Basically, pain under the scapula on the left side of the back is more common in the elderly, but similar diseases usually show up at a younger age.
Poor posture, genetic factors, or sports injuries may be the cause of this condition. The main cause of pain under the left scapula from the back from the back should be considered in more detail. After all, this discomfort can be seen as a good reason to see a specialist.
Causes and types of pain under the left scapula of the back
The causes of this disease are different and each has its own characteristics. Pain on the left side of the back under the shoulder blade is characterized by the following sensations:
- sharp;
- stupid;
- Pull;
- Stitch
- shooting.
Pain under the left shoulder blade on the back can be of the same type or alternate. Sometimes one discomfort is replaced by another, for example, a stab wound becomes a shot. Pathology is caused by various injuries and their consequences, diseases of the musculoskeletal system:
- Rib injury-discomfort throughout the shoulder;
- Osteoporosis, arthritis-in addition to the shoulder blades, it also affects the neck and shoulders;
- Displacement of the intervertebral disc-pain causes spinal stenosis;
- Wear and tear of the skeletal system (aging)-when the bone structure changes in old age, an unpleasant sensation will appear in the scapula area;
- Bursitis-the formation of exudate during inflammation of the pockets around the joints can also cause pain;
- Rotator cuff rupture-severe pain in the left scapula area from the back from the back, unable to rotate the arm to report violations of the shoulder muscles or the tendons responsible for shoulder joint coordination;
- Dislocation-Discomfort on the left side of the back may be the result of a dislocation of the clavicle or shoulder joint;
- Nerve injury-Squeezing the dorsal scapular nerve is also characterized by pain in the back (under the left scapula).
Radiation back pain in the left scapula region is considered to be a signal indicative of the following pathology:
- Abscessive pneumonia;
- Acute inflammation of the bronchial mucosa;
- Focal pneumonia;
- Pulmonary pleurisy;
- Stomach ulcer;
- Esophageal spasm;
- pancreatitis;
- Gastric reflux.
Heart disease may be another cause of back pain on the left side of the patient’s scapula:
- heart attack;
- Pericarditis;
- Angina pectoris;
- Mitral valve prolapse.
In addition, it causes discomfort and pain under the left shoulder blade from the back-increased muscle tone:
- Bad posture
- An uncomfortable posture while sleeping;
- Stretch the neck muscles.
Only a visit to an expert can help correctly determine the cause of the burning sensation from the back to the back under the left scapula.
Bronchopulmonary system disease
If there is a problem with the lower respiratory tract (bronchi, lungs, pleura), there may be pain in the left shoulder blade on the back. The main causes of respiratory diseases are thought to be diseases caused by pathogenic viruses and bacteria:
- bronchitis;
- pneumonia;
- pleurisy.
Tumors in the lungs or bronchi can also cause a burning sensation under the left scapula from the back.
Pulmonary pleurisy
Increased pain under the left scapula when coughing, breathing, or sneezing is a characteristic of dry pleurisy. This process proceeds with the sensation of temperature rise (up to 38°C), general weakness, sweating, headache, and muscle and joint pain.
pneumonia
If the left back under the shoulder blade is painful for a long time, then this may be a sign of pneumonia. The symptoms are similar to pleurisy, often accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Blood clots in saliva;
- Wet cough (not often dry cough);
- Hypoxia
- Increased body temperature (37. 5°C-37. 9°C).
Gastrointestinal tract
One of the most common causes of scapular back pain is digestive system diseases, especially peptic ulcer and pancreatitis.
pancreatitis
Back pain under the left scapula caused by pancreatitis is not common. They usually occur at the same time as low back pain and spastic contractions. They appear unexpectedly in the heart, chest or back area.
Peptic ulcer
As peptic ulcers develop, a person may experience belching or heartburn. A significant proportion of patients (approximately 75%) feel reduced vomiting, which is caused by severe pain from previous nausea. Initially, discomfort is observed in the earlobe area, then the pain spreads to the left side (nipples, sternum, back). Usually, the pain gets worse after a meal.
Cardiovascular System
Pain from the back to the back under the left scapula is not considered to be a sign of a specific disease, but the malfunction of the cardiovascular system is considered to be one of the important factors. The main diseases characterized by these symptoms include: angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, aortic aneurysm, hypertensive crisis and pericarditis.
Angina pectoris
For angina, a person will have acute left subscapular pain from the back and use nitroglycerin to remove the pain. Angina pectoris can be caused by physical exertion, psychophysical factors, hypothermia, overeating and heavy drinking.
