Basically, pain under the shoulder blade on the left rear from behind is more characteristic of people of the older age group, but a similar disease often manifests itself at a younger age.
Bad posture, hereditary factors, or sports injuries can all be the causes of this condition. The main causes of pain under the left shoulder blade from behind from behind should be considered in more detail. After all, this discomfort can be considered a good reason to visit the specialist.
Causes and types of pain under the left shoulder blade in the back from behind
The reasons for the development of this pathology are different, they have their own characteristics. Pain on the left side under the shoulder blade in the back from behind is characterized by the following sensations:
- Sharp;
- stupid;
- pull;
- Sew;
- Shoot.
Pain under the left shoulder blade from behind can be of the same type or alternate. There are times when one type of discomfort is replaced by another, for example a stabbing becomes a shooting one. Pathology is caused by various injuries and their consequences, diseases of the musculoskeletal system:
- damage to the ribs - discomfort is felt throughout the shoulder;
- osteoporosis, arthritis - affects the neck and shoulders in addition to the shoulder blade;
- Disc displacement - pain leads to stenosis of the spinal canal;
- Wear and tear (aging) of the skeletal system - unpleasant sensations in the area of the shoulder blade can appear when the structure of the bones changes with age;
- bursitis - the formation of exudate during inflammation of the periarticular sac also causes pain;
- rupture of the rotator cuff - a sharp, sharp pain in the area of the left shoulder blade from behind from behind with the inability to rotate the arm, reports an injury to the shoulder muscles or tendons, which are responsible for coordination of the shoulder joint;
- Dislocation - discomfort on the left side of the back can be the result of a dislocation of the collarbone or shoulder joint;
- Nerve Damage - Pinching of the dorsal scapular nerve is also characterized by painful sensations in the back (under the left shoulder blade).
Radiation of back pain in the area of the shoulder blades on the left is considered a signal that indicates the following pathologies:
- Abscess pneumonia;
- acute inflammation of the bronchial mucosa;
- focal pneumonia;
- Pulmonary pleurisy;
- Gastric ulcer;
- Esophageal spasm;
- Pancreatitis;
- gastroreflux.
Heart disease can be another reason the patient has back pain on the left side under the shoulder blade:
- Heart attack;
- Pericarditis;
- Angina pectoris;
- Mitral valve prolapse.
In addition, it causes discomfort and pain under the left shoulder blade from behind - increased muscle tone:
- bad posture;
- uncomfortable position during sleep;
- Stretching the neck muscles.
Only a visit to a specialist will help to correctly determine the causes of the burning sensation under the left shoulder blade from behind from behind.
Diseases of the broncho-pulmonary system
Problems with the lower respiratory tract (bronchi, lungs, pleura) can cause pain over the left shoulder blade in the back from behind. The main causes of respiratory diseases are diseases caused by pathogenic viruses and bacteria:
- Bronchitis;
- Lung infection;
- Pleurisy.
New growths in the lungs or bronchi can also cause a burning sensation under the left shoulder blade from behind.
Pleurisy of the lungs
Dry pleurisy is characterized by increased pain under the left shoulder blade when coughing, breathing, or sneezing. The process proceeds with an increase in temperature (up to 38 ° C), a feeling of general weakness, sweating, headache, as well as muscle and joint pain.
lung infection
If the back hurts for a long time on the left under the shoulder blade, this could be a sign of pneumonia. Its symptoms are similar to those of pleurisy and are often accompanied by the following symptoms:
- bloody lumps in saliva;
- wet cough (less often dry);
- Lack of oxygen;
- increased body temperature (37. 5 ° C - 37. 9 ° C).
Gastrointestinal tract
One of the most common causes of shoulder pain is digestive system disorders, particularly stomach ulcers and pancreatitis.
Pancreatitis
Back pain under the left shoulder blade due to pancreatitis is not as common. They usually occur in parallel with lower back pain and spasmodic contractions. They appear unexpectedly in the heart, chest, or back area.
Stomach ulcer
With the development of a stomach ulcer, a person has belching or heartburn. A significant proportion of patients (approx. 75%) feel relief from vomiting, which is caused by severe pain with previous nausea. First, discomfort in the epistragal region is observed, then the pain can spread to the left side (nipple, sternum, back). Often there is an increase in pain after a meal.
The cardiovascular system
Pain under the left shoulder blade from behind from behind is not considered a sign that characterizes a specific disease, but dysfunction of the cardiovascular system is considered one of the important factors. The main diseases that are characteristic of these symptoms include: angina, myocardial infarction, aortic aneurysm, hypertensive crisis, and pericarditis.
