Pain between the shoulder blades can occur for various 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 pathological conditions in the body that can be life-threatening.
Reasons for concern
Pain syndrome in the interscapular region is characterized by a wide variety. The pain may be sharp, sharp, or dull, and may be nagging, aching, or exploding in nature. Sometimes the feeling of discomfort results only in tingling and numbness. There are also cases where the pain from the back spreads to nearby parts of the body. But regardless of the nature of the manifestations, they are always unpleasant and indicate problems in the human body.
The causes of pain between the shoulder blades can be:
- Lack of regular physical activity - sports, sports, swimming.
- Sedentary work.
- Sudden physical activity, especially if performed by an untrained person.
- All kinds of injuries suffered by a person during blows, 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.
- Poor posture.
- Angina and coronary heart disease.
- Pleurisy.
- I have pneumonia.
- Infectious diseases such as tuberculosis.
The nature of the pain can indicate what disease it is caused by. Thus, 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 sensations are individual. So, with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, the pain increases when turning the body or head, breathing, sneezing, coughing and any physical activity. It is characteristic of osteochondrosis, intercostal neuralgia and hernia. In addition, in such cases, the pain is not relieved by Nitroglycerin.
A person with neuralgia has nerve pain, so unpleasant sensations are observed when palpating the problem area. The pain may be a dull ache or a sharp ache in the affected area.
Pain in heart disease is often localized between the shoulder blades. At the same time, they are cruel in nature. Additional symptoms include:
- heart rhythm disturbance;
- increased blood pressure;
- difficulty breathing.
The pain spreads to the left arm, neck, head and even teeth. This condition can be a precursor to a heart attack, for which a person requires emergency medical attention.
With lung diseases, in addition to unpleasant sensations in the back (dull pain), a person coughs and has difficulty breathing. With tuberculosis, blood clots can pass with sputum. Such conditions of the body pose a potential threat to human life, so they must be treated in time.
Painful sensations of a shooting nature can appear with a cold. For example, if a person spent a long time in a draft.
Recommended treatments
You should not treat yourself by focusing only on the painful symptoms of the disease. For an accurate diagnosis, the patient is advised to consult a doctor. Only in a medical institution can a person conduct a proper investigation and provide qualified assistance.
In diseases of the musculoskeletal system, efforts are initially aimed at relieving pain. For this, a person is prescribed painkillers and ointments.
If a person has a confirmed intervertebral hernia, they may require surgery.
Complex treatment is prescribed to a person to treat infectious diseases and other disorders of the respiratory system. An angina attack should be stopped with nitroglycerin tablets, and then the patient should undergo a thorough examination. Based on its results, the doctor can not only choose the right treatment, but also 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 different methods. Thus, drug treatment for diseases of the heart, lungs and other internal organs cannot be avoided.
The following procedures will help to relieve pain due to diseases of the musculoskeletal system:
- A massage that should only be performed by a professional massage therapist. It is not recommended to do this during an 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 relieving discomfort.
It is acceptable to use painkillers: tablets, creams, gels.
Preventive measures
To prevent pain between the shoulder blades, a person should carefully monitor his health. At the first symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor.
To prevent heart and respiratory diseases that cause pain in the interscapular region, it is recommended to follow a healthy lifestyle:
- stop smoking;
- dietary balance;
- do not overcool;
- avoid stressful situations;
- periodically conduct a cardiogram;
- control blood pressure.
It is recommended to prevent diseases of the musculoskeletal system:
- Lead an active lifestyle. It is recommended to visit the gym and swimming pool at least 2 times a week. If this is not possible, exercises can be replaced by jogging, cycling, skiing or an active ball game in the fresh air.
- 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 should only sit in comfortable chairs with a back, as this reduces the load on the spine during sedentary work.
- Do not slouch, try to keep the correct posture.
By following these rules, you can protect yourself from many diseases. But if a person shows the first signs of anxiety in the back, it is better not to delay and undergo a timely medical examination. Without an accurate diagnosis, self-medication can make the condition worse.