Most often, the causes of this phenomenon are injuries or serious illnesses. But not always.

In many situations, the pain on the left side is neuralgic.

However, the entire list of provoking factors is much longer. An example is a stomach ulcer or myocardial infarction.

The most common disease that causes pain under the shoulder blade on the left side is neuralgia. Other causes include myocardial infarction or aortic aneurysm. Pleurisy or pericarditis can also cause pain in this area.

Sometimes discomfort occurs due to cancer or when a person suffers from cholelithiasis.

General list of causes of pain under the shoulder blade

Common causes of pain under the shoulder blade

Metabolic disorders or a lack of certain elements and vitamins can also cause discomfort. Usually, they go away with the replenishment of missing substances in the body. Let's look at the common causes of pain under the shoulder blade on the left side.

Osteochondrosis and pain

It is this disease that becomes the basis for the appearance of pain in the shoulder blade. It appears when damaged cartilage tissue spine. The manifestation of osteochondrosis occurs as genetic predisposition or incorrect load distribution during physical exercise. Osteochondrosis also often appears due to age-related changes body.

They are the main sign of osteochondrosis. If it hurts under the shoulder blade, it means that the nerve endings are pinched in thoracic region spine. Osteochondrosis often develops gradually. This occurs when receiving microtraumas intervertebral discs ox time of jumping or sudden lifting of heavy objects. If such actions are systematic, the spine gradually begins to lose elasticity. As a result, the nerve endings begin to become pinched.

Pain and neuralgia

Often the manifestations of intercostal neuralgia are confused with those that occur with diseases of the heart muscle. With neuralgia, it intensifies during inhalation or exhalation, as well as when moving the body. Sometimes they become so intense that it becomes difficult for a person to breathe. If they appear as a result of a disease of the heart muscle, the pain will not depend on the position of the body or on inhalation.

A situation where discomfort occurs is when the intercostal nerve is pinched. This occurs as a result of stress, injury or too much physical activity. In some cases, discomfort occurs due to lung diseases. A factor provoking neuralgia may be increased tone of one of the back muscles.

Angina and heart attack

These diseases are a manifestation coronary disease hearts. With such ailments, a person feels pain under the left shoulder blade. These sensations will be different. With angina, it is dull and squeezing. During a heart attack, the sensations are very sharp and lasting.

If the pain does not stop after taking a nitroglycerin tablet, you should call a doctor, as this sign indicates a heart attack. To find out exactly the cause, you need to undergo an examination, and not try to solve the problem yourself.

Aortic aneurysm and pain under the scapula

The aorta is the largest artery in the human body. For aneurysm thoracic aorta pain occurs under the shoulder blade. An aneurysm is a disruption of the arterial wall in which its diameter increases.

There are several forms of aneurysm, but they can be a factor in the appearance of the same sensations on the left side, including pain under the scapula. If such discomfort occurs, you should seek professional help as soon as possible, because this disease threatens severe internal bleeding.

Signs of an aneurysm include:

• back and chest pain;
• difficulty breathing, shortness of breath;
• the appearance of pain in the neck and lower jaw.

In some cases, symptoms appear that are similar to the onset of heart failure. Reasons include:

• smoking;
• heredity;
• increased blood pressure;
• overweight.

Pain and pericarditis

This disease can also cause pain. When inhaling, the discomfort intensifies. The disease is also often accompanied severe cough and weakness.

This disease can occur at any age, but often occurs in people over 50 years of age. At this disease observed inflammatory process membranes of the heart.

Read more about why it hurts under the shoulder blade on the left side:

Pleurisy

Accompanied by the accumulation of fluid in the pleura. This pathology is not independent disease, but becomes a consequence of certain processes occurring in the lungs.

Pain under the shoulder blade may be one of the signs of pleurisy, but it can also be identified by other symptoms:

Peptic ulcer and pain under the shoulder blade

If pain under the shoulder blade occurs due to diseases of the stomach and intestines, this can be easily determined by the presence of other symptoms on the left side:

• the appearance of pain in the abdominal area;
• heartburn;
• periodic nausea;
• decreased appetite;
• heaviness after eating.

