Back pain in the scapula region is not only a characteristic of spinal disease, but also a characteristic of internal organ pathology. Why do I need to consult a doctor and which specialist to make an appointment? An effective way to eliminate discomfort.
If you are concerned about back pain in the scapula area, this symptom may indicate spine or shoulder girdle disease, neuropathology, or physical disease. Careful collection of medical history and patient complaints allows you to determine the cause of the problem and decide on further treatment.
Usually, back pain in the scapula area is the first sign of pathological changes in the body. The definition of predisposing factors allows you to prevent the deterioration of the disease at an early stage. The symptom may occur in half of the body or spread to the arms, and appear when inhaled-all of which are important in making a diagnosis.
Causes of pain and its location
Usually, discomfort in the scapula area occurs when moving. For example, the body stays still for a long time and turns awkwardly. In this case, pain under the shoulder blade is a sign of injury.
important!Unilateral pain (under the left scapula or right) is rare. This is due to the symmetrical arrangement of spinal nerve roots.
trauma
The feeling of pain may be a sign of muscle or bone damage. In this case, the symptoms are diffuse and vary in intensity. The pain is severe and persistent.
Injuries that may cause shoulder blade pain:
- Cracks, cracks. The pain is directly concentrated on the severe injury of the scapula. The symptoms worsen with light exercise, so the patient cannot move.
- Bruises. This discomfort is superficial, it occurs due to damage to the muscle frame, and is located in the lower part of the scapula. During the examination, signs of inflammation and tissue swelling can be detected. Symptoms last for 14-21 days.
- Subluxation or displacement of vertebrae. Joint pain occurs below or at the level of the scapula. Compression of nerve roots can exacerbate discomfort.
As the injured area was injured, soft tissue edema was observed and pain suddenly appeared. There is often a crunching noise when moving.
Spondylolisthesis and hernia
In this pathological situation, the spinal cord and nerve roots are compressed, accompanied by impaired sensitivity and severe pain under the left and right shoulder blades.
Possible discomfort location:
- Back pain under the scapula on the left or right side. Denotes lesions of 6-12 intervertebral discs, which may involve the lumbar spine in the pathological process. Because the latter bears more pressure, the risk of suffering from intervertebral disc herniation is high.
- Above the shoulder blades. The protrusion is located in the cervical spine or section 1-3. As the head moves, the discomfort becomes more pronounced.
- Between the shoulder blades. Pain is observed when 3-6 segments of the spine are affected. With deep breathing, the body turns, and the upper limbs abduct to the sides, it becomes more obvious.
notes!For protrusions, the pain will continue even when resting. This is due to nerve root compression and muscle spasm.
Osteochondrosis
If the back is painful in the scapula area, the symptoms may indicate thoracic osteochondrosis. This symptom occurs because the spinal cord or nerve roots are stuck and the intervertebral disc is deformed. The condition progresses gradually, causing more and more obvious symptoms.
The area of discomfort is determined by the location of the lesion:
- Segments 2-6. The discomfort is concentrated at the level of the shoulder blades, and the arms and neck may be exposed to radiation. It may cause dizziness caused by increased intracranial pressure and pressure on blood vessels.
- 6-12 paragraphs. Pain under the shoulder blades on the left or right side of the back extends down to the lower back.
notes!For osteochondrosis, the pain is one-sided.
Spondyloarthropathy
This pathology is also characterized by the unilateral placement of the pain syndrome. For spondyloarthropathies, the intervertebral discs and facet joints are damaged, which can lead to restricted movement and stiffness.
Symptoms depend on neglect of pathological changes:
- Destroy cartilage tissue. It develops against the background of reduced blood circulation and impaired connective tissue integrity. Cartilage elements become fragile-quickly damaged and slowly renewed. Due to intense physical exertion, this condition can be exacerbated by minor trauma. In this case, the pain radiates to the shoulder blades and lower back.
- Deformation of the intervertebral disc. Tissue thickening is accompanied by impaired mobility and shoulder blade and back pain. In this context, the destructive process is intensifying.
- The formation of bone growth. Appears in the late form of spondyloarthropathy. They can cause damage to blood vessels, muscle tissue, nerves, and joints.
For spondyloarthropathies, pain occurs after physical exertion and can be located in the scapula area or between the shoulder blades. At rest, the symptoms disappeared.
Scoliosis
Due to the tension of the muscles that support the posture, it is accompanied by the flexion of the spine in the lateral direction. In this case, the spinal cord and nerves are compressed, and discomfort is observed under the scapula.
