Pain between the shoulder blades can occur for various reasons. Some types of pain do not pose a potential threat to human health, but cause discomfort. Other pains need to be responded to immediately, as they signal pathological conditions in the body that can be life-threatening.
Causes of discomfort
Pain syndrome in the interscapular region is characterized by a wide variety. The pain can be sharp, sharp or dull, and be nagging, aching or bursting in nature. Sometimes the feeling of discomfort comes down to only tingling and numbness. There are also cases when pain from the back radiates to nearby parts of the body. But regardless of the nature of the manifestations, they are always unpleasant and indicate problems in the human body.
The causes of pain between the shoulder blades may be as follows:
- Lack of regular physical activity - exercise, sports, swimming.
- Sedentary work.
- Sudden physical activity, especially if it was performed by an untrained person.
- All kinds of injuries that a person received during impacts, falls, car accidents.
The following diseases can provoke the appearance of pain:
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic spine.
- Intervertebral hernia.
- Thoracic or cervical radiculitis.
- Intercostal neuralgia.
- Poor posture.
- Angina and coronary heart disease.
- Pleurisy.
- Pneumonia.
- Infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis.
The nature of the pain can suggest what disease it was caused by. Thus, with coronary heart disease, in most cases the pain will also affect the chest. But more often, back pain is associated with diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
Diseases with characteristic symptoms
For each disease associated with pain between the shoulder blades, the sensations are individual. Thus, with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, pain increases when turning the body or head, breathing, sneezing, coughing and any physical activity. This is typical for osteochondrosis, intercostal neuralgia, and hernia. In addition, in such cases, the pain is not relieved by Nitroglycerin.
With neuralgia, a person’s nerve ache, so unpleasant sensations are observed when palpating the problem area. The pain may be dull or severely ache in the affected area.
In heart disease, pain is often localized between the shoulder blades. At the same time, they are oppressive in nature. Additional symptoms are:
- heart rhythm disturbances;
- increased blood pressure;
- difficulty breathing.
The pain radiates to the left arm, neck, head and even teeth. This condition may be a harbinger of a heart attack, in which a person requires emergency medical attention.
With lung diseases, in addition to unpleasant sensations in the back (dull pain), a person is bothered by coughing and difficulty breathing. With tuberculosis, blood clots may pass along with sputum. Such conditions of the body pose a potential threat to human life, so they must be treated in a timely manner.
Painful sensations of a shooting nature can appear with a cold. For example, if a person spent a long time in a draft.
Recommended Treatments
You should not self-medicate, focusing only on the painful signs of the disease. For an accurate diagnosis, the patient is recommended to consult a doctor. Only in a medical institution will a person be able to conduct the necessary research and provide qualified assistance.
In diseases of the musculoskeletal system, efforts are initially aimed at eliminating pain. For this, a person is prescribed painkillers and ointments.
If a person has a confirmed intervertebral hernia, he may require surgery.
To treat infectious diseases and other disorders of the respiratory system, a person is prescribed complex treatment. An attack of angina must be stopped with nitroglycerin tablets, and then the patient must undergo a comprehensive examination. Based on its results, the doctor will be able not only to choose the right treatment, but also to give recommendations to the patient regarding further actions, for example, if the person is recommended for hospitalization and surgery.
How to relieve pain
You can cope with pain using various methods. Thus, for diseases of the heart, lungs and other internal organs, drug therapy cannot be avoided.
To eliminate pain due to diseases of the musculoskeletal system, the following procedures will help:
- A massage that should only be performed by a professional massage therapist. It is not recommended to do it in case of intervertebral hernia, as well as in the acute stage of osteochondrosis.
- Exercise therapy is effective. Therapeutic exercise is a set of exercises aimed at restoring the spine and eliminating discomfort.
It is acceptable to use painkillers: tablets, creams, gels.
Preventive measures
In order to prevent pain between the shoulder blades, a person needs to carefully monitor his health. At the first symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor.
To prevent heart and respiratory diseases that cause pain in the interscapular area, it is recommended to adhere to a healthy lifestyle:
- stop smoking;
- balance the diet;
- do not overcool;
- avoid stressful situations;
- periodically do a cardiogram;
- control blood pressure.
To prevent diseases of the musculoskeletal system, it is recommended:
- To live an active lifestyle. It is advisable to visit the gym and swimming pool at least 2 times a week. If this is not possible, exercises can be replaced by jogging in the fresh air, cycling, skiing, or an active game of ball.
- If a person’s professional activity involves sedentary work, it is recommended to do a short warm-up for the neck and shoulders every hour.
- You should sit only on comfortable chairs with a backrest, as this reduces the load on the spine during sedentary work.
- Don't slouch, try to maintain correct posture.
By following these rules, you can protect yourself from many diseases. But if a person shows the first signs of discomfort in the back, it is better not to delay and undergo a medical examination on time. Self-medication without an accurate diagnosis can worsen the situation.