People associate back pain in the area of the shoulder blades with the condition of the spine. But pain in the upper back sometimes occurs due to heart, vascular and respiratory systems, epigastric diseases. The pain is deceptive, it is localized in one place, for example, in the chest, and can radiate to the back, so people think that it will hurt in the spine. By listening to feelings, knowing the nature of pain, possible symptoms, you can try to distinguish between spinal and mediastinal disease. For this, you need to know what diseases cause back pain.
Forms
The nature of back pain between the shoulder blades is as follows:
- Acute form - is felt on the rise, strengthens over time, passes quickly enough;
- Chronic - painful pain, uncomfortable for a long time, does not stop until corrective measures are taken.
Pain can occur after exercise or when a person is in a forced position for a long time, for example, when sleeping without a pillow. Pain of any nature: severe pain, aches, dull pain between the shoulder blades is not a disease, but a symptom of some diseases. 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 rush to buy pills immediately, you should consult a doctor first. The specialist will assess the nature of the pain, make a diagnosis and 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 obvious. And when the patient complains of pain of unknown etiology, the doctor will associate these diseases with the intervertebral column.
With a hernia
Intervertebral hernia is rarely localized in the thoracic spine. This segment of the spine does not carry a large load. But still, sometimes because of this, there are pains in the spine between the shoulder blades. To rule out such a possibility, it is worth contacting a neurologist and conducting research - CT, MRI.
With hernias, a pathological process occurs between the vertebrae - part of the disc protrudes, compressing the nerves.
The disc cracks, the nucleus, which is a shock absorber, hits it, because the excess weight is distributed incorrectly and the nerves are damaged, there is back pain in the area of the shoulder blades. If this pathology is detected during the examination, then the treatment will be carried out with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The doctor will prescribe exercise therapy and physiotherapy. If the hernia is large and cannot be treated, then surgical intervention is indicated.
A distinctive feature of pain in a hernia will be a sharp pain in the same place, radiating to the chest, like a heart attack. If the treatment is not carried out for a long time, then there is curvature, paresis of the legs, imbalance in the pelvic organs appears. In addition, the patient is followed by constant chronic pain between the shoulder blades in the back.
Hypothermia and overexertion of spinal muscles
It is often heard that the patient has "lumbago". It is not a disease, but a symptom or pathological condition. But if "lumbago" occurs, it indicates the risk of developing osteochondrosis, scoliosis, hernia. Even back pain in the area of the shoulder blades is felt by people who work for several hours every day without changing their body position.
The risk group is representatives of professions: office workers, tailors, dentists, drivers, surgeons. Work associated with forced posture combined with hypothermia - draft or conditioning, reacts to the muscles and spine, there are pains in the spine. Treatment is carried out with non-steroid drugs, ointments, massages. Preventive measures are recommended for people facing such situations:
- regular massage courses;
- Yoga or exercise therapy;
- avoid hypothermia and drafts;
- Walk more often.
Unpleasant symptoms associated with lumbago can be avoided through preventative measures.
With scoliosis
Scoliosis is a very common disease. According to statistics, 60% of a hundred people suffer from this disease. The thoracic region is more 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 is hysterical.
Between scoliosis and shoulder blades, the back hurts a lot, the spine begins to bend. The initial stage is almost imperceptible, but if the disease progresses, then the vertebral twist is clearly visible. The back gets tired quickly with this disease, during visual examination, the patient's shoulders are at different levels.
The pain is localized between the shoulder blades in the back and is given behind the sternum. Due to the nature of the pain, it is stable like aches, but if physical exertion occurs, the pain will be strong, sharp.
Treatment of the disease is long. Scoliosis is corrected by stretching the vertebrae with a special corset worn on the back. The doctor prescribes massage and exercise therapy. Analgesics and anti-inflammatory therapy will help reduce back pain between the shoulder blades.
With osteochondrosis
Now, osteochondrosis is found even in children who have not reached puberty. And recently it was thought to be an old man's disease.
In any case, the cause of osteochondrosis is inactivity. There is an articular change in the spine, that is, dystrophy. In this process, inflammation begins, the nerves of 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 - they hurt, they are very strong when you sneeze, stand up suddenly or cough.
Patients become immobile, breathing becomes difficult, weakness in the upper limbs, numbness and inability to move them. With osteochondrosis, they will prescribe intramuscularly, orally, anti-inflammatory substances, as well as distracting ointments, analgesics, special exercises to warm the diseased area. For the prevention of disease - activity and sports.
