Pain under the left shoulder blade from the back can occur due to sudden movements, prolonged exposure to uncomfortable positions, sitting or lying down.But in this case, it quickly passes by itself.If the pain syndrome continues for a long time, becomes acute, stabbing or cutting in nature, and painkillers do not help, then you should immediately consult a doctor.Such pain under the shoulder blade on the left side of the back indicates pathology, and maybe it is severe.The patient needs urgent treatment, which depends not only on the nature of the pain, but also on the reason for its occurrence.
The main cause of pain under the left shoulder blade
There are many causes of pain, but they can all be divided into 2 groups:
- Pain related to the pathology of the musculoskeletal system.Pain under the left shoulder blade can be caused by osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic region, intercostal neuralgia, osteomyelitis, bone tuberculosis, scapula injury, rib fracture or crack, myofascial or scapulocostal syndrome.
- Pain that occurs due to diseases of internal organs.Pain under the left shoulder blade can be a symptom of heart disease, bronchopulmonary system, gall bladder, stomach ulcer, esophageal spasm, severity of pancreatitis.
Rare pathologies that cause pain to radiate to the shoulder blade include splenic rupture.This pathology requires immediate surgical treatment, because massive abdominal bleeding occurs with the risk of death.
No less dangerous for the body is pain in the back on the left side under the shoulder blade, which develops against the background of heart disease:
- ascending aortic aneurysm surgery;
- coronary heart disease;
- angina pectoris;
- pericarditis, myocarditis, pericarditis;
- myocardial infarction.
Pain in the left shoulder blade from the back, which radiates to the arm and chest area, may indicate heart disease.Limb numbness often occurs.Depending on the disease, accompanying symptoms appear: lack of air, throat compression, chest tightness, feeling of heart attack.
Let's take a closer look at the main causes of pain under the shoulder blade from the back on the left side.
Gallbladder disease
With cholecystitis and cholelithiasis, weight appears on the right side, radiating pain under the shoulder blade on the left side.Acute attacks of gallbladder inflammation cause severe pain, nausea, vomiting, and increased body temperature.If it is provoked by the obstruction of the bile duct by a stone, the pain syndrome occurs as biliary colic.
With chronic inflammation, the nature of the pain is pain.An unpleasant sensation appears after eating fatty food, with a long break between meals.
Delayed attacks can occur after physical or nervous tension, against the background of stress.
Subphrenic abscess
It is a collection of pus under the diaphragm.Most often, the abscess forms on the right side, but left localization is also possible.Pathology is indicated by the following symptoms:
- pain in the left side, radiating under the scapula to the sternum;
- acute pain in the chest, which increases when inhaling;
- high body temperature;
- Hiccups;
- increased sweating;
- non-productive cough;
- Dyspnea.
Without treatment, this disease can cause empyema, pneumonia, and lung abscess.
Bronchopulmonary disease
Diseases of the lower respiratory tract (bronchi, lungs and pleura) cause chest and scapular pain, which is always accompanied by a certain bronchopulmonary clinical picture:
- increased body temperature;
- weakness, lethargy;
- difficulty breathing;
- chest pain (usually from the affected lung) of moderate intensity, which increases when coughing or inhaling;
- cough;
- ringing
Pain syndrome in the back of the back in the area of the left shoulder blade most often occurs with pneumonia, dry pleurisy, pneumothorax, acute bronchitis or left lung abscess.
Kidney disease
Scapular pain may occur due to problems with the right kidney, as it is located close to the scapula.With its inflammation, the formation of infiltrates or purulent stones, the pain is often localized on the right side, but can also radiate to the left.The pain is often dull or aching, but can also be sharp.It is paroxysmal, ascending, that is, it rises from the lower back, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and high body temperature.
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
Problems with the spine and related neurological disorders are the main causes of back pain in the area of the left shoulder blade.Pain can occur with any movement, turning the body, sneezing, breathing, or taking a deep breath.They can radiate into the arm, combined with a crunching sound and limited mobility.
Often pain in the scapula area occurs due to the following diseases:
- cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis;
- herniated intervertebral disc;
- protrusion;
- scoliosis;
- Radiculitis.
Against the background of degenerative processes in the spine, not only blood vessels and nerve endings are pinched, but also muscle spasms.Muscle spasms cause scapular-costal syndrome.
One of the most common causes of pain in the scapula is cervical osteochondrosis.At first, the pain syndrome is mild, but when degenerative changes occur, it becomes acute and shooting.The pain is accompanied by dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision, and increased blood pressure.
More rare diseases of the musculoskeletal system that can cause scapular pain include osteomyelitis, bone tuberculosis, and malignant neoplasms.
Muscle tension and inflammation
The back muscles that surround the shoulder blades support the spine in the correct anatomical position and protect the internal organs located nearby.Their inflammation or injury is not only accompanied by pain, but also causes a decrease in muscle tone and the occurrence of instability in the shoulder.
Intercostal Neuralgia
This disease is accompanied by inflammation of the intercostal nerves and appears against the background of the following factors:
- injury to the ribs or spine;
- hypothermia;
- excessive physical activity;
- osteochondrosis.
The intensity of the pain syndrome depends on the severity of the pathology and the timeliness of the treatment.Pain can be painful, but sometimes it hurts so much that you can't stand it.