Pain under the scapula is a type of spinal pain that can occur against the background of muscle spasms, myofascial syndrome, chronic vertebrogenic diseases, as well as be a consequence of injuries and physical and mechanical damage to the musculoskeletal system. Localization of pain in the back from the back can indicate not only vertebral pathologies, but also indicate possible violations in the work of internal organs: the cardia and fundus of the stomach, spleen, peritoneum, respiratory tract. Cardiac pathologies, for example, myocarditis, angina pectoris or myocardial infarction, can also manifest as pain under the scapula on the left side. In approximately 8.3% of cases, intense pain under the scapula on the left side is a surgical symptom and can occur when the spleen is ruptured (or one of its lobes is bent), as well as ischemic damage organ parenchyma as a result of occlusion of blood vessels and arteries.

There are many reasons that can cause pain and tenderness under the shoulder blade. It is necessary to begin the diagnosis by excluding the traumatic factor and possible damage to the scapula. If the pain under the shoulder blade appears suddenly or its occurrence was preceded by any physical or mechanical impact on this area (impact, fall), you should contact a traumatologist and have an x-ray taken. A fracture of the scapula is a fairly serious pathology, which is characterized by extensive displacement of bone fragments, therefore treatment and rehabilitation period may take several months.

If the emergency room did not diagnose any injuries (including dislocations, soft tissue bruises, displacement of the thoracic and proximal lumbar vertebrae, etc.), it is recommended to consult a surgeon or orthopedist for pain in the scapula area. The doctor will conduct initial examination and, if necessary, will give a referral to specialized specialists: a neurologist, neurosurgeon, cardiologist, pulmonologist or gastroenterologist.

Pathologies of the bone frame

This is the most common cause of spinal pain localized in the shoulder blades. Since the scapula is part of the upper shoulder girdle, painful sensations(in most cases – chronic, without timely medication and physiotherapeutic correction):

• osteosclerosis;
• bone marrow edema;
• intervertebral hernia and protrusion;
• radicular syndrome;
• rheumatoid arthritis;
• Bekhterev's disease, etc.

Pain under the shoulder blade on the side of the spine can be a sign of osteoporosis, a disease characterized by a pathological decrease in bone mass. , regardless of location pathological process, always leads to disability of the patient, therefore in the complex diagnostic measures Bone densitometry may be included.

Osteoporosis of the spine

It is also important to exclude infectious lesions of the scapula - acute hematogenous purulent-necrotic osteomyelitis ( purulent arthritis sternoclavicular joint). Pathology has enough severe course and is almost always called pathogenic bacteria, capable of producing pus (staphylococci, mycobacterium tuberculosis). The clinical picture of osteomyelitis is quite pronounced and allows for preliminary diagnosis of the disease during the initial examination.

Important! Treatment for osteomyelitis of the scapula should begin as early as possible, since the progressive growth of bacteria can lead to purulent melting of the bone and the development of a systemic inflammatory reaction.

Osteomyelitis is

Muscle diseases

A large number of muscles are attached to the shoulder blades (for example, the triceps and biceps brachii muscles, the deltoid and omohyoid muscles), so inflammatory, infectious and other lesions muscle fiber may also be one of the causes of pain in this area. The following diseases most often belong to this group of pathologies.

Pain under the shoulder blade can also be associated with irritation of trigger points - muscle tension nodes, when exposed to which a person feels pain of varying intensity (mainly aching or cutting). Myofascial pain syndrome can be not only a manifestation chronic pathologies musculoskeletal system, but also the result of excessive physical activity, especially if the person did not have sufficient physical training before starting classes.

Neuropathic pain under the left shoulder blade

Neuropathic pain is a fairly common type of pain in this localization, so diagnosis for complaints of pain under the scapula always begins with excluding possible neurogenic causes (after excluding the traumatic factor).

Neuropathic pain – what is it?

The scapula is a bone located in the upper shoulder girdle and performs the function of articulating the skeletal base of the shoulder (tubular humerus) and collarbone. The anterior surface of the scapula has a slightly concave shape and is called the costal surface. The posterior surface (dorsal) is adjacent to spinal column, consisting of five sections and vertebrae connected in a vertical sequence, therefore one of the main causes of pain in this localization is diseases of the spine.

The most common vertebral pathology (the frequency of detection in patients over 40 years of age is more than 60%) is osteochondrosis. With osteochondrosis, compression and deformation of the spine occurs, which leads to progressive destruction of the main “shock absorbers” of the central axial skeleton– intervertebral discs. This is the name for round, elongated formations consisting of ring-shaped fibrocartilaginous plates and filled with a gelatinous mass called the nucleus pulposus. The intervertebral disc pulp contains collagen and water necessary to maintain the firmness and elasticity of the spine.