Manifestations of intercostal neuralgia
The cause of intercostal neuralgia is the formation of pressure on the roots of the nerves of the thoracic region. The culprits of this condition are injuries, infectious diseases, osteochondrosis and strain on the back. With neuralgia, the spine rarely hurts between the shoulder blades, one side of the sternum between the ribs often hurts, but in some cases it can ache and ache in the shoulder blades. If you press your hands on the sternum, the symptom of pain intensifies.
There will be treatment: physiotherapy, acupuncture, B vitamins, they can restore nerve structures. If the disease worsens, then they put novocaine blockade, prescribe sedatives and distracting ointments.
Manifestations of muscle myositis
Myositis appears with a cold, excessive tension of the spinal muscles, injuries, hypothermia. The inflammatory process of the muscles occurs in the acute period and chronically. The back can hurt in different parts and in the spine between the shoulder blades, the lower back can also hurt. The pains are aching in nature, intensify with any movement. What to do with myositis? Pain-relieving and warming ointments help.
Manifestations of spondylarosis
In its manifestations, the disease is similar to osteochondrosis, where the pain in the spine between the shoulder blades is chronic, aggravated by back load. Also, when the disease worsens, the shoulder blades hurt more. A symptom of spondyloarthrosis will be cartilaginous destruction of the vertebrae, where the cartilage is replaced by bone. During the diagnosis, these changes are observed on X-ray or MRI, and if we examine the affected vertebrae, bone protrusions will be revealed.
Treatment is prescribed in a complex manner. First, the pain is eliminated - it can be analgesics, non-steroidal drugs, novocaine blockades.
Magnetotherapy and electrophoresis, laser, currents are prescribed. There are many physiotherapy procedures for this disease, so we will leave this choice to the doctor. Traction is traction therapy. Areas where inflammation occurs are affected by the current, as a result of which spasms are reduced, and endorphins are produced, which serve as analgesics. Back massage relaxes and relieves pain.
A special massage is indicated for diseases related to the spine, but it cannot be used during an exacerbation, then any effect on the vertebra is contraindicated. The same rule applies to acupuncture.
The main method of treatment and prevention of spine diseases will be physiotherapy exercises - exercise therapy, exercises on a horizontal bar, that is, stretching exercises. Swimming has proven itself very well, so it would be good to go to the pool. All these methods should be under the guidance of experienced specialists, then the benefits will be expected.
Pain in internal organs
If there is pain in the back between the shoulder blades, this does not mean that the cause is in the spine. All pathologies of organs located in the mediastinum have symptoms with pain in the area of the shoulder blades. Incorrect processes in the heart body, the onset of myocardial infarction, angina pectoris cause pain under the shoulder blade. An acute attack is accompanied by a drop in blood pressure. Be sure to call an ambulance.
Pains characteristic of these conditions are sharp, but their duration is about 5 minutes. Pain is relieved by taking nitroglycerin.
With ulcers and pancreatitis, the back also hurts in the region of the shoulder blades, but with these diseases, the pain can still be localized in the stomach, epigastric region and in dyspeptic disorders, so you need to listen carefully. try to distinguish the nature of your feelings and all the symptoms.
If the back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades and there is a cough, then there may be pathological changes in the respiratory system - pneumonia. With respiratory diseases, the temperature rises, the pain between the shoulder blades will be stronger with deep inhalation. Anyone with flu or acute respiratory infections can get pleurisy, pneumonia. If there is no temperature during the pain, they are not accompanied by cardiovascular manifestations, cough and dyspeptic disorders.
How to relieve pain
You can try to relieve your condition yourself before the arrival of the doctor. You can do self-massage and special exercises to relieve pain:
- We put our fingers on our shoulders and begin to turn our elbows;
- Raise your hands up, close your palms above your head. Head down. Twisting the body to the right and left;
- Sitting in a chair, lower your head so that your chin touches your chest, join your fingers behind your head. Slowly clasp your hands behind your head. If there is severe pain, the exercise is stopped;
- Slow rotation of the head - side, back, side, forward;
- Jumping back, right hand behind the head, while sitting, make slow inclinations to the left. Switch hands and lean in the opposite direction.
It should be remembered that massage is contraindicated during the acute form of any disease. The hands are clenched into fists, thumbs come out. Starting from the lower back, circular movements of the fist on the skin go up. With your second and third fingers, you can make circular strokes on the spine. It is important not to put pressure on the place where the pain is localized. If the pain only increases during massage movements, 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, not for treatment. The actual therapy must be prescribed by the doctor, so if there is a temporary improvement, it does not mean that the disease has receded. See a doctor immediately and stay healthy.