When most people experience back pain between the shoulder blades, they associate its appearance with various disorders of the spine, nerve roots, ligaments, intervertebral discs or the disc itself.But it should be remembered that such painful sensations can also be associated with other diseases of the chest organs - stomach, heart, respiratory system, mediastinal organs.
Such pain can be acute, increasing quickly and passing quickly or increasing significantly over time, or chronic, causing discomfort to the patient for a long time and requiring accurate diagnosis, since it can be a symptom of serious pathology in any organ of the chest.Sometimes pain between the shoulder blades can occur only after sudden exertion or after being in a certain uncomfortable position for a long time.
It should be remembered that pain in the interscapular region is not a disease, but a symptom, and before using any ointments to relieve back pain or injections, it is necessary to determine the true cause of their appearance.When contacting a doctor, it is very important to describe all the smallest symptoms accompanying the pain, the time of their appearance, the provoking factors that cause the pain to increase, because the doctor needs to help determine the direction of the examination, and sometimes it is difficult to establish an accurate diagnosis without accurate data about the nature of the pain.
Very often, timely determination of the true cause of pain between the shoulder blades forces a person to undergo many expensive and lengthy examinations, use various treatment options, sometimes inappropriately prescribed and therefore not giving the desired results.Therefore, it is very important that the patient himself knows about the list of possible diseases that are characteristic of this pain syndrome.
Pain due to spinal disease
We will not focus on the obvious causes such as bruises, trauma, dislocations and vertebral fractures but will look at other possible causes of that back pain.
Intervertebral hernia
You should know that vertebral herniation in the thoracic spine is a very rare occurrence, because this part of the spine does not bear increased loads like the cervical and lumbar regions.To diagnose or rule out this condition, a neurologist or osteopath will refer the patient for an MRI or CT scan.Changes in disc herniation are due to the fact that the annulus fibrosus - the outer part of the disc begins to protrude from the tear, at the same time the distance between the vertebrae decreases and the nerve roots are compressed.That is, the annulus fibrosus cracks and the nucleus pulposus (shock absorber in the middle of the disc) begins to protrude into it.
If such a hernia is detected, doctors will prescribe NSAIDs (anti-inflammatory drugs), physiotherapy, exercise, acupressure, and in severe cases prescribe surgery.The difference between the pain of a thoracic intervertebral hernia and other conditions is that it is localized to one place and the pain can also radiate into the chest, which can mimic symptoms of pulmonary or cardiac dysfunction.If intervertebral hernia is left untreated for a long time, curvature of the spine, paralysis of the lower limbs, dysfunction of the pelvic organs and chronic pain syndrome may occur.
Overexertion combined with back muscle hypothermia
Excessive back strain can also cause pain in the shoulder blade area;This is not considered a disease, but with frequent excessive carrying, lifting heavy objects, sitting for a long time or in a monotonous position, the risk of developing osteoarthritis, scoliosis and intervertebral hernia increases.Such pain often affects people whose work requires them to be in the same position for several hours a day - these are tailors, drivers, office workers, surgeons.
Sometimes, when combining such an occupation and air conditioning, hypothermia, called lumbago, may occur, when the pain becomes more intense and it is necessary to prescribe NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), use warming drugs, distracting ointments, massage, etc.
To prevent such complications, you should try to avoid drafts, lead a maximally active lifestyle, practice yoga, Bodyflex, therapeutic exercises and undergo a professional massage course every six months.
Spinal tuberculosis
Today, many doctors seem to "forget" this disease, and for some unknown reason the anti-tuberculosis service in the country is increasingly deteriorating, but nearly 90% of the population has been infected with Mycobacteria tuberculosis since childhood.If a person has an injury, especially to the back or joints, or is simply very cold, with a very weak immune system, a tuberculosis foci often appears at the wound site, which, even with an X-ray, cannot always be recognized in time by specific signs.
Usually in such cases, the diagnosis is made only when the person is exhausted from terrible pain and has some complications.With this disease, the patient may feel very intense pain and burning between the shoulder blades;Patients describe it as being twisted or drilled into one point of the spine, and when the center of gravity is localized in the thoracic spine, the pain radiates down to the chest, including a burning, burning sensation and pain.
Spinal tuberculosis is a very insidious disease. When it occurs in parts of the spine, the patient does not always have damage to the lungs;it can be an independent focus of tuberculosis infection in any part of the spine.People are used to the idea that tuberculosis is a disease that affects only the lower social classes of the population and is usually localized to the lungs.This is a huge misconception!
When the body's defenses are weakened, the Koch bacillus, present in almost every person's body, is activated in the weakest organs and a slow inflammatory process begins;these could be the kidneys, lymph nodes, female fallopian tubes, prostate or testicles in men, or individual vertebrae in the spine or joints in the limbs.
scoliosis
According to statistics, nearly 50% of the population has varying degrees of scoliosis development - curvature, twisting of the spine, and most often the thoracic spine combined with the cervical or lumbar spine.And because the ribs are connected to the chest area, the shape of the chest also changes.There are quite a few reasons for its development - these are congenital pathologies of ligaments, bones, as well as acquired ones - physical overload, sedentary office work or, for students, sitting at a desk.
