnosis
Because pain in the spinal cord area indicates one of the many diseases, the examination is conducted in different ways:
- Chest x-ray;
- Laboratory research;
- Ultrasound;
- Magnetic resistance or computed tomography;
- Ekg.
All examinations are prescribed by a surgeon - if your back hurts, go to him first. But in the future, based on the results of the study, he will need advice:
- Orthopedist;
- Gastroenterologist;
- Neurologist;
- Pulmonologist.
If for any reason the doctor did not pay attention to the accompanying symptoms, consult on your own initiative.
Treatment
Self-medication for pain in the groin area is categorically contraindicated. The maximum that a patient can do is take painkillers and analgesics. Admission should be single and only if you need to stop the pain syndrome before visiting your doctor.
Treatment is prescribed by a doctor: Usually, it is enough to take analgesics, chondroprotectors, anti-inflammatory drugs to alleviate the condition. In addition, the doctor prescribes a treatment regimen aimed at eliminating the root causes of pain in the scalp.