A difficult period comes for a person when their back often starts to hurt. This is not easy to cause discomfort and brings many inconveniences, but it can also make the patient insecure for a long time.
With the modern pace of life, people often neglect their health, talking about the lack of time. People try not to ask the question: why does the back hurt in the shoulder area?
They do not want to waste precious time going to the clinic and treating at home, no doubt that this sign can be a symptom of the presence of serious, even dangerous diseases.
Main reason
Why can there be a dull ache between the shoulder blades? Back pain symptoms in many people are related to various mechanical injuries of the spine, pinched nerves or muscle strain.
It should be borne in mind that the pain syndrome can be triggered by pathologies of the thoracic organs.
The causes of back pain between the shoulder blades can be divided into three categories:
- Diseases of the spine;
- diseases of internal organs;
- Other factors.
It is important to understand clearly and unequivocally that pain is a symptom, not a stand-alone disease. Before starting to use the medicines available in the home medicine cabinet, you should find out the cause: why do you have back pain between the shoulder blades?
To do this, you should go to a medical facility, consult a doctor, and describe in detail the symptoms, their onset and possible triggers: injury, occupational activity, v. v.
This information will help specialists determine the direction of examination and diagnosis.
Incorrect or untimely diagnosis can be harmful to human health. Therapy may be indicated, which will not give a positive effect and waste valuable time in treating the main cause of the pain.
It is important for a person himself to understand the causes of pain and to know the list of pathologies that can cause it.
Muscle tension
Excessive spasm or tension of muscle tissue does not belong to pathology, but is a symptom of excessive physiological stress, or, conversely, its absence.
According to experts, shoulder pain is common in patients whose occupational activities involve prolonged static muscle tension.
The risk group primarily includes people from the following specialties:
- Cashier;
- Office staff;
- Programmer
- Drivers, etc. v.
However, doctors say that a person's occupational activity is not always the main cause of this symptom. Many cases when examining patients with pain in the shoulder blade, most of them have dysplasia.
Hereditary disease, characterized by a defect in the fibrous structure due to insufficient production of collagen - a substance responsible for the strength and elasticity of connective tissue.
For this reason, muscle fibers and ligaments simply cannot withstand prolonged physiological stress.
Hurt
Perhaps the most obvious cause of shoulder blade back pain is trauma. Various types of hematomas, fractures, sprains that occur in the back due to mechanical damage are necessarily accompanied by a strong pain syndrome.
Spinal cord injuries can pose a real threat to human health. Displacement of the vertebral discs or violations of the spinal cord can cause complete or partial sensitization of the extremities, limitation of motor functions, and in special situations can lead to complete paralysis. .
If the spine between the shoulder blades is painful for a long time due to an emergency mechanical injury, you should immediately seek medical help, even if the injury seems minor.
Any bruise or unsuccessful landing from a height can cause damage to the vertebral disc, which can only be diagnosed with the help of special equipment.
Only a specialist after imaging tests and further X-ray, magnetic resonance or computed tomography scans can judge the severity of the lesion and prescribe appropriate treatment.
Intercostal neuralgia
The second name of this disease is thoracic pain. A disease that practically does not develop in children, but affects older people due to age-related changes, bruising and hypothermia.
Manifested by symptoms of acute pain and aching in the lower ribs. Shoulder back pain is also a co-occurring symptom, often appearing and intensifying when the body is changing posture.
The patient may hear a cry of pain when breathing, especially at times of forceful inhalation or exhalation.
Attention! Back pain between the shoulder blades and other symptoms similar to nerve pain can signal heart problems. It is important to recognize the problem promptly and take appropriate measures - this will save valuable time and possibly save the patient's life.
The main factor causing flare-ups of pain in the upper back with this condition is pinched or pinched nerve roots.
This disease develops against the background of many factors: bruises, bone necrosis, excessive physiological stress, metabolic disorders, stress, cold.
Muscle spasms or conversely, excessive muscle tone of the extensor muscles of the back, shoulders, and shoulder blades can also contribute to the development of the disease.
The symptoms of neuralgia are very similar to those of some pathologies of the heart - ischemic heart disease, angina attacks. Timely diagnosis and prompt response can save a life.
First you need to learn to distinguish between nerve pain and heart disease. For a quick diagnosis, two key distinctions between these pathologies are used.
