People associate back pain in the shoulder blade area with the condition of the spine. But pain in the upper back sometimes occurs due to diseases of the heart, vascular and respiratory systems, epigastric. The pain is deceptive, it is located in one place, for example, in the chest, and it can radiate to the back, so people think that it hurts the spine. Listening to the sensations, knowing the nature of the pain, possible symptoms, you can try to distinguish between the disease of the spine and the mediastinum. To do this, you need to know which diseases cause back pain.
forms
Back pain between the shoulder blades by nature is:
- Acute form - is felt on the rise, becomes strong over time, passes quickly enough;
- Chronic - Painful pain, worries for a long time, does not stop until corrective action is taken.
The pain can occur after sports or when a person is in a forced position for a long time, for example, sleeping without a pillow. Pain of any kind: Severe pain, aches, dull ache between the shoulder blades is not a disease, but a symptom of some disease. Therefore, before starting any treatment, it is recommended to find out the causes of back pain between the shoulder blades.
There is no need to immediately rush to the pills, first you need to visit a doctor. The specialist will assess the nature of the pain, establish a diagnosis and help answer the question of why the back hurts between the shoulder blades. It is not worth dwelling on spinal injuries, because if a person falls, the cause of pain in the spine between the shoulder blades is clear. And when a patient complains of pain of unknown etiology, the doctor will associate these diseases with the intervertebral spine.
with a hernia
Intervertebral hernia is rarely located in the thoracic spine. This spinal segment does not carry a great deal of load. But it still sometimes hurts in the spine between the shoulder blades for this reason. To exclude such a possibility, it is worth contacting a neurologist and doing research - CT scan, MRI.
With hernias, a process of pathology occurs between the vertebrae - part of the disc detaches, compressing the nerves.
The disc cracks, the core, which is a shock absorber, hits it, because the weight is now incorrectly distributed and the nerves are injured, there is back pain in the area of the shoulder blades. If this pathology is detected during the examination, treatment will be carried out with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The doctor will prescribe exercise therapy, physical therapy. If the hernia is large and cannot be healed, surgery is indicated.
A distinguishing feature of pain in a hernia will be intense pain in the same place radiating to the chest, as if the heart were stinging. If the treatment is not carried out for a long time, there will be a curvature, paresis of the legs, an imbalance in Organs pelvic organs. In addition, the patient is haunted by constant chronic pain between the shoulder blades in the back.
Hypothermia of the spinal muscles and overload
You can often hear that the patient has had a "lumbago". It is a symptom or pathological condition, not a disease. But if "lumbago" occurs, then this indicates the risk of developing osteochondrosis, scoliosis, hernia. This back pain in the shoulder blade region is felt by people who work without changing their body position for several hours every day.
The risk group are representatives of professions: office workers, seamstresses, dentists, drivers, surgeons. The work associated with a forced posture, which is combined with hypothermia - drafts or air conditioning, gives a reaction to the muscles and spine, there is pain in the spine. Treatment is carried out with non-steroidal drugs, ointments, massages. People who experience such conditions are given preventive measures:
- Regular massage courses;
- Yoga or exercise therapy;
- Avoid hypothermia and drafts;
- Walk more often.
Through prevention methods, the unpleasant symptoms associated with lumbago can be avoided.
with scoliosis
Scoliosis is a very common disease. Statistics say that 60% of a hundred people suffer from this disease. The thoracic region is most involved in scoliosis. Causes of Scoliosis:
- Congenital pathologies associated with the development of the skeletal system, ligament apparatus;
- sedentary work;
- Injury, when the load on the back was hysterical.
With scoliosis, the back between the shoulder blades hurts a lot, the spine begins to curve. The initial stage is barely noticeable, but if the disease progresses, spinal torsion is clearly visible. The back with this disease gets tired quickly, during a visual examination, the patient's shoulders are at different levels.
The pain is located between the shoulder blades in the back and is given behind the sternum. By the nature of pain, it is constant, like aches, but if physical overload occurs, the pain will be sharp, sharp.
The treatment of the disease is long. Scoliosis is corrected by stretching the vertebrae with a special corset that is worn on the back. The doctor prescribes massage and exercise therapy. Pain relievers and anti-inflammatory therapy will help reduce back pain between your shoulder blades.
with osteochondrosis
Now osteochondrosis is found even in children who have not reached puberty. And recently it was thought that this is a disease of an elderly person.
In any case, the cause of osteochondrosis is - inactivity. There is a joint change in the spine, that is, dystrophy. In this process, inflammation begins and the nerves in the spinal disc are compressed. That is why the back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades with osteochondrosis.
Pains are felt by nature - painful, when sneezing, when standing up abruptly or when coughing, it becomes very strong.
Patients are immobilized, breathing is difficult, there is weakness in the upper limbs, numbness and inability to move them. With osteochondrosis, they will prescribe anti-inflammatory agents intramuscularly, orally, as well as distracting ointments, pain relievers, special exercises to warm the diseased area. For disease prevention - activity and sports.