Dystrophy of the intervertebral disc provokes dehydration and drying of the jelly-like core and fibrous membrane, which leads to the formation of hernias and protrusions - displacement of the pulp outside the disc space. Pulpous protrusions can cause compression spinal nerves and active irritation nerve cells, provoking the occurrence of neuropathic pain. This is the name of a pain syndrome that develops against the background of excitation of neurons in the central or peripheral nervous system.

Causes of neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain of mild or moderate intensity in the area of ​​the shoulder blades in most cases is a consequence of osteochondrosis and its complications. It should not be confused with radicular syndrome(radiculopathy), pain in which is caused solely by compression of nerve endings - nerve bundles located on the processes of nerves and providing information transmission in the form of impulses. Neuropathic pain due to neuralgia against the background of osteochondrosis and intervertebral hernias and protrusions are caused by direct stimulation of sensory neurons, and distinctive features such pain syndrome are long course and the lack of effect of using traditional analgesics to relieve attacks.

Other possible causes of neuropathic pain also include:

• nerve trunk injuries and spinal cord at the level of the thoracic and thoracolumbar spine;
• diabetes mellitus and other endocrinological pathologies;
• cerebral stroke;
• various polyneuropathies (including the alcoholic form), in which multiple lesions of the peripheral nervous system occur.

Pay attention! Recurrent neuropathic pain is the most important symptom and the manifestation of cancerous lesions of bones, muscles and soft tissues located in the subscapular fossa. Such pain can be accompanied by sleep disturbances, irritability, depression and combined with autonomic and motor disorders.

Depression is one of the symptoms of cancerous lesions of bones, muscles and soft tissues

What other diseases should be excluded?

Pain under the shoulder blade, localized from the back, can also be a manifestation of pathologies of internal organs, for the diagnosis of which great value has a thorough collection of primary anamnesis. When contacting a doctor, the patient must describe in detail the existing symptoms, as well as assess the relationship of the pain syndrome with various factors: eating, motor activity, psycho-emotional state, etc. Most probable reasons pain under the left shoulder blade, as well as their symptoms, are listed in the table below.

Table. Diseases of the internal organs as a cause of pain under the left shoulder blade.

Organ	Possible diseases	Possible symptoms
	Myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, myocardial infarction (necrosis), angina pectoris, arrhythmia.	Most typical manifestations heart pathologies are changes in the number of heartbeats, shortness of breath, pain in the left side of the sternum, and breathing problems. With a progressive course, arterial instability is observed, signs of hypoxia may occur - oxygen starvation(headaches, dizziness, migraine, hypertension).
	Pleurisy, bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia.	The leading symptom of respiratory pathologies is cough, but it is important to consider that in some diseases, for example, asymptomatic pneumonia, the cough is of low intensity and can occur in the form of coughing up to 4-6 times a day. In a typical course there are following symptoms: headache, fever, pain in the chest, which can radiate to the scapula, sputum or purulent exudate.
	Splenic rupture.	This is a surgical pathology, the symptoms of which depend on the type of rupture. The most characteristic signs include tension abdominal wall(breathing is carried out superficially, the muscles of the peritoneum do not take part in the act of breathing) and the forced position of the body, which the patient assumes. The classic position for a ruptured spleen is to lie on your left side with your legs brought up to your chest.
	Gastritis, polyposis, stomach ulcer.	The main symptoms of gastroenterological pathologies: stomach pain, nausea, lack of appetite, bitterness and metallic taste in the mouth, stool upset. Pain under the left shoulder blade when the cardiac part of the stomach or its body is affected is of a reflected nature and occurs mainly during exacerbations as radiating pain.

What to do?

Self-treatment of pain under the left shoulder blade at home is impossible due to the large number of reasons that can provoke the occurrence of this symptom. To do this, you need to see a doctor and undergo the minimum required set of diagnostics, including X-ray examination, MRI or CT (if necessary), electromyography and densitometry (if osteoporosis or osteosclerosis is suspected).

Without visiting a doctor, it is only permissible to use emergency first aid measures in cases where the patient can determine with great certainty what exactly caused the pain.

Myofascial pain with signs of trigger point irritation

Pain in the muscles located under the left shoulder blade can occur as a result of sudden heavy lifting, increased physical activity, after training, or unsuccessful movement of the arms and top part shoulder girdle. The following remedies can be used to relieve such pain:

• warming ointments containing bee or snake venom, as well as camphor alcohol(“Viprosal”, “Turpentine balm”);
• massage (stroking, rubbing, light kneading);
• warming procedures (hot shower, thermal applications, natural wool belt).

