There comes a difficult period in a person's life when his back often starts to hurt. It is not easy to cause discomfort and it involves a lot of discomfort, but it can also make a person uneasy for a long time.
In addition to the modern rhythm of life, the population often neglects their health citing lack of time. People try not to ask the question: why does the back hurt in the area of the shoulder blades?
They prefer not to waste valuable time in the clinic and treat them at home, not suspecting that this sign may be a symptom of the presence of serious or even dangerous diseases.
Main reason
Why is there a dull ache between the shoulder blades? In many people, the symptoms of back pain are related to various mechanical injuries of the spine, pinched nerves or muscle strain.
It should not be forgotten that the pain syndrome can be caused by pathologies of the chest organs.
The causes of back pain between the shoulder blades can tentatively be divided into three categories:
- Diseases of the spine;
- diseases of internal organs;
- Other factors.
It should be clearly and clearly understood that pain is a symptom and not an independent disease. Before you start using the medicines available in your home medicine cabinet, you should find out the cause: why does your back hurt between the shoulder blades?
To do this, you need to visit a medical facility, see a doctor, and describe the symptoms, the time of their occurrence and possible provoking factors: injuries, professional activities, etc. in great detail.
This information helps specialists to determine the direction of the examination and establish a diagnosis.
An inaccurate or premature diagnosis can be harmful to human health. Therapy may be prescribed that does not bring a positive effect and wastes valuable time in treating the main cause of the pain.
It is important that a person himself understands the causes of pain and knows the possible list of pathologies that cause it.
muscle strain
Spasm or overstretching of muscle tissue is not a pathology, but a symptom of excessive physiological stress or, conversely, its absence.
According to experts, back pain in the area of the shoulder blades is often experienced by patients whose professional activities involve prolonged static muscle tension.
The risk group primarily includes people from the following fields of expertise:
- Treasurers;
- Office workers;
- Programmers
- Drivers etc.
However, doctors say that a person's professional activity is not always the main cause of this symptom. When examining patients complaining of pain in the region of the shoulder blades, dysplasia was found in many cases.
Hereditary pathology characterized by a defect in fibrous structures due to insufficient production of collagen - the substance responsible for the strength and elasticity of connective tissue.
Because of this, muscle fibers and ligaments simply cannot withstand long-term physiological stress.
Injuries
Perhaps the most obvious factor that causes back pain in the area of the shoulder blades is injury. Various hematomas, fractures, and sprains that occur as a result of mechanical damage to the back are necessarily associated with a severe pain syndrome.
Spinal injuries can pose a real threat to human health. Displacement of the discs or damage to the spinal cord can lead to complete or partial sensitivity of the limbs, limitation of motor functions, and in special situations, complete paralysis.
If the spine between the shoulder blades hurts due to a prolonged mechanical injury, see a doctor immediately, even if the injury seems minor.
Any contusion or unsuccessful landing from a height can cause damage to the vertebral discs, which can only be diagnosed with the help of special equipment.
Only a specialist can judge the severity of the injury and prescribe the appropriate treatment after a visual examination and additional X-ray examination, magnetic resonance or computer tomography.
Intercostal neuralgia
The second name of the disease is thoracalgia. In practice, it is not a disease that develops in children, but affects the elderly due to age-related changes, bruises and hypothermia.
It manifests itself in the symptoms of acute and painful pain in the region of the ribs. Back pain in the area of the shoulder blades is also an accompanying symptom, which often occurs and worsens when the body position changes.
Patients may hear painful complaints during breathing, especially during sharp inhalation or exhalation.
Attention! Back pain between the shoulder blades and other symptoms similar to neuralgia may indicate that the patient is suffering from heart disease. It is important to recognize the problem in time and take appropriate measures - this can save valuable time and possibly even save the patient's life.
The main factor that causes exploding pain in the upper back with this disease is pinching or compression of the nerve roots.
This disease develops against the background of many factors: bruises, osteochondrosis, excessive physiological stress, metabolic disorders, stress, colds.
Muscle spasms, or vice versa, excessive tone of the muscles of the back, shoulders and shoulder blades can also contribute to the development of the disease.
The symptoms of neuralgia are very similar to the manifestations of certain pathologies of the heart - ischemic disease, angina pectoris. Timely diagnosis and timely response can save a person's life.
You must first learn to distinguish between neuralgia and heart disease. For quick diagnosis, two main differences between these pathologies are used.
