People associate back pain in the area of the shoulder blades with a condition of the spine. But upper back pain sometimes occurs due to heart, vascular and respiratory, 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 the pain is in the spine. By listening to the sensations, knowing the nature of the pain, the possible symptoms, you can try to distinguish the disease of the spine and mediastinum. To do this, you need to know what diseases cause back pain.
Forms
Back pain between the shoulder blades is by nature:
- Acute form - felt when rising, gets stronger over time, goes away quite quickly;
- Chronic - aching pain, worries you for a long time, does not stop until corrective measures are taken.
Pain can occur after sports or if a person is in a forced position for a long time, for example sleeping without a pillow. Pain of any kind: strong pain, aches, dull pain 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 about the causes of back pain between the shoulder blades.
You don't need to rush for pills right away, you need to consult a doctor first. The specialist assesses the nature of the pain, makes a diagnosis, and helps 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 reason for the pain in the spine between the shoulder blades is clear. And when the patient complains of pain of unknown origin, the doctor associates these diseases with the intervertebral column.
With a hernia
Intervertebral hernia is rarely localized in the thoracic spine. This segment of the spinal column does not carry a large load. But sometimes the spine between the shoulder blades still hurts, precisely because of this. In order 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, pinching the nerves.
The disc ruptures, the core, which is a shock absorber, hits it, because now the weight is distributed badly and the nerves are damaged, there are backaches around the shoulder blades. If this pathology is detected during the examination, treatment is carried out with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The doctor prescribes exercise therapy and physiotherapy. If the hernia is large and cannot be cured, then surgical intervention is necessary.
The distinguishing feature of hernia pain is severe pain in the same place with irradiation of the chest, as if the heart is stabbing. If the treatment is not carried out for a long time, curvature of the legs, paresis, and imbalance in the pelvic organs occur. In addition, the patient is accompanied by constant chronic pain between the shoulder blades of the back.
Hypothermia and overtension of the spinal muscles
It is often heard that the patient had "lumbago". It is a symptom or abnormal condition, not a disease. But if "lumbago" occurs, it indicates the risk of developing osteochondrosis, scoliosis, hernia. Such back pain in the region of the shoulder blades is felt by people who work for several hours a day without changing their posture.
The risk group is representatives of the professions: office workers, seamstresses, dentists, drivers, surgeons. Forced work, combined with hypothermia - a draft or air conditioning - gives a reaction to the muscles and the spine, there are pains in the spine. The treatment is performed with non-steroidal drugs, ointments, and massage. For those experiencing such conditions, preventive measures are presented:
- Regular massage courses;
- Yoga or exercise therapy;
- Avoid hypothermia and drafts;
- Walk more often.
Unpleasant symptoms associated with lumbago can be avoided with preventive methods.
With scoliosis
Scoliosis is a very common disease. According to statistics, 60% of a hundred people suffer from this disease. The chest region is more often affected in scoliosis. Causes of scoliosis:
- Congenital pathologies related to the development of the skeletal system and ligamentous apparatus;
- Sedentary work;
- Injury when the load on the back was hysterical.
In case of scoliosis, the back between the shoulder blades hurts a lot, and the spine begins to curve. The initial stage is almost imperceptible, but if the disease progresses, the vertebral torsion is clearly visible. The back gets tired quickly with this disease, during a visual examination the patient's shoulders are at different levels.
The pain is localized on the back between the shoulder blades and occurs behind the sternum. Pain is constant by nature, like aches, but when physical overload occurs, the pain becomes strong, sharp.
The treatment of the disease is long. Scoliosis is corrected by stretching the vertebrae with a special brace worn on the back. The doctor prescribes massage and exercise. Pain relievers and anti-inflammatory therapy can help reduce back pain between the shoulder blades.
With osteochondrosis
Now, osteochondrosis can be found even in children who have not yet reached puberty. And recently it was thought to be an old person's disease.
In any case, the cause of osteochondrosis is inactivity. There is a joint change in the spine, namely dystrophy. In this process, inflammation begins and the nerves of the disc are pinched. That is why the back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades with osteochondrosis.
The pains are felt by nature - they hurt, they become very strong when sneezing, standing up suddenly or coughing.
Patients are immobilized, breathing is difficult, weakness in the upper limbs, numbness and immobility. In case of osteochondrosis, anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed intramuscularly or orally, as well as soothing ointments, pain relievers, and special exercises to warm up the diseased area. To prevent diseases - activity and sports.
