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 need to be responded to immediately, because they indicate a pathological condition in the body that can be life-threatening.
Cause of discomfort
Pain syndrome in the interscapular region is characterized by various types. Pain can be sharp, sharp or dull, and nagging, aching or bursting. Sometimes the discomfort comes only to 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 manifestation, 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 is performed by an untrained person.
- All types of injuries that a person receives during an impact, fall, car accident.
The following diseases can trigger 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 is caused by. Therefore, 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 sensation is individual. Therefore, with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, the 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 with Nitroglycerin.
With neuralgia, a person's nerves hurt, so an unpleasant sensation is observed when palpating the problem area. The pain may be dull or aching in the affected area.
In heart disease, pain is often localized between the shoulder blades. At the same time, they are oppressive. Additional symptoms are:
- heart rhythm disorders;
- increased blood pressure;
- hard to breath.
The pain spreads to the left arm, neck, head and even teeth. This condition may be a sign of a heart attack, in which case a person needs emergency medical attention.
With lung disease, in addition to unpleasant sensations in the back (dull pain), a person is disturbed by coughing and difficulty breathing. With dry cough, blood clots can pass along with phlegm. Such body conditions 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 someone spends a long time in a draft.
Recommended Treatment
You can not self-medicate, just focus on the painful symptoms of the disease. For an accurate diagnosis, patients are recommended to consult a doctor. Only in a medical institution will one 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 given painkillers and ointments.
If a person has a confirmed intervertebral hernia, he may need surgery.
To treat infectious diseases and other disorders of the respiratory system, a person is prescribed complex treatment. Angina attacks must be stopped with nitroglycerin tablets, and then the patient must undergo a comprehensive examination. Based on the results, the doctor will be able not only to choose the right treatment, but also to give recommendations to the patient about 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. Therefore, 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 done 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 exercises are a set of exercises aimed at restoring the spine and eliminating discomfort.
It is acceptable to use painkillers: tablets, creams, gels.
Preventive measures
To avoid pain between the shoulder blades, a person needs to carefully monitor his health. At the first symptom, you need to see a doctor immediately.
To avoid heart and respiratory diseases that cause pain in the interscapular area, it is recommended to adhere to a healthy lifestyle:
- stop smoking;
- balance diet;
- don't be too cold;
- avoid stressful situations;
- periodically perform 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, exercise can be replaced by jogging in the fresh air, cycling, skiing, or an active ball game.
- 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 just need to sit on a comfortable chair with a backrest, as this reduces the load on the spine during sedentary work.
- Do not slouch, try to maintain the 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 in time. Self-medication without proper diagnosis can worsen the condition.