Sometimes we experience discomfort in the back on the left side. These can be pains of a different nature - pulling, piercing, aching. They may be accompanied by additional symptoms. Pain under the left shoulder blade is usually not the only symptom. This is one of the signs of the manifestation of any disease. All complaints and symptoms together will help the doctor to choose the direction of the diagnosis. After all, immediate help is often needed.
The anatomical structure of the body
If we visualize our body from behind, we will see that the left shoulder blade is located on the ribs involved in the formation of the chest. Between the ribs are nerves and blood vessels. They are connected by muscle fibers.
The scapula performs a protective function of the internal organs - the heart, lungs, stomach and pancreas, spleen.
Based on the anatomical structure of the body, pain under the left shoulder blade can be conditionally divided into:
- related to the pathology of the musculoskeletal system,
- related to the pathology of any internal organ.
Why is there discomfort on the left side
Many of us with the appearance of pain on the left, first of all, consider problems in the work of the heart. In fact, more often the cause is a spinal problem. There may also be malfunctions in the work of internal organs.
Let's take a closer look at the causes of pain under the left shoulder blade. They can occur when:
- Problems with the spine and musculoskeletal system: osteochondrosis, intercostal neuralgia, scapula injuries, rib fractures, myofascial syndrome, Sprengel's disease.
- Diseases of the bronchi and lungs: pneumonia, localized on the left, dry pleurisy, bronchitis in the acute stage of the course, tracheitis, left-sided lung abscess.
- Diseases of the cardiovascular system: angina pectoris, ischemic heart disease, heart attack, valve prolapse.
- Diseases of the stomach and intestines: gastric and duodenal ulcer, gastroesophagitis, reflux, spasm of the esophagus.
- Psychosomatic course of the disease with vegetative-vascular dystonia.
Relationship between pain and disease
Patients can characterize the nature of the pain from aching to cutting and burning. There are several typical signs of pain that distinguish them from other diseases:
| Name of the disease | A pain that characterizes him |
|---|---|
| Heart diseases | The pain in the area of the left scapula has a burning character, causes a feeling of compression of the retrosternal space. It occurs in the same place, moving to the left side - the back, shoulder blade, arm. When pressing, as if pressing heart pain, the spread of myocardial infarction is possible. In this case, urgent hospitalization is required. |
| aortic aneurysm | The pain is sharp, shooting, increasing, goes to the left in the back and under the shoulder blade. The condition develops rapidly and threatens the patient's life. |
| Pleurisy | The pain is sharp and piercing, depending on the size of the inhalation. In a calm state, a feeling of numbness is possible, when inhaling with a full chest, there is a piercing pain in the shoulder blade. |
| Left-sided pneumonia | The pain is not strong, painful, can be characterized as a point. May increase slightly with movement and deep inspiration. |
| Osteochondrosis of the vertebrae | Most often, the pain is localized in the lower part of the neck. It manifests itself with painful sensations, aggravated by a sudden movement of the head. It can pass into the hand, be accompanied by spinning of the head, numbness of the limb. The pain under the scapula is weak, painful and pulling, there may be an increase in pain in a long sitting position or after physical exertion. As a rule, this happens in the evening. In the morning, stiffness of the spinal muscles is felt. Unlike heart pain, it does not go away after taking medication. There may be a severe headache that does not depend on the pressure. |
| Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, ulcers of the stomach and intestines | Pain in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract can be seasonal with attacks. The pain syndrome can occur due to prolonged hunger, immediately after eating, several hours after eating, at night. The pain disappears after hunger is satisfied, after food leaves the stomach, after vomiting or taking medicine. With perforation of the ulcer, the pain radiates under the left shoulder blade, it is sharp and unbearable. If you suspect this disease, you should immediately go to the hospital. At the beginning of the development of the disease, the pain may subside after vomiting. With reflux esophagitis, accompanying symptoms will be heartburn, belching and indigestion. |
| Intercostal neuralgia | Sharp shooting or lumbar pain is felt constantly or intermittently. It can appear on one side. It increases with sudden movements - sneezing, coughing, shortness of breath, walking, physical activity, palpating the place of pain. |
| Vegeta-vascular dystonia and myofascial syndrome | In myofascial syndrome, the pain is dull, coming from the depths of the tissues. It can occur both at rest and during physical activity. It can vary in intensity from mild to severe. Objectively, during examination, patients with VVD suffer from irritability, memory impairment, sweating, tachycardia and hand tremors. There are often changes in the heart muscle. The nature of the pain is similar to that of the heart. But the heart examination does not confirm the diagnosis. |
Diagnosis of the disease that caused the pain syndrome
To find out what is causing the pain, a detailed examination will be necessary. First of all, you should consult a therapist or doctor. He, based on the patient's complaints and examination, will determine what type of examination should be performed.
