Pain under the left shoulder blade is a common phenomenon that can occur after a sudden movement or due to awkward body position. They usually pass quickly and no longer bother you.
Persistent discomfort under the shoulder blade can be a symptom of a serious illness that requires immediate treatment. Especially do not underestimate this symptom if the pain radiates from the left to the sternum or the left arm becomes numb.
From the fact that a person turned to a specialist for help in time, the nature and location can make an accurate diagnosis, choose the direction of examinations, as well as choose the necessary treatment to eliminate not only the disease itself, butand the reasons for its occurrence.
Causes of pain under the left shoulder blade
What does it mean? There are a sufficient number of causes of pain under the left shoulder blade in adults, they can be associated with problems of the shoulder blade itself, as well as diseases of internal organs. Let's look at the most likely causes of this condition below.
Some diseases of the musculoskeletal system may be accompanied by a painful symptom in the left shoulder blade. It most often manifests itself as follows:
- Osteochondrosis of the thoracic or cervical spine.
- Intercostal neuralgia.
- Traumatic scapular injury (compression injury of the supracapular nerve).
- Broken ribs.
- Sprengel's disease (scapula alata) - pterygoid scapula.
- Myofascial syndrome.
Cardiac diseases. This does not mean that it hurts only in the left shoulder blade. Then the pain goes to the left arm, then goes to the clavicle, then goes down to the lower abdomen. Depending on the disease, patients experience shortness of breath, cardiac arrest or a sore throat. At this time, their breasts appear shrunken or overwhelmed by a feeling of warmth. These are the following diseases:
- Ischemic heart disease.
- Myocardial infarction.
- Pericarditis.
- Angina pectoris (unstable, stable).
- Mitral valve prolapse.
- Less commonly, aortic aneurysm.
Persistent pain under the left shoulder blade may indicate diseases of the broncho-pulmonary system. At the same time, the painful sensations are always directed to the affected lung, have a medium intensity and painful nature, localized under the left shoulder blade at a painful point. This can be:
- Left-sided pneumonia.
- Pleurisy (dry, left-sided).
- Tracheobronchitis with autonomic dysfunction.
- Acute bronchitis.
- Left lung abscess.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract:
- ULC (Ulcus gastrica) - gastric ulcer.
- Ulcus duodeni - duodenal ulcer.
- Esophageal spasm.
- GERD is a gas-oesophageal reflux disease.
- Rare - exacerbation of pancreatitis.
Typical causes of pain under the left shoulder blade in the spread are as follows:
- Cervical osteochondrosis, which most often manifests itself as unilateral pain in the lower os occipitale - the occipital bone. The pain is painful, intensifies with active movements of the head and constantly radiates under the shoulder blade, in the arm.
- Another disease whose typical symptom is pain under the left shoulder blade is intercostal neuralgia. This is a common consequence of osteochondrosis and is manifested by lumbago and intense lumbar pain radiating to the right or left, including under the shoulder blade.
- UPS (gastric ulcer). The symptom is most often due to seasonality, depends on the nutritional factor and is characterized by paroxysmal, radiating pain.
Based on such a brief anatomical examination, all causes of pain under the left shoulder blade can be divided into two major groups:
- Pain associated with pathology of internal organs (cardiovascular pathology, respiratory diseases, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and spleen).
- Pain associated with musculoskeletal pathology and muscle pain, including neurogenic in nature.
To understand why it hurts under the left shoulder blade, you need to undergo a comprehensive examination, which based on specific complaints and examination data will be prescribed by your doctor. Ultimately, pain in different diseases will vary in nature, intensity and provoking factors.
Angina pectoris
Another heart disease can manifest as acute pain under the left shoulder blade - this is angina pectoris. In her pain occurs mainly in the retrosternal area, and then as if "spilled" on the left side. By the nature of the manifestation, they are sharp and contractile, disappear at rest and after taking nitroglycerin. To a lesser extent, validol helps patients.
In most cases, the disease is caused by atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries. Attacks of angina most often occur during physical and emotional stress, after sudden hypothermia or overheating of the body, alcohol intake, as well as spicy and heavy food.
