Pain between the shoulder blades can occur for a variety of reasons. Some types of pain do not pose a potential threat to human health, but cause discomfort. Other pains should be treated 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 may be sharp, sharp, or dull, and may be throbbing, aching, or bursting in nature. Sometimes the feeling of discomfort is just tingling and numbness. There are also cases where back pain radiates to neighboring parts of the body. But whatever 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:
- Lack of regular physical activity - exercise, sports, swimming.
- Sedentary work.
- Sudden physical activity, especially if performed by an untrained person.
- All kinds of injuries that a person received during bumps, falls, car accidents.
The following diseases can cause the appearance of pain:
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic spine.
- Intervertebral hernia.
- Thoracic or cervical radiculitis.
- Intercostal neuralgia.
- Bad position.
- Angina and coronary heart disease.
- Pleurisy.
- Pneumonia.
- Infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis.
The nature of the pain may suggest what illness it was caused by. So, in case of coronary heart disease, in most cases the pain will also affect the chest. But most 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. So, in 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. Also, in such cases, nitroglycerin does not relieve pain.
With neuralgia, a person experiences nerve pain, so unpleasant sensations are observed when palpating the problem area. The pain may be dull or intense 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 can be a warning sign of a heart attack, in which a person requires emergency medical attention.
In lung diseases, in addition to unpleasant sensations in the back (dull pain), a person is bothered by cough and difficulty breathing. With tuberculosis, blood clots can be passed along with sputum. Such bodily ailments pose a potential threat to human life and therefore need to be treated in a timely manner.
Painful sensations of a nagging nature may appear with a cold. For example, if a person has spent a lot of 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 carry out 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, they may need surgery.
To treat infectious diseases and other disorders of the respiratory system, a person is prescribed complex treatment. An angina attack should be stopped with nitroglycerin tablets, and then the patient should undergo a complete examination. Based on its results, the doctor will not only be able to choose the right treatment, but also give recommendations to the patient regarding further actions, for example, whether a person is recommended for hospitalization and surgery.
How to relieve pain
You can cope with pain using various methods. So, for diseases of the heart, lungs and other internal organs, drug treatment 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 this 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 pain relievers: tablets, creams, gels.
Preventive measures
In order to prevent pain between the shoulder blades, a person should carefully monitor their 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:
- Live an active life. 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 with 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 perform a short neck and shoulder warm-up every hour.
- You should only sit on comfortable chairs with backs, 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 back discomfort, it is better not to delay and undergo a medical examination in time. Self-medication without an accurate diagnosis can make the situation worse.