Nerve pain is characterized by:
- Pain syndrome persists for a long time;
- Symptoms are aggravated by movement of the body, when trying to take a deep breath, or when exhaling and pressing on the ribs.
Differences, for example, angina, not body movements, or sneezing do not increase pain syndrome. However, dynamic physical movements can affect heart rate and blood pressure.
Symptoms partially or completely disappear within minutes of using a vasodilator, such as nitroglycerin. To rule out heart disease, contact a cardiologist and do an electrocardiogram.
Osteoarthritis of the spine
Pain in the spine between the shoulder blades is considered one of the main symptoms of osteonecrosis. The disease is characterized by damage to the intervertebral discs.
As the disease progresses, the disease begins to affect other areas of the musculoskeletal system, and can also affect the nervous system of the body. According to the localization of the development of the disease, necrosis of the lumbar, thoracic and cervical bones are distinguished.
The main factor in the development of the pathology is the lack of nutrition of the cartilage tissue of the joints. Previously, it was believed that the disease only affected the elderly group of patients, associated with age-related changes in the body.
However, today experts note an increase in patients at a younger age.
Experts mention the main factors in the development of the disease: a sedentary lifestyle, genetic factors, salt deposition, an unbalanced diet.
Attention! If your back is painful in the shoulder area due to a diagnosis of osteosarcoma, remember: physical activity, a comfortable workplace, and a well-balanced diet are effective treatments and prevention methods. fruit.
Therefore, severe pain rarely occurs due to osteonecrosis of the thoracic region. This part of the spine is the least mobile, and degenerative tissue changes occur there much more slowly than in the neck or lumbar region.
Usually, cervical spondylosis is a very common cause of pain between the shoulder blades in the spine. The pain "goes through" the entire spine, descending from the upper part of the spine to the lower back.
Discs of the spine
Disc herniation, according to some experts, is present in 30-40% of the population at one stage or another.
Most often, this pathology affects young people who lead a physically active lifestyle. It is trauma or heavy exertion that is the main cause of the development of the disease.
The mechanism of the disease is very simple. The disc is a jelly-like semi-liquid, enclosed by a rather dense shell. The main job of the disc is to soften and absorb movement of the vertebrae.
Due to various factors: trauma, musculoskeletal weakness, severe physiological stress, spinal pathology, etc. v. There is compression or compression of the spine and tearing of the outer sheath of the disc.
At the same time, jelly-like substances protrude into the spinal canal and compress one, two or more nerve endings, causing numbness and pain.
Importance! In the acute phase of the disease, massage sessions or warm compresses are contraindicated.
Contrary to popular belief, in the treatment of disease, in no case is it advisable to give up exercise.
It has been shown that the refusal of physical activities leads to muscle atrophy and prolongs the duration of the disease.
At the initial stage of development, the hernia is treated conservatively, but in the absence of a positive momentum of recovery within six months, the question of surgical intervention can be considered.
Diseases of internal organs
Pain between the shoulder blades and the spine can lead to internal diseases.
First of all, this applies to organs of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Common respiratory problems are: tuberculosis, pneumonia.
Common pathologies of the cardiovascular system are ischemic or in common people "angina pectoris". Refers to potentially life-threatening conditions.
It has similar symptoms to neuralgia and it is important to learn to distinguish between them.
If you have the following symptoms: severe pain in your back between your shoulder blades, shortness of breath, cold sweats and a rapid pulse, seek medical attention immediately.
Having some diseases of the digestive tract, the back between the shoulder blades also hurts. The main causes leading to this condition: peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, diffuse esophageal spasm.
These diseases often cause the following symptoms: burning in the esophagus, pain in the chest.
The patient complains of pain in the middle of the solar plexus and pain posteriorly between the shoulder blades. It is also not excluded that the back pain in the shoulder area can be caused by cancer.
Prevention and treatment
To determine an effective course of treatment for a particular disease, it is first necessary to answer the question: why does the back hurt between the shoulder blades? To do this, you should undergo a thorough examination by a specialist.
Treatment is prescribed after passing all the necessary procedures and on the basis of the diagnosis of a specialist. With the development of some diseases, self-medication is not only ineffective, but even dangerous.
As you know, any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. Back pain can have many different causes. What to do to remove them?
The answer is simple - engage in prevention. Most diseases develop against the background of an unhealthy lifestyle: give up bad habits, play sports, eat a balanced diet and this will at least halve the risk of developing these diseases. different diseases.