The initial stage of treatment, if the pain spreads to the left shoulder blade, should be a trip to the local therapist. He will be able to do a primary examination and appoint all the necessary tests. And already with the existing reviews, you can go to a consultation with narrow specialists.
The doctor will not be able to diagnose the disease based only on complaints of pain syndrome. Complaints will be a push in the direction where more in-depth diagnostics are needed. Therefore, when you contact a doctor, it is necessary to know the exact answers to the questions about the nature of the pain, its localization and concomitant causes - the relationship with food intake, physical and emotional stress.
If myositis is suspected in a patient, a detailed blood test should be done to confirm the inflammatory process.
For a more accurate diagnosis of the disease, it is necessary to conduct a complex of studies.
The first task is to rule out conditions that require emergency medical attention. These include: stomach and duodenal ulcer, heart attack, aortic rupture.
To find out exactly what hurts under the left shoulder blade, you should undergo the following examinations:
- Visual inspection and palpation of the localization of pain. Temperature, blood pressure and pulse will be measured.
- X-ray in several projections to confirm or rule out problems with the spine and lungs.
- EKG to check heart function.
- To clarify the localization of the spinal problem, a computed tomography or MRI may be necessary.
- If gastrointestinal problems are suspected, FGS - fibrogastroduodenoscopy - can be prescribed.
- General and biochemical blood tests.
For some types of pain, first aid can be given with analgesics and antispasmodics. But their reception does not eliminate the cause, but only silences the pain on the left under the shoulder blade, which will definitely return after the end of the medicine. To prevent the recurrence of pain, it is necessary to understand its cause.
In any case, if the left shoulder blade hurts, after stopping the first signs of pain, it is necessary to undergo a full course of examinations. After all, often the source of pain radiating to the shoulder may be located elsewhere. Therefore, when a pain syndrome appears in the scapula area, it is necessary to visit: a therapist, a neurologist, a cardiologist, a gastroenterologist, a traumatologist, except for pathology by all the listed specialists, a consultation with a psychotherapist is necessary.
Treatment of the disease that caused the pain syndrome
The goal of treatment will depend on the diagnosis of the disease. For each disease there is a specific treatment regimen. They necessarily include recommendations for physical activity and diet. The mode of taking the drug is described in detail. They are combined depending on the symptoms and complaints to relieve acute life-threatening symptoms of the patient.
In any case, you should remember that pain in the left scapula can be eliminated only with drugs recommended by a specialist. Do not resort to the advice of relatives and friends. After all, without medical help it is difficult to determine the nature of the pain. Self-medication can lead to a delay in heart or stomach pathologies.
- For example, in case of reflux after the examination, drugs can be prescribed to reduce the acidity of the stomach to facilitate its movement in the intestines. In this case, it is worth limiting the amount of food consumed, you should not bend down immediately after eating.
- Physiotherapy exercises, swimming, dry heat and increasing physical activity can be prescribed as medical procedures for osteochondrosis. All these measures are used as prophylaxis after the pain subsides.
- If there is a diagnosis of ischemia, cardiac medication should be taken initially. If the pain in the shoulder blade on the left does not disappear after 10 minutes, you should call an ambulance.
- If there are problems with the cardiovascular system, the best prevention is the constant intake of the necessary drugs, diet, mental stability and not excessive physical activity.
- If pain in the scapula occurs due to problems with the spine, it is necessary to perform a set of special exercises for a long period of time and follow the recommendations of specialists for taking medications.
- If the appearance of pain under the scapula on the left is related to problems with the stomach and intestines, diet and medication will help you cope. In this case, psycho-emotional balance is important, because often stress causes an ulcer. A positive attitude and mastery of relaxation and relaxation techniques are required.
If there is no result of conservative treatment, as well as when a perforated ulcer, a large hernia of the spine, a rupture of the spleen is detected, surgical intervention is necessary.
In principle, to avoid serious health problems, an annual dispensary examination is necessary. It is necessary to undergo the necessary examinations to rule out the occurrence of diseases in the near future.