Other symptoms of scoliosis:
- Deformation of the chest. The ribs and vertebrae are displaced, causing damage to the spinal cord and its branches. Therefore, back pain is observed under the left scapula or on the right.
- Respiratory disorders. Due to the deformation of the chest, lung dysfunction was observed-one of them was compressed, the second tried to make up for the lack of gas exchange.
- Violation of heart activity. Due to the tilt of the spine, shortness of breath occurs, the skin turns white, and the heart rate changes.
notes!Scoliosis is characterized by compression of the spinal cord, so the discomfort is concentrated between the shoulder blades or under the shoulder blades. The outline of the lesion is clear, and only muscle spasm can spread to nearby areas.
Kyphosis
Kyphosis is the backward curvature of the spine, in which the shoulder straps are pulled forward to bend. In this case, the pain is located above the shoulder blades, is bilateral in nature, and radiates to the neck and arms.
The mechanism of kyphosis pain:
- muscular. The curvature of the spine can cause excessive tension and spasms in the collar area muscles, and is accompanied by shoulder blade pain.
- Neurogenic. Against the background of curvature of the spine, the distance between the vertebrae decreases. This leads to the invasion of the branches of the spinal cord and pain in the scapula area, which can spread to the neck, collarbone, and shoulders.
Kyphosis can compress the vertebral arteries, leading to deterioration of cerebral circulation and visceral dysfunction.
Radiculitis
The pathological feature is the compression of the lumbar root forming the sciatic nerve. With the failure of the upper segment, the pain is located below and below the scapula. The discomfort is bilateral and will be more pronounced during sudden movement.
If left untreated, sciatica is accompanied by other symptoms:
- Burning pain in the back (under the shoulder blades and lower back)-indicates that the root of the spinal cord is squeezed;
- Radiation back pain in the legs;
- twitch;
- Violation of the sensitivity of the hips and waist;
- Numbness along the nerves (can be observed in the calves, thighs, and feet).
Neuralgia
Inflammation of the nerve fibers in this anatomical area can cause pain under the scapula. The common cause of pathology is hypothermia.
Inflammation affects the following structures:
- Intercostal nerves. Pairs 1-4 located on the lower edge of the rib cage are affected. The pain is located below and below the scapula, on the outer part of the chest, and rarely extends to the front of it.
- Supraspinatus and suprascapular nerve. It is characterized by pain in the scapula area from the back of the clavicle area. Sometimes symptoms extend to the shoulders.
- Infraspinatus and subscapular nerve. Discomfort under the shoulder blade on the left or right side. When the inflammation spreads to the muscles, the pain increases when you move your hands.
notes!For neuralgia, the pain is usually one-sided-the symptoms are located in areas of hypothermia.
Scapular arthropathy
It is characterized by inflammation of the shoulder joint and surrounding tissues. It is accompanied by impaired mobility and can only be eliminated after the muscles warm up.
For scapular periarthropathy, discomfort is observed at the level of the scapula and below. In the initial stage, it occurs after strenuous physical activity, as the disease progresses-at rest. Other pathological symptoms:
- Numbness of the upper limbs;
- headache;
- Decreased spine mobility.
Cardiology
Pain under the shoulder blades may indicate heart disease. This is because the branches of the parasympathetic nerve trunk that are connected to the spinal cord and nerve roots go to the organs. If the left scapula is painful from the back from the back, the symptom may indicate a mild myocardial infarction. It can last for several days, increasing with exercise, and decreasing at rest.
Other pathological signs:
- Burning pain and pressure behind the breastbone;
- Heart rhythm disturbance;
- Palpitations;
- Difficulty breathing;
- dizziness;
- feel sick and vomit;
- High blood pressure.
Digestive system diseases
The mechanism of the onset of pain is similar to the previous cause-it spreads along nerve fibers. The location of symptoms depends on the organs affected, and less common discomfort is bilateral.
If there is pain in the left back under the scapula, it may develop:
- Inflammation of the gastric mucosa;
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas);
- Stomach ulcer.
In addition, for such diseases, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, belching, and a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen may occur. If the ulcer is accompanied by internal bleeding, the skin becomes pale, blood pressure drops, weak, and stools turn black.
Discomfort under the right shoulder blade may indicate the following diseases:
- Duodenal ulcer;
- hepatitis;
- Liver cirrhosis;
- Cholelithiasis.
Other causes of symptoms
The following factors can also cause pain in the scapula area:
- Inconvenient place to sleep. In particular, folding the mattress and sleeping on the left side can cause pain on the other side because of the curvature of the spine and the squeezing of the root.