It is important to contact a neurologist in time, who will provide qualified help and, most importantly, on time, otherwise intercostal neuralgia will cause a person severe discomfort:
- The pain becomes a shooting, cutting nature;
- Pain increases when moving your hands, coughing or inhaling;
- numbness occurs in the affected area of the body;
- Heart rhythm is disturbed.
Disease or injury of the scapula
Cracks and fractures of the scapula, glenohumeral arthritis are accompanied by pain, limitation of movement, damage to blood vessels and pinched nerve endings.
Injuries to the scapula are more common among athletes, patients with osteoporosis, and bone tissue cancer.
Type of pain under the shoulder blade on the left side
Before proceeding with diagnosis and treatment, it is important to understand the nature, localization, intensity of pain, their relationship with movement, breathing, and eating.If it hurts under the left shoulder blade after eating, then heart pathology and diseases of the musculoskeletal system can be ruled out.The cause of pain is diseases of the gallbladder, pancreas, and stomach.
The nature of the pain syndrome can be girdling, acute, burning, increasing, aching, dull, sharp.
Pain in the left shoulder blade
It can be permanent or periodic, indicating both pathology of internal organs and diseases of the spine.Without treatment, it can turn into a stinging, burning sensation.Attacks occur more often when raising the arm, physical activity, or staying in one position for a long time.
Occurs with scoliosis, chronic cholecystitis, scapular-costal syndrome, intervertebral disc herniation, early stages of cervical osteochondrosis, bruises and other minor injuries, intercostal neuralgia.
Acute pain under the left shoulder blade
This is a severe pain syndrome in the back below the shoulder blade, which limits movement and makes breathing difficult.Features for myocardial infarction, shoulder joint bursitis, suppression of osteochondrosis, spondylosis, hernia, subphrenic abscess, pleurisy, acute cholecystitis, intercostal neuralgia.
Sharp pain in the area of the left shoulder blade
It may occur suddenly or be the result of prolonged pain.Shooting, sharp pain is a sign of osteochondrosis, hernia, trauma, intercostal neuralgia, tuberculosis of the scapula, aortic aneurysm, perforated gastric ulcer, radiculitis.
Stitching pain behind left shoulder blade
It manifests itself as Lumbago, which is typical of nerve endings in diseases of the musculoskeletal system.If it is accompanied by chest compression and lack of air, then myocardial infarction or lung abscess cannot be ruled out.
Pulling pain in the left side of the back under the shoulder blade
Which exists in most pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, as well as bronchopulmonary diseases.
Constant pain on the left side under the shoulder blade
Such pain does not leave the patient even in a lying position.It interferes with sleeping, breathing, and walking.Often, the pain worsens with physical activity, coughing, and sneezing.
Persistent pain or pain occurs as a result of spinal or scapular injuries, scapulochibular syndrome, bronchopulmonary disease, pyelonephritis, and oncology.Girdle pain with disorders of the digestive system is characteristic of patients with acute pancreatitis.
Burning pain in the left side of the shoulder blade
It is simply unbearable and occurs with intercostal neuralgia, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, muscle tension.
Important!If the burning sensation that spreads to the sternum is accompanied by shortness of breath, you should immediately call an ambulance.This is a sign of a heart attack.
How to relieve pain under the left shoulder blade
Painful sensations under the shoulder blade on the left side, especially if they are quite intense, interfere with movement and breathing freely, require qualified help, because they pose a threat to human health and life.You cannot ignore them and self-medicate.Taking analgesics, antispasmodics and other painkillers can relieve pain, but will not eliminate the cause, which must be found by a doctor.
Important!Emergency care will be required in case of severe pain with increasing intensity and rapid deterioration in well-being.
Which doctor should I consult for pain on the left side under the scapula?
At the first painful sensation in the shoulder blade area, you should consult a specialist and undergo diagnostics.Since back pain is often neurological in nature, you should make an appointment with a neurologist.
The doctor will conduct a visual examination, study the patient's complaints, make a clinical picture: the nature and state of the pain syndrome (in a lying position, during movement), its intensity, accompanying symptoms.
To understand exactly why your back hurts, your doctor will prescribe additional examinations:
- Laboratory - clinical analysis of blood and urine, which will show the inflammatory process;
- Instrumental, necessarily including MRI, because this diagnostic method provides the most accurate information about the condition of the spine, muscle tissue, nerve endings and blood vessels.
If instrumental diagnostics reveals a pathology that is not within the competence of the neurologist, the doctor will refer the patient to a therapist, pulmonologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist, traumatologist or other specialist.
Treatment of pain on the left side of the shoulder blade
All therapeutic measures are aimed at eliminating the root cause and relieving pain.Doctors choose drugs based on why the pain in the shoulder blade area occurs.
If the cause is a disease of the musculoskeletal system or its complications, then drug therapy looks like this:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- muscle relaxants;
- analgesics;
- Local anesthetic agents.
Drug therapy must be supplemented with physiotherapy treatment, massage, and therapeutic exercises.
If conservative therapy does not provide the desired therapeutic effect, surgery is indicated for the patient.
When it matters where the pain is in the shoulder blade: right or left
Heart diseases, especially severe ones such as myocardial infarction, show themselves with left symptoms.This condition is similar to injury and rupture of the spleen.This pathology can cause the death of the patient, so the localization of pain is very important.
Remember, self-medication can only worsen your health condition and contribute to the development of complications.If there is persistent discomfort in the area of the left shoulder blade, professional help is needed.