Back pain in the shoulders: causes, diagnosis, full description of the problem

Many people experience back pain during their lifetime. They can be located in different areas for a large number of different reasons. If a person has back pain in the shoulder area, this symptom should not be ignored.

However, it is important to understand here that a momentary pain that quickly passed and no longer feels itself is not a cause for concern. On the contrary, anxiety is caused by systemic pains, regardless of their intensity and nature. Consider the causes and methods of diagnosing pain, let's talk about its nature and methods to get rid of it.

The nature of the pain

Pain is not an independent disease - it is only a symptom. The appearance of back pain can be due to a number of factors, starting from pain after sleeping in an uncomfortable position to serious pathological processes in the body.

To understand why the back hurts between the shoulder blades, it is important to find out the cause of the pain. But first it is worth considering another significant issue regarding the nature of painful sensations, which helps to determine the main cause of this symptom.

So, doctors distinguish the following degree of pain according to their nature:

• Acute- different sudden onset, but always very intense. Whether the back hurts below, above or between the shoulders, the pain appears spontaneously. At the same time, a certain feeling of "shooting" arises, a person can scream, shake with the whole body, bend sharply. Such a reflex reaction is caused not only by the suddenness and intensity of the painful sensation, we instinctively try to avoid unpleasant feelings.
• Deaf- is fundamentally different from the previous paragraph. It develops gradually and follows the patient for a long time. Dull pain is characterized by its monotony, it varies in intensity. In some cases, the painful sensation is so vivid that it prevents a person not only from moving or performing any action, but also from sleeping. Dull pains indicate muscle problems or depend on pathologies affecting tendons or ligaments. It tends to intensify during movement or physical exertion, is localized on both sides (in the region of both shoulder blades).
• sharp- not much different from strong, but still has certain features. Sharp pain, as the name implies, also occurs suddenly, however, it varies in intensity. It can be a sudden strong lumbago, causing the reflex actions described earlier. But in some cases, sharp pains are quite weak, although they bring a lot of discomfort. It often appears while performing any action, lifting weights, awkward movements, etc.
• stabbing- rather, it is not about the nature, but about the specifics of the painful sensations that manifest depending on a particular disease. Stitching pains are spontaneous and wavy, cyclical. They are the ones that often radiate, located in the back under the shoulder blades, give, for example, in the lower back, the level of the sacrum. Feeling a piercing pain of high intensity, patients say that a knife or a needle was stuck in a certain place.
• Pain- one of the types of pain of a dull nature. Such painful sensations are also characterized by persistence and duration. Painful pain is debilitating, it follows a person everywhere, regardless of his actions, even in the absence of movement and physical exertion. Localized between the shoulder blades on the spine, painful pains radiate to the chest area, patients have a feeling that the heart hurts, although there is no cardiac pathology. Painful pains are also characterized by cyclicity, they are constantly present, but tend to change in intensity.
• Pulling- this type of pain is characteristic of bony, muscular and ligamentous structures. The specificity of pain is related to the name, patients have a feeling that someone or something is pulling a muscle or bone in the place of localization of unpleasant sensations. Strong pain of a pulling nature brings a lot of discomfort, hinders movement, often radiates to nearby areas.
• Burning or burning pain- a rather rare type of pain, which is commonly called "backburn". Such sensations are characteristic of some forms and stages of osteochondrosis, it also burns the back with ischemic heart pathology. In the second case, the pain that appears in the shoulder area radiates;
• strong or weak- It is this indicator that is both the key and the most controversial for every doctor. If the back hurts a lot, it brings maximum discomfort, tires the person, makes him incapacitated. Weak pains are easier to bear and do not complicate life as much, but in most cases they are more prolonged and more difficult to treat. Subjective indicators of the intensity of painful sensations are because each person has a different degree of sensitivity to pain, a different pain threshold. In such cases, it is better to pay attention to the place where it hurts, in the middle, closer to the left or right shoulder blade.

We must not forget that it is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis based only on the nature of the pain. Moreover, even the concept of "character" is subjective, since each person has an individual sensitivity threshold and even the same disease can be accompanied by different symptoms.