Good for coping with muscle spasm slightly heated massage essential oil bergamot or tea tree. 30 drops of oil are enough for one procedure.

Exacerbation in chronic osteochondrosis

For patients with chronic osteochondrosis during exacerbations, it is indicated complex treatment, which usually includes the following drugs:

• NSAIDs from the group of derivatives of propionic and acetic acid (Ibuprofen, Dolgit);
• muscle relaxants (“Tolperisone”, “Sirdalud”);
• chondroprotectors (“Dona”, “Teraflex”);
• microcirculation correctors in complicated cases (“Actovegin”, “Trental”).

A good remedy for quickly relieving pain caused by osteochondrosis are combination drugs containing local anesthetics and vitamins. Such drugs include "Milgamma" (more cheap analogue- “Kombilipen”). Lidocaine in the composition quickly relieves pain, and B vitamins improve the trophic properties of tissues and their nutrition.

Important! If traditional drug therapy does not give the desired result, the doctor may recommend a local blockade, for which combinations of painkillers (lidocaine, novocaine) and hormonal drugs(hydrocortisone, dexamethasone).

Infectious lesions of the scapula

In case of osteomyelitis, massive antibacterial therapy, which includes 3-4 generation cephalosporins (Cefotaxime, Ceftriaxone). Antibiotics should be administered intravenously, combined with powerful detoxification therapy. Treatment in all cases is carried out in a hospital setting. Starting from the third day, the regimen includes immunomodulators and immunostimulants, as well as vitamin preparations in the form of intravenous or intramuscular injections.

Video - Exercises for pain under the shoulder blades

Pain under the shoulder blade – not very common, but quite common painful symptom. Despite the fact that quite often such pain is provoked by diseases of the musculoskeletal system and various injuries, when conducting diagnostics it is necessary to exclude cardiac, pulmonary and gastroenterological pathologies, some of which can be fatal (for example, myocardial infarction). Self-medication for pain of unspecified origin is unacceptable, so therapy should begin by seeking medical help.

You can get rid of pain in the shoulder blade if you consult a doctor in time

Quite often, people have to deal with such a symptom as pain under the left shoulder blade, the causes of which usually remain unknown. After all, why this pain appeared is not as easy to determine as it seems at first glance, and the pain syndrome itself can cause serious discomfort. Many people unknowingly try to get rid of this problem on their own, not realizing that they are only making things worse - while they suppress the pain with painkillers, the disease progresses.

It is all the more difficult for an unprepared person to determine the source of pain, because aching or sharp pain under the left shoulder blade is not a sign of any specific disease of the spine or internal organs, but it cannot be ignored. The problem is that there are a number of quite serious illnesses which accompanies. Treatment in mandatory should be prescribed by a doctor after thorough examination.

What is an “occupational” disease?

The fact is that pain of this kind (pain under the shoulder blade of different nature) is practically an “occupational” disease of people whose work involves constant tension in the muscles of the shoulder region. Accordingly, most often this symptom is found in designers, seamstresses, drivers, typists and PC operators. In this case, the sensation of pain occurs in those who are in constant voltage muscles of the subscapular region, tendons and ligaments. Simply put, due to constant fatigue muscles (which itself can cause pain) can occur.

In such a situation, you may encounter pain of varying intensity (from moderate to severe) and of different nature (aching, sharp, tingling, squeezing or cutting). The localization of pain is clear - under the left or right shoulder blade, in some cases - between the shoulder blades.

But the pain that results professional activity- this is perhaps the most simple reason, practically not pulling others along with her unpleasant consequences. There are more serious reasons the appearance of pain, which we will discuss below.

Diseases that cause pain in the area of ​​the left shoulder blade

Ulcer

A stomach ulcer may cause pain under the left shoulder blade

One of the most common diseases that can cause any symptoms is a stomach ulcer. The most characteristic symptom in this case is the appearance of pain after eating. The pain subsides quickly with medication, vomiting, or a heating pad. Moreover, it is vomiting that brings quick and significant relief, especially if it occurs at the peak of pain. Therefore, people with ulcers, in some cases, try to induce vomiting artificially.

Everyone knows that this disease occurs when defects appear in the mucous membranes of the stomach. In places where the mucous membranes are damaged, the acid affects the walls of the stomach themselves, causing serious pain. Pain of this kind is seasonal and tends to intensify as the size of the mucosal defects increases.

