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 diseases of the heart, vascular and respiratory system, epigastrium. 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 hurts 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 on the rise, becomes stronger over time, passes quickly enough;
- Chronic - painful pain, disturbing for a long time, does not stop until corrective actions are taken.
Pain can occur after sports or when a person is in a forced position for a long time, for example, sleeping without a pillow. Pain of any nature: severe pain, pain, 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 understand the causes of back pain between the shoulder blades.
There is no need to immediately run for pills, first you need to see a doctor. The specialist will assess the nature of the pain, make a diagnosis and help 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, then the cause of pain in the spine between the shoulder blades is clear. And when the patient complains of pain of unknown etiology, the doctor will connect these diseases to the intervertebral column.
With a hernia
Intervertebral hernia is rarely located in the chest. This segment of the spine does not carry a large load. But still, sometimes it hurts in the spine between the shoulder blades for this very reason. To rule out such a possibility, it is worth contacting a neurologist and doing tests - CT, MRI.
With a hernia, a pathological process occurs between the vertebrae - part of the disc protrudes, pressing on the nerves.
The disc cracks, the nucleus, which is a shock absorber, hits it, because the weight is already distributed incorrectly and the nerves are injured, back pain appears in the area of the shoulder blades. If this pathology is detected during the examination, treatment will be carried out with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The doctor will prescribe exercises, physiotherapy. If the hernia is large and cannot be cured, then surgery is indicated.
A distinctive feature of hernia pain will be severe pain in the same place with radiation in the chest, as if the heart is stabbing. If the treatment is not carried out for a long period of time, then there is a curvature, paresis of the legs, an imbalance in the pelvic organs appears. In addition, the patient is haunted by constant chronic pain between the shoulder blades in the back.
Hypothermia of the spinal muscles and overexertion
You can often hear that the patient had "lumbago". It is a symptom or pathological condition, not a disease. But if "lumbago" appears, this indicates a risk of developing osteochondrosis, scoliosis, hernia. Such back pain in the area of the shoulder blades is felt by people who work without changing their body position for several hours every day.
The risk group are representatives of professions: office workers, tailors, dentists, drivers, surgeons. Work associated with a forced posture, which is combined with hypothermia - draft or air conditioning, gives a reaction to the muscles and the spine, there is pain in the spine. Treatment is carried out with non-steroidal drugs, ointments, massages. People who experience such conditions are shown preventive measures:
- Regular massage courses;
- Yoga or exercise therapy;
- Avoid hypothermia and draft;
- Walk more often.
Through prevention methods, the unpleasant symptoms associated with lumbago can be avoided.
In scoliosis
Scoliosis is a very common disease. Statistics say that 60% of a hundred people suffer from this disease. The chest area is more often affected by scoliosis. Causes of scoliosis:
- Congenital pathologies related to the development of the skeletal system, the ligament apparatus;
- Sedentary work;
- An injury when the load on the back was hysterical.
With scoliosis, the back between the shoulder blades hurts a lot, the spine begins to curve. The initial stage is almost imperceptible, but if the disease progresses, then the twisting of the vertebrae is clearly visible. The back with this disease quickly gets tired, during a 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. By the nature of pain, it is constant, like pain, but if physical overload occurs, then the pain will be strong, sharp.
The treatment of the disease is long. Scoliosis is corrected by stretching the vertebrae with a special corset that is worn on the back. The doctor prescribes massage and exercises. Analgesics and anti-inflammatory therapy will help reduce back pain between the shoulder blades.
With osteochondrosis
Now osteochondrosis occurs even in children who have not reached puberty. And recently it was thought to be a disease of the elderly.
In any case, the cause of osteochondrosis is - inaction. There is a joint change in the spine, namely dystrophy. In this process, inflammation begins and the nerves of the spinal disc are compressed. That is why the back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades with osteochondrosis.
The pains are felt in nature - pains that become very strong when sneezing, when standing up sharply or when coughing.
Patients are immobilized, breathing is difficult, there is weakness in the upper limbs, numbness and inability to move. With osteochondrosis, they will prescribe intramuscularly, orally anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as distracting ointments, analgesics, special exercises to warm up the diseased area. For disease prevention - activity and sports.