In addition, pain in various pathological processes is often accompanied by other symptoms. Now we will consider which clinical signs may be present along with the pain:

• Numb behind- a clinical sign indicating neurological disorders. It is often observed with intercostal neuralgia, osteochondrosis of the chest region, spondyloarthrosis.
• Freeze back- Another symptom from a neurological range, which is combined with painful sensations. According to medical reference books, such a clinical sign is inherent in only two pathologies. In the first case, it is a question of damage to the nerve roots of the spinal cord, in the second case, the symptom is associated with an inflammatory disease, pyelonephritis.
• Increase in body temperature- with inflammation of internal organs, sometimes the pain is accompanied by pain between the shoulder blades. Most of these symptoms indicate pneumonia or tuberculosis.
• In some cases, pain in the scapular region is accompanied bymixed, but such a clinical sign usually appears with very strong painful sensations.

In the vast majority of cases, pain between the shoulder blades indicates diseases of the spine. However, there is always the possibility that painful sensations radiate due to the development of other pathologies, for example, diseases of internal organs, among which heart and lung pathologies are the most likely.

Why does the back hurt in the area of the shoulder blades

Even taking into account all types of characters of back pain in the shoulder area, it is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis based on this symptom alone. At the same time, in order to get rid of the pain completely and not temporarily relieve them with painkillers, it is necessary to find out the true cause of their occurrence.

To understand why there is back pain in the shoulder area, it is necessary to highlight the main causes of their appearance:

• Mechanical injuries of the spineespecially in the cervical or thoracic region. This is not just about recent injuries, including bruises, dislocations, sprains and fractures. Old injuries can remind themselves years later or serve as the development of other pathologies in which the spine hurts between the shoulder blades.
• Osteochondrosis- one of the most common causes of pain in different parts of the back. Of course, when it comes to pain in the shoulder blades, it means osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic region, that is, in the upper back.
• Posture disorder, that is, any pathology that can lead to curvature of the spine. First of all, scoliosis is implied in its various manifestations, but curvature can also occur due to banal flat feet. The most severe forms of spinal curvature are kyphosis and kyphoscoliosis;
• Disc herniationin the thoracic spine also provokes the development of pain. At the same time, the pain intensifies with movements, and the pathological process itself is dangerous by pressing on the nerves with the addition of neurological symptoms to the clinical picture.
• Periarthrosis of the shoulder joint or scapula- a disease of the musculoskeletal system, characterized by an inflammatory process in the periarticular tissues. The pathology is accompanied by acute symptoms of pain in the area of the scapula and upper limbs, significantly hindering the movements of the hands.
• Intercostal neuralgia- the pathological process is caused by disorders of neurological origin, compression of the nerves in the region of the ribs (chest). At the same time, the pains are radiating, touching, including the shoulder blades.

• Migrating or radiating pain in the shoulder area is often found withheart pathologiesamong which ischemia and myocardial infarction are often distinguished. In such cases the pain "radiates" from the heart to the back.
• pregnant- Another cause of back pain, including between the shoulder blades. The appearance of painful sensations is explained by the growth of the fetus, in which the center of gravity shifts and the load on all parts of the spine increases. Usually, the pain appears closer to the third trimester, when the fetus reaches a large size.
• Pain may occurafter vaccinationunder the shoulder blade This area is very suitable for injections and the fact that the vaccine is administered at the same time only increases the pain syndrome, which lasts 1-2 days.

It is difficult to single out all the causes of pain between the shoulder blades, as there are many of them. This list contains only the main ones. As for the less common causes, most of them are signs of other diseases. It is about diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, liver, kidneys, in each of these cases the pain radiates.

We must also not forget that there are pains associated with heavy physical exertion. They can be pathological or muscular, in the second case, you just need to rest the back muscles, with pathological pain it is important to consult a doctor.