The most unpleasant thing is that the location of the pain is not at all as clear as it might seem. It can manifest itself not only in the stomach, but also behind the sternum, and in the thoracic spinal region, and as severe pain under the left shoulder blade.

Since ulcer pain is closely related to food intake, early, late, hungry and night pain are distinguished. Early pain usually occurs immediately after eating, and it decreases as the stomach empties. Late pain occurs several hours after eating. Hunger pain occurs after a significant period of time, when a person already begins to feel hungry (up to 6 hours). Night pain is very similar to hungry pain, but with it.

Psychosomatic ulcer

Modern life has made various stresses and conflict situations familiar to us. Although we do not consider this something serious, constant “digestion” of our problems and grievances may well lead to the very real physical illness, which is called a psychosomatic ulcer. It can arise when a person is forced to constantly keep himself under control and not show his emotions. Contribute to the development of this disease poor nutrition and physical inactivity. Therefore, such a disease is actually “occupational” for various managers and office workers.

Patients with this disease complain of a feeling of heat, tingling, squeezing and heaviness in the chest, as well as creeping pain that can move to other parts of the body, for example, in the neck or arm; aching pain may appear under the left shoulder blade. There are also very specific complaints - trembling in the limbs, severe anxiety, a lump in the throat that does not disappear for a long time.

Myocardial infarction

A heart attack is characterized by acute sharp pain under the left shoulder blade.

There is no particular point in describing this problem; everyone knows about it to a greater or lesser extent. A heart attack is characterized by acute sharp pain under the left shoulder blade, which can also appear throughout the left side of the body (in the left arm, left side of the neck).

The cause of an acute angina attack during a heart attack can be the most common emotional stress, which is why people with heart problems are advised “not to be nervous.”

Pain during a heart attack can be of different types - cutting, squeezing or pressing. But there are also non-standard cases when pain can manifest itself in the most unexpected place and in the most non-standard way, for example, in the peritoneum.

Osteochondrosis

Most often, pain in the back under the left shoulder blade appears due to osteochondrosis.

The nature of the pain in this disease is usually burning, and sensitivity along the nerve may be impaired. Often there is also a constant muscle tension which can lead to spasms.

Perforated ulcer

This disease is not independent; it is a complication of a common ulcer, in which the destruction of the walls of the stomach and duodenum becomes critical, the perforation process begins. This disease manifests itself very violently, accompanied by severe pain, in which pain can spread to the supraclavicular region and under the scapula. At the same time, any movement increases the pain, as a result of which a person is almost constantly in the “fetal position” (with his knees tucked to his stomach) to relieve pain - only in this position does the pain recede.

What are the types of shoulder blade diseases?

If a person feels pain under the left shoulder blade, the reasons may lie not only in other internal organs, but also in the shoulder blade itself.

The most common case is various physical injuries to the shoulder blades, including their fractures. In this case, patients complain of constant pain in the scapula area, which may intensify with movement.

Or maybe the cause of the pain is in the shoulder blade itself?

Sometimes a disease such as . It is an inflammation of the subscapular bursa, in which, with active movement, a crunch appears in the scapula, which is accompanied by moderate pain.

Acquired pterygoid scapula is another not very common but common disease. It occurs due to paralysis of the muscles that connect the back of the ribs and the shoulder blade. It usually occurs after damage thoracic nerve, myopathy and bruises of the shoulder girdle. This disease is typical for athletes.

With fairly specific injuries (gunshot wounds, for example), it occurs.

Malignant and benign tumors can also cause pain under the scapula.

As you can see, not everything is so simple if there is pain under the left shoulder blade - the reasons can be completely different, and it is almost impossible to figure them out on your own. So don't experiment with trying self-treatment, it is better to immediately go to the doctor for a consultation.

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• Do you want to know how to treat pinching? sciatic nerve? Then carefully watch the video at this link.
• 10 essential nutritional components for a healthy spine- in this report you will find out what it should be like daily diet so that you and your spine are always in healthy body and spirit. Very useful information!
• Do you have osteochondrosis? Then we recommend studying effective methods treatment of lumbar, cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis without drugs.

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Pain in certain parts of the body does not always indicate that this particular area or organ is affected by the disease. Often these are radiating pains (referred), and their cause lies elsewhere. Pain under the shoulder blade is one of these cases, and the provoking factor is not always easy to detect. But according to the observations of doctors, this symptom is inherent in some serious disorders and pathologies, so it is imperative to find out why it hurts under the left shoulder blade from the back.