Myocardial infarction
The characteristic pain under the scapula on the left side of the back may be caused by the complete absence of coronary blood supply in one of the myocardial areas due to vascular obstruction. The causes of a heart attack are:
- Atherosclerosis;
- Thrombosis.
When a thrombus (plaque) is torn off, it enters the heart with the blood flow. Once it enters the small-diameter coronary arteries, they block the blood vessels and interrupt the delivery of blood to the tissues. With hypoxia, the death process of cardiomyocytes begins.
Symptoms of myocardial infarction include acute and throbbing pain, concentrated on the left side of the sternum. distribution area:
- Left hand
- shoulder blade;
- Lower jaw.
It is impossible to relieve the pain with analgesics during a heart attack. Nitroglycerin can only slightly relieve the pain.
Aortic aneurysm
In half of the cases of early thoracic aortic aneurysms, there are no signs of disease. Symptoms depend on the location and size of the aneurysm and the presence (absence) of the dissection. In addition to back and shoulder blade pain, the following symptoms may also occur:
- Discomfort in the left back, neck, and jaw;
- Chest pain;
- Cough, hoarse voice, shortness of breath.
May be accompanied by signs of heart failure caused by heart failure. Symptoms may appear suddenly and manifest as severe pain in the chest and left back.
Hypertensive crisis
Contrary to popular belief, the characteristics of hypertensive crisis do not have any standard blood pressure figures, they are purely personal. In addition to signs of colitis from under the left scapula of the back, symptoms of hypertensive crisis should also include:
- Headache in the back of the head;
- Pulsation of temples;
- Shortness of breath;
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Vision problems;
- Redness of the skin;
- The diastolic blood pressure value increases above 110-120 mmHg. art.
When a hypertensive crisis occurs, the risk of complications in many systems and organs, the central nervous system, etc. will increase.
Pericarditis
Patients may have symptoms of inflammation (acute pericarditis) or signs of fluid (pleural effusion). They vary depending on the degree of the inflammatory process and the volume of pericardial fluid. With acute pericarditis, pain may occur under the left scapula, chest, and sometimes shortness of breath. And the first manifestation may be packing with the development of hypotension, shock or pulmonary edema.
Musculoskeletal system
Various destructive diseases in the spine and bones can cause back pain under the left scapula. In addition, they include: intercostal neuralgia, osteochondrosis, and intervertebral hernia.
Intercostal neuralgia
Back pain in the area of the left scapula of neuralgia has its own characteristics, such as intensified during physical activity, and the pain point can be determined by palpation. The pain caused by neuralgia lasts for a long time, and nitroglycerin cannot relieve the pain.
Osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is usually a common cause of pain under the scapula on the left side of the back and is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Muscle cramps, numbness;
- The development of dizziness;
- The appearance of "goose bumps" (paraesthesia);
- Often headaches.
Intervertebral hernia
A hernia occurs when the annulus fibrosus surrounding the intervertebral disc ruptures, causing the nucleus of the intervertebral disc to shift. The symptoms of a herniated disc depend on its location. The most important symptom of a herniated disc is pain on the left side of the back, which increases with exercise or weightlifting.
Psychosomatic disease
One of the causes of back pain from under the left scapula can be considered a psychosomatic disease. Not every expert can identify this disease and its true cause, because they usually have no special characteristics. Different organ systems may be directly related to the dynamics of the patient's mental state:
- Gastrointestinal tract;
- Cardiovascular System;
- nervous system;
- immunity.
It can treat back pain under the left scapula in psychosomatic diseases without using traditional therapies. In this case, it is important to establish psychological motivation and treat with psychotherapeutic bias.
Diagnostic measures
After using the most modern equipment for the necessary laboratory and instrument diagnosis, our experts will make a more accurate diagnosis. When giving evidence:
- blood test;
- Urinalysis to assess kidney function;
- Liver function test;
- Stomach endoscopy;
- Ultrasound for diagnosing physical diseases, heart diseases, blood vessels;
- CT scan of liver and pancreas;
- ECG of the heart;
- Chest X-ray.
Based on the fact that the pain from the back under the left shoulder blade may not be a symptom of a disease, a comprehensive examination by multiple experts cannot be excluded. Our clinic provides patients with a modern and complex type of examination-physical examination, which includes multiple types of analysis and minimal diagnostic procedures. Contact our experts in time and ensure that the correct diagnosis will help the patient to carry out high-quality and successful treatment.