Manifestations of intercostal neuralgia
The cause of intercostal neuralgia is the occurrence of pressure on the nerve roots of the thoracic region. The culprits of this condition are injuries, infectious diseases, osteochondrosis and back strain. With neuralgia, the spine between the shoulder blades rarely hurts, one side of the sternum between the ribs often hurts, but in some cases it can hurt in the shoulder blades and moaning. The pain symptom intensifies if you press your hands on your sternum.
The treatment will be: physiotherapy, acupuncture, B vitamins, are able to restore nerve structures. If the disease gets worse, they put on a novocaine block, prescribe sedatives and distracting ointments.
Manifestations of muscular myositis
Myositis appears with a cold, overload of the spinal muscles, injuries, hypothermia. The inflammatory process of the muscles occurs in the acute and chronic period. The back can hurt in different parts and in the spine between the shoulder blades, the lower back can also hurt. The pains are painful in nature, with any movement they intensify. What to do with myositis? Pain relievers and warming ointments help.
Manifestations of Spondylarthrosis
By manifestation, the disease is similar to osteochondrosis, where the pain in the spine between the shoulder blades is chronic, with a load on the back intensifying. Also, the shoulder blades hurt more when the disease gets worse. The hallmark of spondyloarthrosis will be cartilaginous destruction of the vertebrae, where cartilage is replaced by bone. During diagnosis, these changes are observed on X-rays or MRI and if we examine the affected vertebra, bony protrusions will be found on it.
Treatment is prescribed complex. First, the pain is relieved - it can be painkillers, non-steroidal drugs, novocaine blocks.
Magnetotherapy and electrophoresis, laser, currents are prescribed. There are many physical therapy procedures for this disease, so we will leave that choice to the doctor. Traction is traction therapy. The areas where inflammation occurs are affected by the current, as a result of the reduction of spasms, production of endorphin, which serves as an analgesic. Back massage relaxes, eliminates pain.
A special massage is indicated for diseases associated with the spine, but cannot be used during exacerbations; therefore, any effect on the vertebrae is contraindicated. The same rule applies to acupuncture.
The main method of treatment and prevention of diseases of the spine will be physical therapy exercises - exercise therapy, horizontal bar exercises, that is, bending exercises. Swimming has proved itself very well, so it would be nice to go to the pool. All these methods must be under the guidance of experienced professionals, so the benefits are likely.
Pain in internal organs
If there is pain between the shoulder blades in the back, it does not mean that the cause is in the spine. All pathologies of organs located in the mediastinum have symptoms, where there is pain in the area of the shoulder blades. Wrong processes in the heart organ, the onset of myocardial infarction, angina pectoris cause pain under the shoulder blade. An acute attack is accompanied by a decrease in blood pressure. Be sure to call an ambulance.
The characteristic pains for these conditions are acute but last for about 5 minutes. Pain is relieved by taking nitroglycerin.
With ulcers and pancreatitis, the back also hurts in the area of the shoulder blades, but with these diseases, the pain can still be localized in the stomach, epigastric region, and dyspeptic disorders occur, so you need to listen carefully to the nature of your feelings and try to differentiate all symptoms.
If the back hurts in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulder blades and there is a cough, then it is possible that these are pathological changes in the respiratory system - pneumonia. With respiratory diseases, the temperature rises, the pain between the shoulder blades will be stronger with deep inspiration. Anyone who has had flu or acute respiratory infections can get sick with pleurisy, pneumonia. If there is no temperature during pain, then they are not accompanied by cardiovascular manifestations, cough and dyspeptic disorders.
how to relieve pain
Before the doctor arrives, you can try to alleviate your condition. You can do self-massage and special exercises to relieve pain:
- We put our fingers on our shoulders and begin to rotate our elbows;
- Raise your hands, closing your palms above your head. Head down. Twisting the body to the right and left side;
- Sitting on a chair, lower your head so that your chin touches your chest, place your fingers interlaced at the back of your head. Slowly press your hands to the back of your head. If there is severe pain, the exercise is stopped;
- Slow head rotation - sideways, backwards, sideways, forwards;
- Having thrown back, the right hand behind the head, while sitting, make slow leans to the left side. Change hands and lean in the opposite direction.
It is worth remembering that during the acute form of any disease, massage is contraindicated. Hands clenched into fists, thumbs out. From the lower back, circular movements of the fist over the skin go up. You can make circular movements stroking the spine, with the second and third fingers. It is important not to put pressure on the place where the pain is located. If during the massage movements the pain only intensifies, the procedure should be stopped.
Home remedies for pain relief include applying ointments and gels. It should be remembered that all these activities are only for pain relief but not for treatment. Actual therapy must be prescribed by a doctor, so if there is a temporary improvement, it does not mean that the disease has regressed. See a doctor immediately and stay healthy.