Pain in the left shoulder blade is a signal of a disease, but not necessarily of the organ that is directly nearby.

There are many causes of shoulder blade discomfort.

These could be:

• dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system. The first places are occupied by osteochondrosis, neuralgia, myafascial syndrome;
• injuries and defects in skeletal structure. Among them are scapula fractures, Sprengel’s disease and others;
• organ diseases gastrointestinal tract: intestinal and stomach ulcers, problems with the esophagus;
• problems cardiological profile– heart attack, ischemia, angina, prolapse mitral valve;
• respiratory diseases - inflammation or abscesses of the lungs, pleurisy, bronchitis.

Some of the listed diseases (heart attack, pneumonia and others) are life-threatening for the patient if treatment is not started on time. But such conditions are accompanied not only by discomfort of the scapula, but also by others, specific signs.

What does the nature of the pain indicate?

Any pain can be characterized by: exactly what sensations the patient experiences (pulling, aching, shooting, burning, etc.) when discomfort appears (after sleep or hard work, while moving or at rest, at night or constantly). This helps the doctor draw up a preliminary picture, and accurate diagnosis the examination will show.

Important! If someone like this suddenly appeared unpleasant symptom, like pain, the patient’s task is not to use painkillers, but to call a doctor.

Dumb

Such sensations can bother a person for a long time, periodically subsiding and resuming after a long stay in one position, awkward movement or lifting something heavy. These are manifestations of osteochondrosis of the thoracic or cervical spine. Patients experience tingling, numbness in the limbs, dizziness, headache.

This character discomfort may also indicate unilateral pneumonia. In this case, mild pain seems to be concentrated at one point and intensifies with inhalation or with certain movements. Accompanying this disease elevated temperature bodies.

Sharp, sharp

Sharp pain under the left shoulder blade may indicate dangerous condition.

Sudden sharp, acute, severe pain under the left shoulder blade is a sign. Such attacks are accompanied by a feeling of shortness of breath, it is impossible to take a full breath, and upon palpation there is pain in the inflamed area.

It is worth knowing that pain of this nature in the scapular region on the left, which is caused by neuralgia, is the most favorable option.

This symptom It is also characteristic of health and even life-threatening conditions - heart attack and stomach ulcers. If the patient suffers from angina and has severe pain under the left shoulder blade, call a doctor. Perhaps this disease provoked a pre-infarction state, and it is necessary to immediate help.

Ulcerative diseases The gastrointestinal tract can cause attacks of severe pain, which radiates to top part backs. In this case, an urgent visit to a doctor is the only way out, since advanced ulcerations become perforated, which is life-threatening.

Stabbing

This symptom raises suspicions of osteochondrosis; it is popularly called lumbago. Neuralgia is also the cause of this symptom. If such sensations are accompanied by a cough, then we're talking about about a disease of the respiratory system - left-sided pneumonia or pleurisy.

Pulling, aching

Pain can be caused by injury or degenerative processes.

If appeared similar pain in the left shoulder blade behind, its causes may be as follows:

• osteochondrosis;
• pyelonephritis;
• tuberculosis;
• tumor process in the scapula area;
• injury.

At first, such sensations appear periodically, are easily relieved with painkillers or go away on their own, then they become more frequent and, as the disease develops, accompany the patient constantly in any position of the body, at rest or in motion.

Pressing, pulsating

Pressing and throbbing pain under the left shoulder blade is a sign of a condition that requires medical attention. A feeling of squeezing in this area of ​​the body appears when hypertensive crisis, coronary heart disease. It is also a harbinger of a heart attack, especially if this symptom is accompanied by a feeling of squeezing in the left arm.

A strong painful pulsation, palpable under the shoulder blade on the left, is characteristic of dangerous disease– aortic aneurysm. At the first similar manifestations You should consult a doctor, as this anomaly puts your life in danger.

Diagnostics

The doctor will be able to make an accurate diagnosis for such patient complaints based on:

• interviewing the patient;
• visual inspection, listening, palpating the painful area;
• x-rays or MRI;
• electrocardiogram result;
• fibrogastroduodenoscopy;
• blood tests.

Specific studies (swallowing probe, ultrasound of the heart and the like) are prescribed if a disease of a particular organ is suspected.

Treatment

How to treat pain under the shoulder blade is decided by the doctor after an examination.