- Plant vascular dystonia. It is accompanied by a drop in blood pressure, shortness of breath, impaired heart activity, and sometimes back pain in the scapula area.
- polio. Scapula pain is a neurogenic infectious disease.
- pleurisy. When the pleura becomes inflamed, symptoms appear due to friction between the pleura. The pain peaks when you take a deep breath.
- Kidney Pathology. It is characterized by soreness and tingling under the right shoulder blade. In addition, urine color and urine volume will also change.
- Poisoning. Discomfort occurs when too many toxins or decay products accumulate in the body due to a cold or severe poisoning. It is accompanied by chills, muscle pain, and fever.
- Subphrenic abscess. Pain under the scapula was observed during inhalation, which was caused by the accumulation of pus in the upper abdominal cavity.
- Insanity. Sometimes mental disorders are accompanied by back discomfort, but its development mechanism has not been studied yet.
Type of pain
The nature of the pain in the scapula area may be different. According to this standard, a possible disease can be assumed and the cause of discomfort can be determined:
- Shooting, sharp, appearing when turning the body or moving. Typical nervousness. This feature makes it possible to distinguish it from the pain of gallstone disease-according to this diagnosis, the discomfort is continuous and does not depend on exercise.
- Cutting, boring pain of different intensities. It may indicate neuralgia, joint inflammation.
- Throbbing, pain, or burning. This pain in the scapula area indicates a disease of the internal organs. The symptom is caused by compression of the nerve root, and it becomes more obvious with exercise.
- Asphyxiating pain at or below the level of the scapula. Typical spinal hernia. Often accompanied by numbness of hands and feet, low back pain.
Which doctor should I see?
If there is pain in the scapula area, you should make an appointment with a neurologist. The doctor will conduct an examination, establish a diagnosis and determine a treatment strategy. If a lesion of the internal organs is detected, he will be referred to a narrow specialist-gastroenterologist, cardiologist, orthopedist (depending on the so-called diagnosis).
Polls
In order to determine the cause of the onset of pain in the scapula area, the patient was assigned the following diagnostic procedures:
- Clinical research on blood and urine. They show inflammatory changes and help diagnose physical diseases.
- X-ray examination, CT. They allow you to detect curvature of the spine, injuries and their consequences, osteochondrosis.
- Ultrasound. It is used to identify the pathology of internal organs.
- Electrocardiogram. Provide information in case of suspected heart disease.
- Nuclear magnetic resonance. Reflect the condition of the spine, shoulder girdle, and internal organs. The scope of the investigation is determined by the doctor based on the recommended diagnosis.
notes!Pain under the scapula usually indicates an abnormality in the nervous system. Therefore, CT and MRI are the "gold standards" for determining the cause of symptoms.
Treatment characteristics
The goal of treatment is not only to eliminate pain, but also to eliminate the factors that cause it. When seeking medical help, the pain syndrome was relieved at the same time, and treatments aimed at eliminating the cause of the underlying disease were designated.
Treatment options may include the following methods:
- medical treatement. To relieve pain, many analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs are used. Depending on the cause of the symptoms, antibacterial agents, diuretics, gastric protectants, etc. can be used.
- physiotherapy. Helps to speed up the recovery of physical disease and strengthen the spine. In order to eliminate the pain in the scapula area, electrophoresis, UHT and heating procedures are used.
- massage. Helps eliminate muscle cramps, improve posture, and relieve pain. It is suitable for spinal problems. Sometimes the intervention of an osteopath or a chiropractor is required.
- gymnastics. Displayed during recovery. Based on the confirmed diagnosis, a set of exercises is individually selected for each patient.
How to prevent discomfort in the scapula area?
Then it is recommended that every patient who has received a course of treatment follow some precautions. They are necessary to prevent the recurrence of the disease.
It is important to observe the following rules:
- Create favorable conditions for sleep-choose orthopedic pillows and mattresses with moderate hardness to support the physiological position of the spine;
- Pay attention to your posture;
- Follow the principle of proper nutrition;
- Try to prevent the deterioration of chronic diseases;
- Quit drug addiction (smoking, drinking);
- See your doctor regularly for preventive checkups.
Scapula pain may be caused by physical and neurological reasons. In the latter case, the symptoms appear suddenly and are obvious. Due to the physical origin, the pain gradually worsens and lasts for a long time, and does not depend on physical movement.
Analgesics can be used to relieve unpleasant symptoms. However, in order to completely eliminate the pain, it is important to accept a complete treatment course aimed at getting rid of the underlying pathology. Only a doctor can formulate the correct treatment plan after a comprehensive examination.