Diagnosing

The doctor can accurately determine the causes of pain and make a diagnosis only on the basis of obtaining diagnostic data. For a wide range of reasons, diagnosis includes many procedures, among which these are the most requested:

• Initial examination and history taking- the doctor asks the patient about the location, frequency, nature and intensity of painful sensations. This is followed by an examination of the patient with palpation of the indicated painful areas and functional diagnostics, including hand movements, inclinations, etc.
• X-rays- if a person suffers from pain in the spine below, above or between the shoulders, the easiest way to identify the cause is an X-ray. This examination method allows you to determine the shape of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs, identify curvatures, violations, etc.
• CT scan- a modern and more informative diagnostic method that gives a more complete picture in the presence of spinal pathologies.
• Magnetic resonance imaging- this examination method is necessary in cases where radiography and CT did not provide the necessary information. MRI can detect pathologies affecting the spinal cord and its branches.

If the causes of pain are not identified during the examination of the spine, the diagnosis of pathologies of the cardiovascular system, organs of the gastrointestinal tract, etc. is required.

What to do if the back hurts between the shoulder blades

If a person feels a sharp pain in the spine between the shoulder blades for a long time, the painful sensations do not go away or their intensity is so high that there is no strength to endure, consult a doctor urgently.

The fight against most pathological processes with such symptoms does not tolerate self-medication, the fight against diseases takes place only under the guidance of a specialist. In addition, it is important to understand that in most cases, doctors use conservative methods of treatment.

The basis of treatment is drug therapy:

• The first task is to reduce the intensity of the pain or completely stop the pain in the back. For this, sedatives with analgesic action or antispasmodics are prescribed.
• The best treatment for various diseases of the musculoskeletal system are drugs from the group of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). They are prescribed in the form of ointments, injections, tablets. Thanks to the oils, the analgesic effect is achieved quickly, in addition, these drugs have an anti-inflammatory effect, and also allow you to reduce the local temperature.
• In some pathological processes, in order to cope with the root cause of pain, in combination with NSAIDs, group B drugs are prescribed. They help normalize metabolic processes in tissues, improve nerve conduction and are especially good for neuralgia and osteochondrosis.

If the back hurts under the shoulder blades, in addition to drug treatment, a course of physiotherapy is required, including the following procedures:

• Electrophoresis.
• Laser therapy.
• Magnetotherapy.
• Ultrasound.

The decision to appoint each treatment method is taken together with the doctor. The duration of therapy depends on the disease itself, the rate of its progression and other factors, but the full course includes at least 10 procedures. Only then can significant improvements be noticed.

To cope with the problem even more effectively and quickly, a course of massages is added to the complex of therapeutic measures. It must be performed by an experienced specialist. This procedure helps with shoulder blade injuries and most back ailments. However, massages are recommended in the presence of positive dynamics of drug treatment and physiotherapy. The treatment course normalizes blood circulation, accelerates metabolism, reduces pain, restores muscle tone and elasticity.

Then, massages are replaced with physiotherapy exercises, which allow you to consolidate the progress of recovery and prevent the further development of back diseases. The patient performs exercises that are accompanied by a small physical strain, the main emphasis is on stretching the muscles and keeping them in good shape. It is important to remember here that the intensity of the exercises increases gradually, the patient should not experience any discomfort. A systematic approach is also very important, but if you still feel back pain below the shoulder blades, seek the advice of a physiotherapist.

prevention

The back hurts below the shoulder blades or between them - this feeling is very unpleasant, especially if it is accompanied by the development of some pathological process. To protect yourself from diseases and back pain, follow these simple preventive recommendations:

• Always control physical activity, regardless of whether it is heavy sports or hard physical work at work. You cannot lift too much weight, overloading the back.
• If heavy lifting is unavoidable, do it properly. Lift weights only with a straight back.
• Maintain an active lifestyle and play sports in order to maintain your back muscles. It is more useful to do exercises every day, swim and hang on the horizontal bar.
• When sitting, try to keep your back straight, take a break every 1-2 hours, walk or warm up by doing a series of twists and squats.
• To prevent muscle back pain, osteochondrosis and other diseases, sleep on a flat and firm surface. Buy an orthopedic mattress and pillow that follows the shape of your head and neck.

By following these simple rules, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of developing diseases and back pain. But remember, if the pains appear, they do not go away for more than a week or they become very intense, be sure to consult a doctor. Timely diagnosis and initiation of treatment can minimize damage to the body and defeat the disease faster.