Pain under the left shoulder blade - aching, dull, stabbing or sharp, requires a thorough examination of the patient, since different types of such sensations indicate various diseases. And diseases are not always treated equally simply.

Neuralgia is treated with medications - painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs. Ibuprofen and Diclofenac are suitable for this. To relax the muscles and release pinched nerves, muscle relaxants (Mydocalm and the like), exercise therapy, and massage are prescribed.

For osteochondrosis, the same methods are suitable, but exercises aimed at improving the mobility of the vertebrae are used. Manual therapy- Same effective method with this disease.

If a disease of the kidneys, lungs, bronchi is diagnosed, digestive tract without complications, then a course is prescribed conservative treatment medications - antibiotics, antiulcer agents, vitamins. This treatment can be done at home or in a hospital if there is a need to administer medications. by drip and in the form of injections.

Hospitalization and treatment in a hospital is necessary for a heart attack or hypertensive crisis.

Surgical intervention require aneurysm, severe peptic ulcer Gastrointestinal tract.

Video

What else needs to be done in such a situation, see the following video:

Prevention

Get rid of discomfort in this zone it is possible, but it is much easier to prevent. Since diseases associated with this symptom are mainly provoked external factors, then prevention comes down to the following:

• conducting healthy image life;
• correct, good nutrition;
• uniform distribution of loads and rest;
• treatment infectious diseases immediately after identifying them;
• playing sports.

Important! If there are congenital problems with any organs, then it is necessary to follow all the doctor’s recommendations for treatment and do everything to prevent the disease from progressing.

Conclusion

Pain under the left shoulder blade - alarming symptom, so you can’t ignore it. There is no need to take any independent measures to get rid of discomfort; it is better to visit a doctor. This will help preserve health and even life.

- its unpredictability: sometimes it will grab your lower back, sometimes your neck - so much so that it’s even difficult to turn it. It feels like pain is trying to find us weak point and sneak in and settle in the body forever. The most common cause of such “reconnaissance” is deforming changes in our musculoskeletal system, the main load-bearing axis of which is the spine. However, back problems can often be associated with problems that are completely distant from dorsopathy. Most shining example this causes pain in the shoulder blades.

When your shoulder blade hurts, you can be sure of only one thing - there are 101 reasons for it.

And perhaps you should not go to a vertebrologist (so don’t rush to buy tubes of gel), but to completely different doctors, for example:

• Cardiologist
• Gastroenterologist
• Urologist
• Neurologist, etc.

Therefore, if you have pain in your shoulder blades, think deeply about which tablets to use. home first aid kit you don't have to choose. You need to immediately go to the clinic and get examined

Pain in the shoulder blades is the cause of many diseases

Of course, the slightest pain in the back is not worth flogging. The following should be cause for concern:

• The pain is constant and localized in one place. For example, there are the following options:
  • Pain between the shoulder blades
  • The shoulder blade itself hurts
  • Pain under the left shoulder blade
  • Pain under the right shoulder blade

  A clear determination of the location of pain is very important in diagnosis

• The pain varies in intensity:
  • In a resting position it can be moderate
  • When trying to change the position, it sharply intensifies

  Different colors of the intensity of pain at rest and in motion - from weak tones to super-saturated ones - may indicate a serious illness

• Another important test is the presence of pain on palpation. It usually correctly determines whether the source lies on the surface, which often happens when physical injury, or the problem is deeper and it is most likely of a therapeutic nature

What roughly can we expect if we know the location of the pain, and what will this give us - after all, there can be many options?

Medical testing over the years medical practice systematized the complaints of patients identified during surveys (this is why it is so important to explain to the doctor exactly what and where it hurts). The habits of diseases have long been collected in a kind of card index, and it is possible to identify the “criminal” in his tracks. True, many will fall under suspicion, but experts will gradually narrow this circle to a minimum.

Let's look at all the categories of signs and find out what can happen when...

Pain between the shoulder blades

This may be due to:

• or protrusion of the thoracic region
• Kyphosis or kyphoscoliosis
• Osteochondrosis
• Humeroscapular periarthrosis
• Angina pectoris
• Ischemia
• Ulcers of the stomach and duodenum
• Pneumonia or pleurisy
• Cholecystitis
• Liver diseases

Due to low mobility of the thoracic region, pain between the shoulder blades is more often associated with overexertion or sprain or ligaments than with degenerative processes in the spine.