Neuralgia is characterized by:
- The pain syndrome persists for a long time;
- Symptoms are aggravated by movements of the body when trying to take a sharp breath or exhalation and press on the ribs.
The difference, for example, in the case of angina pectoris is that neither exercise nor sneezing increases the pain syndrome. However, dynamic physical movements can affect heart rate and blood pressure.
Symptoms disappear partially or completely within a few minutes after using vasodilator drugs such as nitroglycerin. To rule out the possibility of heart disease, consult a cardiologist and perform an electrocardiogram.
Osteochondritis of the spine
Pain between the shoulder blades in the spine is considered one of the main symptoms of osteochondrosis. The disease is characterized by damage to the intervertebral discs.
During development, the disease also affects other areas of the locomotor system and can also affect the body's nervous system. According to the localization of the development of the disease, lumbar, thoracic and cervical osteochondrosis can be distinguished.
The main factor in the development of the pathology is malnutrition of the cartilage tissue of the joint. Previously, it was believed that this disease affects only the group of elderly patients, and it was associated with age-related changes in the body.
Today, however, experts note that the number of patients is increasing at a younger age.
Specialists refer to the main factors in the development of the disease: sedentary lifestyle, hereditary factors, salt deposition, unbalanced diet.
Attention! If your back hurts in the shoulder area due to the diagnosis of osteochondrosis, remember: physical activity, organizing a comfortable workplace and a balanced diet are effective ways to treat and prevent the disease.
Therefore, severe pain rarely occurs due to osteochondrosis of the thoracic region. This section of the spinal column is the least mobile, and degenerative tissue changes take place there much more slowly than in the cervical or lumbar region.
Often, cervical osteochondrosis is a very common cause of pain between the shoulder blades of the spine. The pain "shoots through" the entire spine, descending from the upper sections of the spine to the lower back.
Disc herniation of the spine
According to some experts, intervertebral disc herniation is present in 30-40% of the population at one stage or another.
Most often, this pathology affects young people who lead an active physical lifestyle. The main cause of the disease is injuries or heavy physical exertion.
The mechanism of the disease is simple. The intervertebral disc is a semi-liquid jelly-like substance surrounded by a fairly dense shell. The main function of the disc is to soften and absorb the movement of the vertebrae.
Due to various factors: injuries, skeletal muscle weakness, severe physiological stress, spinal pathology, etc. The spinal column is compressed or decompressed and the outer shell of the disc is torn.
At the same time, the jelly-like contents extend into the spinal canal and compress one, two or more nerve endings, causing numbness and pain in the extremities.
Important! In the acute phase of the disease, massage or heating is categorically contraindicated.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not recommended to give up physical exercises in the treatment of the disease.
It has been proven that refusal of physical activity leads to muscle atrophy and prolongs the duration of the disease.
In the initial stage of development, the hernia is treated conservatively, but in the absence of positive dynamics of recovery within six months, the issue of surgical intervention can be considered.
Pathologies of internal organs
Pain between the shoulder blade and spine can cause diseases of internal organs.
First of all, this applies to the organs of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. The most common respiratory problems: tuberculosis, pneumonia.
A common pathology of the cardiovascular system is ischemic disease, or "angina pectoris" for ordinary people. It refers to potentially life-threatening pathologies.
It has similar symptoms to neuralgia and it is important to learn to distinguish between them.
If you have symptoms: severe back pain between the shoulder blades, shortness of breath, cold sweats and rapid pulse, seek medical help immediately.
In some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the back between the shoulder blades also hurts. The main reasons for this are: peptic ulcer, gastroesophageal reflux, diffuse esophageal spasm.
These pathologies often cause the following symptoms: burning in the esophagus, aching pain in the chest.
Patients complain of pain in the middle of the solar plexus and pain in the back between the shoulder blades. It should also not be ruled out that back pain in the area of the shoulder blades may have oncological causes.
Prevention and treatment
To determine the effective treatment of a particular disease, you must first answer the question: why does the back hurt between the shoulder blades? This requires a comprehensive examination by a specialist.
The treatment is prescribed based on the completion of all necessary procedures and the diagnosis made by the specialist. With the development of certain diseases, self-medication is not only ineffective, but can even be dangerous.
As you know, it is easier to prevent any disease than to cure it. Back pain in the shoulder blades can have different causes. What should be done to eliminate them?
The answer is simple - take part in prevention. Most diseases develop against the background of an unhealthy lifestyle: give up bad habits, do sports, eat a balanced diet, and this will at least halve the risk of developing various diseases.