Most people, when they experience back pain between the shoulder blades, associate its occurrence with various disorders of the spine, nerve roots, ligaments, intervertebral discs, or the discs themselves. But it should be remembered that such a painful sensation can also be associated with other diseases of the chest organs - stomach, heart, respiratory system, and mediastinal organs.
Such pain can be either acute, which grows rapidly and either passes quickly or increases significantly over time, or chronic, which worries the patient for a long time and requires accurate diagnosis, as it can be a symptom of any serious pathology. chest. organ. Sometimes pain between the shoulder blades can occur only after sudden physical exercise or after a long stay in an uncomfortable position.
Keep in mind that pain in the interscapular area is not a disease, but a symptom, and before applying any ointment for back pain or injections, the exact cause of their appearance should be established. When contacting a doctor, it is very important to describe all the slight corresponding symptoms that accompany the pain, the time of its occurrence, the factors that provoke its improvement, because the doctor needs help in determining the direction of examination and sometimes very difficult. to establish a correct diagnosis without accurate data on the nature of the pain.
Often, untimely identification of the true cause of pain between the shoulder blades forces a person to undergo many expensive and lengthy examinations, using various treatment options, which are sometimes improperly prescribed and therefore do not bring the desired results. Therefore, it is very important that the patient himself knows about the list of possible diseases, which are characterized by this pain syndrome.
Pain caused by spinal pathology
We will not think of obvious causes such as bruises, injuries, dislocations and vertebral fractures, but consider other possible causes of such back pain.
Intervertebral hernia
You should know that a vertebral hernia in the thoracic spine is a very rare occurrence, as this spine does not carry increased loads like the cervical and lumbar areas. To diagnose or rule out this pathology, the neurologist, osteopath directs the patient to MRI, CT. The change in an intervertebral hernia is due to the fact that the fibrous ring - the outer part of the intervertebral disc from the tear begins to protrude, while the distance between the vertebrae decreases and the nerve root is pinched. That is, the fibrous ring cracks, the nucleus pulposus (the shock absorber in the center of the disc) begins to protrude into it.
When such a hernia is found, doctors prescribe NSAIDs (anti-inflammatory drugs), physiotherapy, physiotherapy, reflexology, and in severe cases, surgery is indicated. The difference between such pain in an intervertebral hernia of the thoracic spine from other pathologies is that it is localized only in one place, and the pain can also radiate to the chest, which may resemble symptoms of impaired lung or heart function. With long -term lack of intervertebral hernia treatment, curvature of the spine, lower limb paraparesis, dysfunction of the pelvic organs, and chronic pain syndrome may occur.
Overstrain in combination with back muscle hypothermia
Overstrain of the back muscles can also cause pain in the shoulder blades, this is not considered a disease, but with frequent overload, weight lifting, prolonged sitting in a dull position, the risk of developing osteochondrosis, scoliosis, intervertebral hernia increases. Often, people whose work forces them to remain in the same position for several hours a day experience such pain - these are seamstresses, drivers, office workers, surgeons.
Sometimes, when such a profession is combined with air conditioning, hypothermia, so-called back pain can occur, when the pain becomes more intense and requires the appointment of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), the use of warming, annoying ointments, massage, etc.
To avoid such complications, you should try to avoid drafts, lead the most active lifestyle, do yoga, Bodyflex, therapeutic exercises, take a professional massage course every six months.
Spinal tuberculosis
Today, many doctors seem to "forget" about the disease, and anti-tuberculosis services in the country for some reason are declining, and in fact, almost 90% of the population has been infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis since childhood. If a person is injured, especially the back, or joints, or just becomes very cold, with a very weak immune system, the focus of tuberculosis often occurs at the site of injury, which even on X-rays with certain signs can not always be recognized in time.
Often in such cases, the diagnosis is established only when the person is tired from severe pain and has some complications. With this disease, a person may be bothered by very strong pain, burning between the shoulder blades, the patient describes it as twisting or drilling at one point of the spine, and also when the focus is localized in the thoracic spine, the pain radiates to the chest, wherethere is a burning sensation, heat, pain.
Spinal tuberculosis is a very dangerous disease, and when it occurs in the spine, the patient does not always have a focus in the lungs, it can be a free focus of tuberculosis infection in any part of the spine. People are accustomed to the idea that tuberculosis is a disease that affects only the lower and local social strata of the population, as a rule, only in the lungs. This is a big misconception!
When the body’s defenses become weak, Koch’s bacillus, which is in almost everyone’s body, is activated in the weakest organs and a slow inflammatory process begins, it can be like the kidneys, lymph nodes, female fallopian tubes, prostate or testicles onmen, so and individual vertebrae in the spine or joints in the limbs.
Scoliosis
According to statistics, almost 50% of the population has various stages of development of scoliosis - curvature, twisting of the spine, and often it is the thoracic spine in combination with the cervical or lumbar region. And because the ribs are connected to the thoracic area, the shape of the chest also changes. There are many reasons for its development - these are congenital pathologies of ligaments, bones, as well as acquired - intense physical load, inactive office work or school students sitting at desks.