This often happens:

• In athletes
• For workers with constant static tension in the back that occurs during work:
  • at the computer
  • machine
  • driving a car, etc.

Pain in muscles and ligaments varies:

• In the muscles - sharp or aching
• In ligaments - in the form of aching or shooting through the entire spine

One shoulder blade hurts

This may be caused by:

• Banal
  .
  With the syndrome brachial plexus lumbago occurs, radiating to the scapular region, shoulder or arm.
  This phenomenon is typical for those who are used to working with their heads constantly tilted.
• Pterygoid blade
  . The causes of the pathology may be:
  • injuries
  • neuroinfections and myopathies
  • paralysis diamond-shaped, trapezoidal And anterior serratus muscles
• Osteomyelitis caused by gunshot wound, leading to suppuration and intoxication
• Benign (osteoma, chondroma) or malignant (chondrosarcoma, reticulosarcoma)tumors
• Tuberculosis shoulder blades (rare disease)
• Injuries shoulder blades
  .
  The most common reason- fall on the back, less often - on the arm
  You can recognize an injury by the following signs:
  • increased pain when moving your arm
  • swelling in the scapular area
  • shoulder deformity

Pain under the left shoulder blade

This painful sensation may cause:

Myocardial infarction

Its signs:
Severe angina that does not go away even after taking validol or nitroglycerin.
Some people believe that during a heart attack there must be pain on the left side. This is not true - it usually hurts:

• behind the sternum (in the middle part of the chest)
• in the left shoulder blade, shoulder, arm, even in the left side of the neck and jaw (radiating pain)

Stomach ulcer

Ulcer symptoms:

• Pain occurs periodically after eating
• Accompanied by heartburn
• Disappears after vomiting
• Given:
  In the epigastric region, under the left shoulder blade, behind the sternum, in the thoracic back
• At ulcer perforation:
  • pain intensifies due to irritation of the nerve endings of the diaphragm
  • radiates under both shoulder blades and above the collarbone
  • Vomiting may occur before perforation
  • the patient begins to sweat, turns pale, and assumes a forced position:
    curled up on your side or back
  • stomach is hard and tense

Osteochondrosis

• The pain is aching, often on one side
• Increases in the morning and after exercise
• Given to the left or right shoulder blade, hand
• Paresthesia in the hands, headaches and dizziness may occur.

Intercostal neuralgia

• Girdle pain or paroxysmal pain
• Intensifies with movements, pressing on the shoulder blade, coughing, sneezing
• Directed along the nerve branch and can be unilateral
• May be accompanied by paresthesia and loss of sensation
• Available in a very wide area:
  In the heart, back, lower back, both shoulder blades

Mental illnesses
Most interesting option: there is actually no pain, it is created by a sick psyche

• A person experiences the following sensations:
  • Compression, burning, stabbing pain in the heart
  • Feels like your heart is about to stop
• Gradually, pain and heaviness creep further through the body:
  In the back, limbs, collarbone area, under left shoulder blade, belly
• Unreasonable excitement, trembling, feeling of cold occur

Pain under the right shoulder blade

Cholecystitis

Its main cause is stagnation of bile, caused by a narrowing of bile flows.
This is usually a disease of lovers of everything fatty, spicy, fried, as well as chocolate.

• The pain is very strong, cutting, considered one of the most severe
• Occurs at night and in the morning, several hours after eating
• Localized in the right hypochondrium and given to:
  to the right scapular region, shoulder, neck, jaw
• The patient suffers, may groan, continuously tosses and turns in order to find a saving position

Gallstone disease

• Begins with a sudden pain attack under the ribs on the right
• Further, the pain develops like cholecystitis, but then concentrates in the area of ​​the gallbladder
• It can radiate to the heart (cholecystocoronary syndrome) and even cause an attack of angina.

Abscess of the diaphragm

• Most often, acute pain begins in the right hypochondrium
• Increases with inhalation
• Refers to the right shoulder blade and shoulder
• Temperature rises
• In the blood test - sharp increase leukocytes and neutrophils

Kidney inflammation (nephritis)

• When the outbreak is localized in right kidney pain occurs
  On the right in the lower back, shoulder blade, under the ribs, iliosacral region
• The patient suffers from frequent painful urination
• The color of the urine becomes cloudy, dark, and may contain blood.

Thus, pain in the shoulder blades can indicate many reasons. Questioning the patient at the first visit to the doctor can only help make a preliminary diagnosis, the clarification of which is carried out using x-ray, ultrasound, laboratory and other types of research