With lateral and direct chest X-rays, a surgeon, neurologist, orthopedist, or osteopath can make the same diagnosis.Treatment of such a pathology must be very intensive and long-term - including massage, wearing a special corset and therapeutic exercises.With scoliosis, back pain between the shoulder blades is the leading symptom and it also has the following symptoms:
- In the early stages, the curvature may be difficult to see, but as scoliosis progresses, when the patient is examined from behind, the curvature becomes apparent.
- When you have scoliosis, your back muscles will get more tired
- Shoulder and arm positions can be at different heights
- The pain that causes discomfort in the patient's chest is often localized on one side
- The pain between the shoulder blades may be intermittent due to overexertion or prolonged standing or sitting, or it may be constant.
Osteocartilage degeneration
Since the early stages of osteonecrosis are now detected even in ten-year-old children, this pathology can rightly be called the scourge of modern city dwellers.Recently, this disease was considered a disease of the elderly, but modern life, a sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle lead to the early development of dystrophic changes in the joints and spine.The cause of back pain is the inflammatory process that develops in the tissues surrounding the damaged vertebrae as well as nerve root compression.The following symptoms are characteristic of osteonecrosis:
- Constant back pain, aggravated by sneezing, coughing, sudden changes in body position, and physical activity
- When you straighten your shoulders, you may hear a cracking sound between your shoulder blades
- Chest pain can be described as feeling like there is a pile
- Reduced mobility of the ribs leads to difficulty breathing and the patient begins to breathe through the stomach.
- Movement in the hand is limited, there is a feeling of weakness, tingling or numbness in the hand.
Intercostal neuralgia
Intercostal neuralgia usually causes pain in one side of the chest, but in rare cases, it can also be in the shoulder area.This happens in situations where compression of nerve roots in the chest area occurs due to excessive stress, hypothermia, trauma, infectious diseases or osteoarthritis in the chest area.
When suffering from intercostal neuralgia, symptoms and pain increase when there is pressure on the chest, when coughing and can make the patient uncomfortable all day and night.Since pain from osteoarthritis, scoliosis and intercostal neuralgia is difficult to distinguish, to clarify the diagnosis, you should contact qualified orthopedists, neurologists, osteopaths and surgeons.
Degeneration of the spine
This disease is very similar to osteochondrosis in the nature of pain, factors that increase pain with load and changes in body position.It is also chronic in nature, with periods of exacerbation and remission.It is possible to distinguish spondylosis from osteoarthritis only with the help of X-rays, MRI or CT.With this disease, cartilage is destroyed and replaced by bone tissue, so protruding bones can be seen on the vertebrae.
Back myositis
After any hypothermia, acute respiratory viral infection, influenza, muscle strain or back injury, inflammation of muscle tissue may occur - myositis.Like any disease, it can be acute or chronic.The pain can be in any part of the spine;It is painful in nature and is also enhanced by palpation, movement and physical activity.This is not a dangerous condition and using warming and pain-relieving ointments to treat back pain often helps.
Diseases of internal organs
As we said, pain in the back of the shoulder blades is not always a sign of spinal diseases;Almost all diseases of the mediastinal organs, heart, stomach, pancreas, and gallbladder can contribute to back pain.In our age of oncological stress, when cancer does not spare both children and adults, the development of tumors in the mediastinal organs, stomach and lungs can also manifest itself in the form of pain in the shoulder blade area.
Diseases of the cardiovascular system
Coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, and angina are diseases that can also cause such pain.For angina.for example, the pain never lasts more than 5 minutes, and when nitroglycerin is administered, the pain disappears almost immediately.However, in case of an acute attack, if severe pain lasts more than 5 minutes, blood pressure drops, cold sweat appears or the skin turns pale, you should immediately call an ambulance.
Gastrointestinal diseases
Stomach ulcers, pancreatitis, and cholecystitis are three diseases that can also cause chest pain in both the front and back.In addition, the development of stomach and pancreatic cancer can cause such feelings.
Diseases of the respiratory system
If the patient, in addition to back pain, also has a cough and an increased body temperature, even a little, the cause may be lung disease.Often, diseases such as pneumonia or pleurisy are preceded by hypothermia, acute respiratory viral infections and influenza.Recently, cases of the development of atypical forms of pneumonia have become more frequent, when pneumonia is caused by pathogens such as mycoplasma or chlamydia, they are not accompanied by a very high temperature, but can occur with low-grade fever and back pain that can appear on the right side, left side, when inhaling, especially intensifying with deep breathing.The main criteria for distinguishing pulmonary pathology from other causes are fever, even if not high, and cough.
Other diseases
- Osteoporosis with vertebral fractures, such as due to long-term use of steroid hormones or decreased estrogen in postmenopausal women.
- For example, metastasis to the vertebrae of stomach cancer can also cause pain
- Spontaneous fractures due to unreasonable loading.
- Ankylosing spondylitis (Bechterew's disease) is a systemic disease.It affects men more often, where, due to inflammation, the vertebrae are affected and ligamentous ossification occurs.As a result, the spine becomes inflexible and is depicted on X-ray as resembling a bamboo stick.