Manifestations of intercostal neuralgia
The cause of intercostal neuralgia is pressure on the roots of the nerves in the chest region. This condition is caused by injuries, infectious diseases, osteochondrosis and back strain. In case of neuralgia, the spine between the shoulder blades rarely hurts, often one side of the sternum between the ribs hurts, but sometimes the shoulder blades can also hurt and whine. The symptom of pain intensifies if you press your hand on the sternum.
The treatment will be: physiotherapy, acupuncture, B vitamins, they can restore the nervous system. If the disease worsens, novocaine blockade is used, sedatives and distracting ointments are prescribed.
Manifestations of muscle myositis
Myositis occurs with cold, overstretching of the spinal muscles, injuries, and hypothermia. The inflammatory process of the muscles occurs in the acute period and chronically. It can hurt in different parts of the back and in the spine between the shoulder blades, as well as the lower back. The pains are aching and get worse with any movement. What to do in case of myositis? Pain-relieving and warming ointments help.
Manifestations of spondylarthrosis
According to its manifestation, the disease is similar to osteochondrosis, where the pain of the spine between the shoulder blades is chronic and the load on the back increases. In addition, the shoulder blades hurt more when the disease worsens. Spondyloarthrosis is characterized by cartilaginous destruction of the vertebrae, where the cartilage is replaced by bone. During the diagnosis, these changes are detected on an X-ray or MRI, and if we examine the affected vertebra, we find bony protrusions on it.
Treatment is prescribed in a complex manner. First, the pain is relieved - it can be painkillers, non-steroidal drugs, novocaine blockades.
Magnetotherapy and electrophoresis, laser, currents are prescribed. There are many physiotherapy procedures for this disease, so we leave this choice to the doctor. Traction is traction therapy. Inflammatory areas are affected by electricity, as a result of which spasms are reduced, and endorphins are produced, which serve as pain relievers. The back massage relaxes and eliminates pain.
Special massage is recommended for diseases related to the spine, but cannot be used during exacerbations, then any effect on the vertebrae is contraindicated. The same rule applies to acupuncture.
The main method of treatment and prevention of spinal diseases is physiotherapy exercises - gymnastics, exercises on a horizontal band, namely pull-up exercises. Swimming worked really well, it would be nice to go to the swimming pool. All these methods should be done under the guidance of experienced professionals, then the benefits are likely.
Pain in internal organs
If there are pains in the back between the shoulder blades, this does not mean at all that the cause lies in the spine. All pathologies of the organs located in the mediastinum are associated with symptoms in which pain occurs in the area of the shoulder blades. Bad processes of the heart organ, the development of a heart attack, angina pectoris cause pain under the shoulder blade. An acute attack is accompanied by a drop in blood pressure. Call an ambulance without fail.
The pains characteristic of such conditions are acute, but their duration is about 5 minutes. The pain is relieved by taking nitroglycerin.
In case of ulcer and pancreatitis, the back also hurts around the shoulder blades, but in these diseases, the pain can still be localized in the stomach, in the epigastric region, and dyspeptic disorders occur, so it is necessary to carefully listen to the nature of your sensations and try to distinguish between allsymptom.
If the back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades and there is a cough, it is possible that these are pathological changes in the respiratory system - pneumonia. In case of respiratory diseases, the temperature rises, the pain between the shoulder blades becomes stronger with deep inhalation. Anyone who has had the flu or an acute respiratory infection can get pleurisy or pneumonia. If there is no temperature under the pain, it is not accompanied by cardiovascular manifestations, cough and dyspeptic disorders.
How to relieve pain
You can try to alleviate your condition yourself before the doctor arrives. To relieve pain, you can perform self-massage and special exercises:
- We put our fingers on our shoulders and start rotating our elbows;
- Raise your hands, close your palms above your head. Head off. Twisting the body to the right and left;
- Sitting in a chair, lower your head so that your chin touches your chest, and place your interlaced fingers on the back of your head. Slowly press your hand to the back of your head. If severe pain occurs, the exercise is stopped;
- Slow rotation of the head - side, back, side, forward;
- After throwing it back, slowly bend your right hand behind your head to the left while sitting. Switch hands and lean in the opposite direction.
It is worth remembering that massage is contraindicated during the acute form of any disease. Hands clenched into fists, thumb sticking out. Starting from the lower back, the circular movements of the fist move up the skin. You can make movements, stroking the spine in a circle, with the second and third fingers. It is important not to apply pressure to the place where the pain is localized. If the pain only increases during the massage movements, the procedure should be stopped.
Home remedies for pain relief include the use of ointments and gels. It should be remembered that all these activities are only for the reduction of pain, but not for treatment. The real therapy must be prescribed by a doctor, so if a temporary improvement occurs, it does not mean that the disease has receded. See a doctor immediately and stay healthy.