Pain under the left shoulder blade from behind from the back can manifest itself in different ways, be temporary or permanent, or be accompanied by other symptoms. Have a changing intensity or depend on extraneous factors. An accurate idea of the state of health can give only the overall clinical picture. Therefore, to make a diagnosis, you need to collect complete information about all complaints and undergo a profile examination.
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Causes of pain under the left shoulder blade from behind from the back
Unpleasant sensations may not be associated with systemic disorders. Sometimes the pain manifests itself with a sharp turn, an awkward movement or after a long stay of the body in an uncomfortable position. But if the pain is systematic, associated with other symptoms, and its appearance is associated with some specific factors, then we have to talk about pathology.
The causes of discomfort under the left shoulder blade can be injuries from the back, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, disorders of a psychosomatic nature, diseases of the internal organs.
Constant aching pain can be triggered by trauma to the ribs or the scapular bone itself. Trauma is not always a fracture. A small crack also causes discomfort.
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system are accompanied by the destruction of cartilage, mixing of bones of the spine, inflammation of the joints and around the lying muscles. The cause of the pain in this case is the pressure from the edematous tissues on the roots of the nerve endings.
Physical condition is a direct reflection of mental well-being. Very often, pain under the left shoulder blade appears due to unresolved psychological problems. In this case, they speak of a psychosomatic disorder.
This symptom complex is accompanied by a feeling of fear, anxiety, a feeling of lack of air, pressure drops, the appearance of obsessions, etc. For problems of a neurotic nature, pain from the shoulder blade will not be the only complaint.
Some internal diseases are accompanied by unpleasant sensations that are able to change their localization. For example, irradiation of pain in the subscapular region is observed with damage to the digestive tract, broncho-pulmonary and cardiovascular systems. The pain appears as a result of a violation of blood supply in the affected area, a rupture or perforation of the muscle wall, as well as due to the appearance of ulcers, tumors and other neoplasms.
What diseases does the pain manifest?
What diseases are the most common cause of pain under the left shoulder blade:
- With a stomach ulcer sensations begin in the epigastric region, spread to the left side of the sternum, pass beyond the shoulder blade, can spread over the entire back. The pain is periodic, seasonal, increasing in nature. It subsides or completely disappears after eating, vomiting, application of heat. Peptic ulcer in most cases is accompanied by nausea and belching.
- Pancreatic inflammation (pancreatitis) it is accompanied by a sudden, severe, permanent, pain in the epigastric region, which can spread to the entire left half of the body, including the sternum and under the shoulder blade. Pancreatitis is accompanied by severe vomiting mixed with bile, which does not alleviate the condition.
- Crisis stage vegetative dystonia characterized by a complex of symptoms of a different nature. Their frequency and intensity do not have a definite estimate. The localization of sensations is unclear. Pain occurs in any part of the body, often in the sternum, under the scapula, from the back, in the region of the heart. The patient feels a lack of air. There is a rapid pulse, pressure surges. The condition is accompanied by anxiety and thoughts of death.
- Heart attack - a life-threatening condition requiring urgent action. Accompanied by pain from the back, in the area of the scapula, left arm. Sensations capture the chin and the left side of the neck. There is an attack of angina pectoris, acute pain is not relieved by vasodilator drugs.
- Aortic aneurysm - a dangerous condition in which stratification of the wall of a large chest vessel is observed. There is a chance of aortic rupture. Initially, pain occurs in the chest, then descends lower to the left side of the back.
- Endocarditis or myocarditis - damage to the heart muscle by pathogenic microorganisms. The disease is characterized by aching dull constant pain, fever, fever.
- Infectious lung lesions accompanied by left-sided inflammation of the serous membrane. With such diseases, there is always a high fever, wheezing, cough, chills, sweating, shortness of breath. The patient may lose weight.
- Osteochondrosis - a disease of the musculoskeletal system in which degradation or destruction of cartilage and bone tissue occurs. The disease is accompanied by displacement of the joints, the formation of hernias, abrasion of the vertebrae. With osteochondrosis, dull pain is felt under the left shoulder blade from the back, decreased skin sensitivity, weakness and sometimes involuntary muscle contraction.
- Intercostal neuralgia has characteristic symptoms: burning shooting pain, aggravated by coughing, a sharp change in body position. The patient experiences muscle tension, burning from the back and under the shoulder blade.
The causes of pain can be of a different nature.An accurate diagnosis requires professional diagnosis.
Diagnostic Methods
The primary diagnostic method is to take an anamnesis. The doctor needs to make a complete picture, find out what else besides the main sensations worries the patient. A specific examination is prescribed after a preliminary diagnosis is made on the basis of information about all the identified symptoms.
The doctor can direct you to the following types of examinations:
- Ultrasound or ECG of the heart;
- Ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs;
- Contrast CT or MRI of the peritoneum;
- FGDS of the stomach;
- X-ray of the lungs, bones and joints of the shoulder-scapular complex;
- Biochemical blood tests.
From the patient is required during the initial admission to most accurately describe their feelings.
The nature of the pain under the left shoulder blade
The nature of the sensations indicates specific diseases. An accurate description helps the specialist make a preliminary diagnosis.
Dull pain
The pain has a constant intensity. As a rule, such sensations do not depend on a change in body position. The patient is under pressure. The strength of sensations varies from barely noticeable to pronounced.
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It's a dull pain
Aching pain is a constant pulling sensation that prompts you to look for a comfortable position. The intensity may be different, but, as a rule, it does not change over time. The patient may feel aching pain as a slow pulsation in the area of the affected organ.
Cutting, sharp
The pain is very intense. It does not allow movement. It feels stronger when changing the position of the body. It occurs suddenly. It can grow quickly. Strengthens with a deep breath.
Growing pain
Increasing pain is a sensation that, over time, changes in intensity, becomes more pronounced. Such a syndrome depends on specific factors and ceases with the onset of a specific event. For example, with a stomach ulcer, the pain increases with increasing hunger and disappears after eating.
Persistent pain
Extraneous factors do not affect constant pain. It does not pass after a change of position, does not subside from the use of heat or cold.
Which doctor should I go to?
First of all, the patient should consult a therapist who will make a preliminary diagnosis and send to a specialist. Further treatment is possible with a neurologist, psychotherapist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist, pulmonologist, surgeon, orthopedist. It is possible that you will need to contact a chiropractor, osteopath, physiotherapist or massage therapist.
Treatment features
A single complex of treatment does not exist. Everything will depend on the cause of the pain. If the nature of the sensations is associated with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, then the general measures will be: the use of muscle relaxants to relieve spasm, the appointment of medical anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy, massage.
In diseases of the internal organs, individual treatment is prescribed with the selection of painkillers, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamins.
Patients with acute conditions caused by a heart attack, aortic rupture, an attack of pancreatitis are delivered to the hospital.
Preventive actions
Measures for the prevention of pain are the implementation of the general principles of a healthy lifestyle: reducing the psychoemotional load; compliance with the basics of good nutrition; maintaining a balance between rest and physical activity; giving up bad habits; timely detection and treatment of infectious diseases.
A part of prevention is also regular medical examination, which helps to identify diseases at the stage of origin.
Pain under the left shoulder blade can be felt with various pathologies. To get rid of an obsessive symptom, you need to undergo an examination, establish the cause and choose the right treatment.