With lateral and direct chest x-rays, a surgeon, neurologist, orthopedist or osteopath can make a similar diagnosis. Such pathological therapy should be very intensive and long - this is a massage, wearing a special corset, therapeutic exercises. In scoliosis, back pain between the shoulder blades is the main symptom, and the following symptoms also exist in it:
- In the early stages, visual curvature may be subtle, but with the development of scoliosis when examining the patient from behind, the curvature becomes noticeable.
- With scoliosis, there is an increase in back muscle fatigue
- The position of the shoulders and arms may be at different heights
- Pain that bothers the patient in the chest is more often localized on one side
- Between the shoulder blades, pain can be both periodic from severe fatigue or a prolonged standing or sitting position, and can also be persistent.
Osteochondrosis
Since the primary stage of osteochondrosis today is found even in ten-year-old children, this pathology can rightly be called a specter of the modern urban population. Recently, the disease is considered a disease of the elderly, but modern life, improper lifestyle, inactivity, leads to the early development of dystrophic changes in the joints and spine. The cause of back pain is promoted by an inflammatory process that develops in the surrounding tissues around the damaged vertebrae, as well as caused by pinched nerve roots. The following symptoms are characteristic of osteochondrosis:
- Persistent pain and soreness in the back, aggravated by sneezing, coughing, sudden changes in body position, during physical exercise
- When straightening the shoulders, you can hear a snort between the shoulder blades
- Chest pain can be described as if "the bet is worth it"
- Reduced mobility of the ribs leads to difficulty breathing, and the person, it seems, begins to breathe in the abdomen
- Movement in the hands is limited, weakness, tingling or numbness in the hands is felt.
Intercostal neuralgia
Intercostal neuralgia usually bothers someone who experiences pain in the side of the chest, but in rare cases, it can also occur in the shoulder blade area. This occurs in situations where nerve root compression in the thoracic region occurs during excessive stress, hypothermia, trauma, infectious disease, or osteochondrosis of the thoracic region.
With intercostal neuralgia, the symptoms, pain increase with pressure on the chest, with coughing, and can bother the patient day and night. Because pain in osteochondrosis, scoliosis and intercostal neuralgia is very difficult to differentiate, to clarify the diagnosis, one should contact a qualified orthopedist, neurologist, osteopath, and surgeon.
Spondylarthrosis
The disease is very similar to osteochondrosis, according to the nature of the pain, according to the factors that increase it during exercise, changes in body position. It is also chronic, with periods of exacerbation and remission. It is possible to distinguish spondylarthrosis from osteochondrosis only with the help of X-rays, MRI or CT. With this disease, cartilage is destroyed and replaced by bone tissue, so bone protrusions can be found on the vertebrae.
Back muscle myositis
After any hypothermia, SARS, influenza, muscle tension, back injuries, inflammation in muscle tissue can occur - myositis. Like any disease, it can be acute or chronic. Pain in this case can be in any part of the spine, they are painful in nature and even increase with palpation, movement, physical effort. This is not a dangerous condition, and using a warming and pain relieving ointment for back pain usually helps.
Diseases of internal organs
As we have said, pain in the shoulder blades in the back is not always a sign of spinal disease, almost all diseases of the mediastinal organs, heart, stomach, pancreas and gallbladder can contribute to the appearance of pain in the back. . At a time of our oncological strain, when cancer does not save children or adults, the development of tumors of the mediastinal, abdominal, and lung organs can also be manifested by pain in the shoulder blades.
Diseases of the cardiovascular system
Ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, angina are diseases that can also be the cause of such pain. With angina. for example, the pain never lasts more than 5 minutes, and with nitroglycerin it usually disappears immediately. However, in an acute attack, if severe pain lasts more than 5 minutes, blood pressure decreases, cold sweats appear, pale skin, you should immediately call an ambulance.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
Stomach ulcers, pancreatitis, cholecystitis are three diseases that may also be responsible for the occurrence of pain in the thoracic area in front and behind. Also, the development of oncological diseases of the stomach, pancreas can cause such sensations.
Diseases of the respiratory system
If the patient, in addition to back pain, worries about coughing, an increase in body temperature, even slight, the cause may be lung pathology. Usually, diseases such as pneumonia or pleurisy are preceded by hypothermia, acute respiratory viral infections, influenza. Recently, cases of development of atypical forms of pneumonia have become more frequent, when pneumonia is caused by pathogens such as mycoplasma or chlamydia, they are not accompanied by very high temperatures, but can occur against the background of subfebrile conditions, and back. pain may appear on the right, left, when inhaling, especially exacerbated by deep inspiration. The main criteria for distinguishing lung pathology from other causes are the presence of temperature, not high, and cough.
Other diseases
- Osteoporosis with vertebral body fractures, say, against the background of long -term use of steroid hormones or a decrease in estrogen in menopausal women.
- Metastasis to the vertebrae of stomach cancer, for example, can also cause pain.
- Spontaneous fracture with irrational load.
- Ankylochiating spondylitis (Bechterew’s disease) is a systemic disease. Affects more often than men, where, against the background of inflammation, the vertebrae are affected and ossification of the ligaments occurs. As a result, the spine becomes inflexible and is described radiologically as a bamboo trunk.