Manifestations of intercostal neuralgia
The cause of intercostal neuralgia is the appearance of pressure on the roots of the nerves of the chest region. The culprits for this condition are injuries, infectious diseases, osteochondrosis and back strain. With neuralgia, the spine between the shoulder blades rarely hurts, one side of the sternum between the ribs often hurts, but in some cases it can hurt in the shoulder blades and whine. The symptom of pain intensifies if you press your hands on the sternum.
The treatment will be: physiotherapy, acupuncture, vitamins of group B, they are able to restore the nervous structures. If the disease worsens, then they put a novocaine blockade, prescribe sedative and distracting ointments.
Manifestations of muscular myositis
Myositis occurs with a cold, overstrain 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 pains in nature, they intensify with every movement. What to do with myositis? Pain-relieving and warming ointments help.
Manifestations of spondylarthrosis
In manifestation, the disease is similar to osteochondrosis, in which the pain in the spine between the shoulder blades is chronic, with a load on the back intensifies. In addition, the shoulder blades hurt more when the disease worsens. A hallmark of spondyloarthritis will be the destruction of the cartilage of the vertebrae, where the cartilage is replaced by bone. During the diagnosis, these changes are observed on X-ray or nuclear magnetic resonance, and if we examine the affected vertebra, then bony protrusions will be found on it.
The treatment is prescribed comprehensively. First, the pain is relieved - it can be analgesics, nonsteroidal drugs, novocaine blockades.
Magnetotherapy and electrophoresis, laser, currents are prescribed. There are many physical therapy procedures for this disease, so we will leave this choice to the doctor. Traction is traction therapy. Areas where inflammation occurs are affected with current, as a result of which spasms decrease, endorphin is produced, which serves as an analgesic. Back massage relaxes, removes pain.
A special massage is indicated for diseases related to the spine, but it cannot be used during an exacerbation, then any impact on the vertebrae is contraindicated. The same rule applies to acupuncture.
The main method of treatment and prevention of diseases of the spine will be physical therapy exercises - training therapy, exercises on the horizontal bar, namely pulling exercises. Swimming has proven itself very well, so it would be nice to go to a pool. All these methods should be under the guidance of experienced professionals, then the benefits will be likely.
Pain in internal organs
If there is pain between the shoulder blades in the back, this does not mean at all that the cause is in the spine. All pathologies of organs that are located in the mediastinum have symptoms in which there is pain in the area of the shoulder blades. Incorrect processes in the heart organ, the occurrence of myocardial infarction, angina pectoris cause pain under the shoulder blade. An acute attack is accompanied by a drop in blood pressure. Don't forget to call an ambulance.
The pains characteristic of these conditions are sharp, but their duration is about 5 minutes. The pain is relieved by taking nitroglycerin.
With ulcers and pancreatitis, the back also hurts in the area of the shoulder blades, but with these diseases, the pain can still be localized in the stomach, epigastric region, and dyspeptic disorders may appear, so you should carefully listen to the nature of your feelings and try to distinguishall symptoms.
If the back hurts in the area of the shoulder blades and there is a cough, then it is possible that these are pathological changes in the respiratory system - pneumonia. With respiratory diseases, the temperature rises, the pain between the shoulder blades will be stronger with a deep breath. Any person who has had flu or acute respiratory infections can get sick with pleurisy, pneumonia. If there is no temperature during pain, they are not accompanied by cardiovascular manifestations, cough and dyspeptic disorders.
How to relieve pain
Before the arrival of the doctor, you can try to relieve your condition yourself. You can do self-massage and special exercises to relieve pain:
- We put our fingers on our shoulders and begin to rotate our elbows;
- Raise your arms up, closing your palms overhead. Head down. Twisting the body to the right and left;
- Sitting in a chair, lower your head so that your chin touches your chest, squeeze your fingers on the back of your head. Slowly press your hands on the back of your head. If there is severe pain, then the exercise stops;
- Slow rotation of the head - to the side, back, to the side, forward;
- After throwing back, the right hand behind the head, while sitting, make slow bends to the left. Switch hands and lean in the opposite direction.
It is worth remembering that during the acute form of any disease, massage is contraindicated. The hands are clenched into fists, the thumb is protruding. Starting from the lower back, circular movements of the fist on the skin go up. You can make circular movements stroking the spine with the second and third fingers. It is important not to put pressure on the place where the pain is localized. If during the massage movements the pain only intensifies, 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 reducing pain, not for treatment. The real therapy must be prescribed by a doctor, so if there is a temporary improvement, it does not mean that the disease has subsided. Go to the doctor immediately and be healthy.