What to do if your back hurts from under your left shoulder blade

Pain under the left shoulder blade behind the back is a serious nuisance, in which the ability to move will inevitably be impaired, the person experiences severe discomfort. In certain pathologies, even at rest, the patient experiences discomfort.

But it is worth noting that the pain under the left shoulder blade does not always indicate the presence of complex pathology. Sometimes it can occur due to a long stay in the same unnatural position.

Review of the disorder

If you look at the person's back, you will notice that the left shoulder blade is attached to the ribs that make up the chest. Nerves and blood vessels are located in the grooves between them. The ribs are connected by ligaments and muscles.

The spinal cord, which contains the spinal cord, is located in the center of the back, with the shoulder blades on either side of it. The nerves extend from the spine. Well-developed muscles in the back surround the shoulder blade.

The purpose of the bone is to provide protection to the lungs, spleen, stomach and heart, the part of the aorta located in the chest.

Why there is discomfort in the shoulder blade

Left shoulder blade pain is often caused by the following factors:

• Stomach ulcer. In this disorder, back pain often escalates. It often occurs after the next meal, but decreases if the patient vomits. To find out if the pain is really due to an ulcer, it is necessary to monitor the presence of bouts of heartburn, belching. Unpleasant sensations, pain may begin in the subscapular area on the left side or radiate to the sternum. At the same time, the patient loses the ability not only to move freely, but also to breathe deeply. Inhalation is complicated by the discomfort a person feels when trying to relax. Due to such difficulties, other functional disorders, malfunctions of the nervous system can begin. If the pain under the left shoulder blade is acute, appear unexpectedly, it is worth calling a medical team for help;

• Acute pancreatitis is a disease of the body that can cause severe pain under the shoulder blade on the left side. Uncomfortable sensations always have a certain character, in this disease the pain appears as sudden, enveloping;
• Vegetative crises. The symptoms are pronounced and complicate the patient's life. In addition to the annoying pain in the left shoulder blade at the back, a feeling of tightness in the chest may begin, the patient notices a fever in the same place until it is not possible to accurately identify the problem area. Due to breathing problems, the patient often experiences fear, anxiety, gradually suffocation, a feeling of a lump in the throat. Discomfort may be felt in other parts of the body;
• Sometimes it hurts under the left shoulder blade due to myocardial infarction. This condition is in most cases considered life-threatening. The earlier it is recognized, the more effective the treatment will be. The patient feels a burning sensation in the problem area, can not breathe deeply. The pain in the left shoulder blade is quite high, there is no reaction to the nitroglycerin drug, this condition can last about 10 minutes. The disease is characterized by numbness of the hand during each attack;

• Angina pectoris. A pathological condition in which the left side under the shoulder blade also often hurts. The sensations are extremely unpleasant and sharp, which seem to press on the chest. The reason for the unpleasant condition is a change in the size of the lumen of blood vessels. Attacks can be caused by significant physical exertion, alcoholism, hypothermia of the body. To alleviate the attack, you can use nitroglycerin;
• Pathological conditions of the respiratory organs. If it often hurts under the left shoulder blade, the cause may be dry pleurisy or pneumonia. Discomfort will be noticeable with any attempt to cough, sneeze or even take a deep breath. The direction of the pain is always rushed to the area of the affected lung. The character can change depending on the person's condition - the pain sensations are insignificant and seem to be cutting and even piercing;
• Aortic aneurysm - characterized by increased load on the heart valve. Then the heart ceases to fully perform its functions. As a result, venous blood begins to stagnate in the lungs and edema develops. Where the aneurysm attaches to the vessel, the wall becomes thinner - it can break at any time and provoke bleeding in the abdominal cavity;
• When there is pain under the left shoulder blade in the back, the cause may be a two-phase rupture of the spleen. Such a case belongs to the category of the rarest. The injury provokes the appearance of abdominal bleeding, which cannot be stopped. The disease requires immediate surgery, especially if the pain under the shoulder blade on the left side is very intense.

Pathologies of this type should be identified as soon as possible. The earlier treatment is prescribed, the more effective the fight against the disease.

If he does not receive appropriate help from health professionals in time, the patient will only achieve disease progression, the outcome can be fatal.

Diseases of the supporting apparatus, provoking discomfort

Pain under the left shoulder blade behind the back can be caused by problems with the spine and other areas of the skeleton. Treatment will be determined after diagnosis. Discomfort sometimes occurs for the following reasons:

• Cervical osteochondrosis. In the early stages of the disease, the feelings of discomfort are muffled, the patient can not always clearly explain exactly where he is worried. In this case, the brightest sensations are in the area of damaged nerve roots. Painful attacks may start suddenly, they pull and lose intensity if the patient spends some time in a warm bath. Then vessels and nerves can be compressed in the cervical spine, which is quite painful. The course of the disease is complemented by pain that radiates to the arm. Cervical osteochondrosis develops mainly in people with a sedentary lifestyle. The pain in the left shoulder blade can be piercing or painful;
• Intercostal nerves may be affected. This condition is called the main cause of back pain on the left below the shoulder blade. They can be aggravated by coughing, deep breathing and even bending the trunk to the left. They are very strong, sharp, often shooting. As the disease progresses, the pain in the left shoulder blade may become burning;
• Scapular-bone syndrome is characterized by pain or pulling sensations. The location of the discomfort is usually under the shoulders, above and below the shoulder blades. The main feature of the pathology is that when you move your shoulders and arms, you hear a crunch. The cause of the disease is severe physical stress or injury to the arm, and sometimes severe hypothermia;
• The skeleton can be affected by a malignant tumor that causes discomfort. In such cases, the tumor or the resulting metastases are located on the scapula;
• Shovel crunching. Such a disease belongs to the category of rare cases. The pain under the left shoulder blade is not severe in this case, but there is a distinct crunch when moving in the upper back;
• Sometimes the left shoulder blade hurts due to osteomyelitis after a specific injury. For example, a gunshot wound may be the cause;
• Periarthritis of the shoulder blade. In a simple form of development, the sensations are not very bright - usually the manifestations of the disease appear as a result of movement. The pathology, which progresses to an acute stage of development, can manifest itself as an increase in symptoms that tend to worsen at night. In the shoulder for this period mobility is limited, basal body temperature rises, muscle spasms are noted.

Pain under the left shoulder blade from the back may indicate severe pathological conditions, especially suspicion arises in cases where their nature is burning, piercing.

Even as a result of pregnancy, this condition can occur due to increased stress.

Attacks when the left shoulder blade hurts can be caused by injuries such as fractures or cracks. The discomfort in this case is expressed as painful pain under the left shoulder blade, any awkward movement can intensify it.

Significant emotional, psychological stresses that the body cannot cope with can provoke sensations. If the patient treats the symptoms with contempt, the severity of the condition may worsen.

Before proceeding with the treatment of the pathology, you need to determine the cause of the painful condition. For a correct diagnosis, it is important to clarify the nature of the pain syndrome.

The options are as follows:

1. Belt pain in which the localization of discomfort in only one place. One can feel it all the time, the pain can be intensified by inhalation. The patient's condition is aggravated by sudden movements and coughing. The reason is the passage of a nerve impulse between the ribs;
2. Burning sensation under the left shoulder blade from behind, numbness, tingling in certain areas;
3. The pain caused by increased tone of the muscles of the shoulders and back may become increasing;
4. Acute pain - can lead to the fact that the patient can not breathe, movement is difficult, it becomes impossible to lie on the left side;
5. The cutting pain can be localized on the left, then goes to the center;
6. Pain, dull pain under the left shoulder blade behind the back occurs, as a rule, when raising the arms;
7. Acute, severe pain under the left shoulder blade;
8. Pulling sensations extending from the shoulder blade to the lumbar region;
9. The pain can be constant, which does not allow you to lie down, move, breathe.

Since the types of sensations in different diseases may differ, it is unlikely to determine the exact cause.

In case of severe pain syndrome it is necessary to consult a doctor for an examination.

Diagnostic methods

When the back hurts to the left under the shoulder blade, painful sensations appear, you need to start treatment with a complete examination of the body. The following procedures are used for diagnosis:

• X-ray of the spine in different projections. A snapshot can also help identify lung problems;
• NMR, CT;
• ECG examination - if there are appropriate symptoms;
• Ultrasound examination of organs;
• Blood test - general, biochemical;
• Assessment of blood pressure, pulse.

When the patient is examined and the cause of the pathology is determined, a choice of therapeutic measures is made. Additional consultation with narrow specialists may be necessary.

How to treat the disease

Once it has been determined exactly why the left shoulder blade hurts and the patient is unable to take a deep breath, it is time to begin treatment. Ways to eliminate the discomfort are determined depending on the factors that led to the development of the pathology. Simply eliminating the symptoms is not enough - they will reappear soon.

Each disease is characterized by individual symptoms, depending on which treatment regimen is chosen. Each includes recommendations for choosing a diet and adherence to the daily routine, if the pain is dull, treatment is carried out with the help of drugs.

The use of conservative therapy may not bring positive dynamics - in this case the patient needs surgery. With the help of surgery it is possible to treat a large enough hernia, to correct the situation with rupture of the spleen and to cure a stomach ulcer.

You should go to the hospital immediately if the patient notices severe pain and burning under the left shoulder blade, constant discomfort that increases with deep breathing. You should first contact a therapist - he will decide which specialist to refer the patient to depending on the existing symptoms.

You cannot completely protect yourself from all existing diseases, but you can try to follow some preventive measures. Pay more attention to the selection of the diet, do daily warm-up exercises.

If it becomes known why your back hurts under the shoulder blade, it's time to start treatment. Not all pathologies can be completely overcome, but in this case it is possible to act on them to slow down the course of the disease.