Angina pectoris
With angina, a person experiences acute left subscapular pain from the back, for the removal of which nitroglycerin is used. An attack of angina pectoris can be caused by physical exertion, psychophysical factors, hypothermia, overeating, and a significant amount of alcohol.
Heart attack
The characteristic pain under the shoulder blade on the left from behind can be caused by a complete lack of coronary blood supply to one of the myocardial sites due to a vascular obstruction. The cause of a heart attack is:
- Arteriosclerosis;
- Thrombosis.
When a thrombus (plaque) is torn off, it invades the heart with the blood flow and, once it is in the small-diameter coronary arteries, they block the vessel and cut off the supply of blood to the tissues. With a lack of oxygen, the process of death of myocardial cells begins.
Symptoms of myocardial infarction include acute and throbbing pain that focuses on the left side of the sternum. Distributed in the area:
- left hand;
- Shoulder blades;
- Lower jaw.
Pain during a heart attack cannot be stopped with the help of analgesics, and nitroglycerin can only provide minor pain relief.
Aortic aneurysm
In half of the cases of early-stage thoracic aortic aneurysms, there are no signs of the disease. Symptoms depend on the location of the aneurysm, its size, and the presence (absence) of a dissection. In addition to pain in the shoulder blade from behind, the following complaints are possible:
- Discomfort in the left back, neck, lower jaw;
- Chest pain;
- Cough, hoarseness, shortness of breath.
May be accompanied by signs of heart failure due to heart failure. Symptoms can come on suddenly and include severe chest and left back pain.
Hypertensive crisis
Contrary to popular belief, a hypertensive crisis is not characterized by standard blood pressure values; they are purely individual. In addition to the sign that the patient has colitis under the left shoulder blade from behind from behind, symptoms of hypertensive crisis should include:
- Headache in the back of the head;
- Throbbing in the temples;
- Shortness of breath;
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Vision problems;
- Reddening of the skin;
- an increase in diastolic blood pressure values above 110-120 mm Hg. Art.
When a hypertensive crisis occurs, the risk of complications from a number of systems and organs, the central nervous system, etc. increases.
Pericarditis
Patients may have symptoms of inflammation (acute pericarditis) or signs of fluid retention (pleural effusion). They vary depending on the degree of the inflammatory process and the volume of pericardial fluid. With acute pericarditis, pain occurs on the left side under the shoulder blade on the back, in the chest, and sometimes shortness of breath is noted. And also the first manifestation can be tamponade with the development of hypotension, shock or pulmonary edema.
Musculoskeletal system
Various destructive pathologies of the spine and bones can cause back pain under the left shoulder blade. In addition, these include: intercostal neuralgia, osteochondrosis and intervertebral hernia.
Intercostal neuralgia
Pain in the back in the area of the shoulder blades on the left in neuralgia has its own characteristics, for example, its intensification with physical exertion, and the point of pain can be determined by palpation. Pain with neuralgia is long-lasting and is not minimized with nitroglycerin.
Osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is often a common cause of pain under the left shoulder blade from behind and is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Muscle cramps, numbness;
- the development of dizziness;
- the appearance of "goose bumps" (paresthesia);
- regular headache.
Intervertebral hernia
A hernia occurs when the annulus fibrosus that surrounds the disc ruptures, causing displacement of the disc nucleus. The symptoms of a herniated disc depend on its location. The main symptom of a herniated disc is left back pain that increases with exercise or lifting weights.
Psychosomatic illnesses
One of the causes of pain under the left shoulder blade from behind from behind can be considered psychosomatic diseases. Not every specialist will be able to identify this disease and its true causes, as they often do not have any special features. Various organ systems can have a direct relationship with the dynamics of the patient's mental state:
- Gastrointestinal tract;
- Cardiovascular system;
- Nervous system;
- Immunity.
The treatment of pain under the left shoulder blade from behind from behind in psychosomatic diseases is carried out without the use of traditional therapy. In such cases it is important to identify psychological motives and provide treatment with a psychotherapeutic orientation.
Diagnostic measures
Our specialists make a more precise diagnosis after carrying out the necessary laboratory and instrument diagnostics with the most modern equipment. When is the testimony given:
- Blood tests;
- Urinalysis to assess kidney function;
- Liver function test;
- Gastric endoscopy;
- Ultrasound for diagnosing somatic disorders, heart disease, blood vessels;
- CT scan of the liver, pancreas;
- EKG of the heart;
- Chest x-ray.
Due to the fact that the pain under the left shoulder blade from behind cannot be a symptom of any disease, a comprehensive examination by several specialists is not excluded. Our clinic offers patients one of the most modern complex types of examinations - the check-up, which includes many types of analyzes with the smallest diagnostic procedures. Timely contact with our specialists and the guaranteed correct diagnosis help the patient to carry out a high-quality and successful treatment.