Osteochondrosis
The most common cause of pain under the left shoulder blade behind the back is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, which is characterized by compression of the roots of the spinal nerve.
This disease is characterized by pulling, dull pain, often unilateral just below the occipital region. It can be either permanent or manifested by lumbago, which always radiates under the shoulder blade on the affected side. A sharp increase in the symptom occurs when moving the head after a night's sleep.
It is often the result of prolonged stress on the neck. Patients also report numbness in the hands, migraine, dizziness.
Pneumonia and pleurisy
In left-sided pneumonia (pneumonia) moderate pain, accompanied by cough with sputum and wheezing in the lungs, will also bother the shoulder blade. At the same time, temperature "candles" are often noted.
Pleurisy (inflammation of the pleura) can be dry or purulent. Both types of this pathology are accompanied by severe pain when breathing, while the person protects the affected side: breathing becomes shallower.
In purulent pleurisy, a puncture is required, followed by analysis of the discharge and drainage of the pleural cavity.
Stomach ulcer
Gastric ulcer is a common disease that causes increasing pain under the left shoulder blade. The sensations gradually spread throughout the chest, nausea and vomiting occur. Severe back pain is observed after eating unhealthy food: too salty, spicy and greasy. Also noted:
- pale skin.
- nervous frightened state.
- cold sweat.
- blood clots when vomiting (the main sign that you urgently need to call a doctor at home).
One cannot move normally when painful sensations occur. The excruciating pain increases with each perfect movement. Acute pain can be a signal that an exacerbation has occurred and you need to call an ambulance.
Intercostal neuralgia
This pathology is common in patients with complaints of pain under the left shoulder blade. In this case, the pain extends to one intercostal space, is accompanied by a feeling of tingling or numbness along the affected area, increases when leaning to the affected side, ie to the left. In some cases, skin rashes or redness may occur along the inflamed intercostal nerve.
Trauma
Most often, the pain caused by traumatic injuries to the shoulder blades occurs when hitting the shoulder blades directly or falling on the back. The pain syndrome is intense, especially in the first hours after the injury.
In the future it appears or intensifies with movement, swelling and edema develop. Trauma pain can also be caused by a fracture of the shoulder blade or ribs. That is why it is necessary to take an X-ray.
Myocardial infarction
The heart attack is characterized by sharp sharp pain under the left shoulder blade, which can also occur all over the left side of the body (in the left arm, left side of the neck).
The cause of an acute attack of angina in a heart attack may be the most common emotional stress, which is why people with heart problems are advised not to get nervous.
The pain of a heart attack can be of different nature - cutting, squeezing or pressing. But there are also non-standard cases when the pain can manifest itself in the most unexpected place and in the most unusual way, for example in the peritoneal area.
Pericarditis
The disease is associated with inflammation of the serous membrane of the heart. This disease often develops tachycardia, hence the cause of pain in the left back. The pain is sharp, but subsides when the person is calm or leaning forward.
This disease is dangerous in that adhesions can form and organs can shrink along with the contraction of the heart. Also, calcium salts can be deposited in the pericardium of the heart, leading to thickening of the lining of the heart.
Psychosomatic diseases
Often the pain under the left shoulder blade is marked by psychological stress and diseases of a psychosomatic nature. The reasons lie in stress and emotional upheaval, which the body can not cope with on its own and signals problems with the help of psychosomatic pain.
In addition to the painful sensations in the back of the shoulder blade, the following accompanying symptoms may occur in psychosomatics:
- heat;
- chest discomfort;
- spasms in the throat;
- lack of air.
Diagnosis
To understand how to treat left shoulder pain in the back of the back, you need to undergo a thorough examination to determine the exact cause of this symptom.
First of all, these are:
- Collection of anamnesis. It is quite short, as the pain under the left shoulder blade in the back is not considered a life-threatening pathology.
- Familiarize the doctor with a detailed description of the nature of the pain.
- Examination of the patient's back.
- Instrumental examination is performed only in case of suspicion of acute infection, oncology, trauma and severe neurological symptoms.
First of all, the doctor conducts a complete diagnosis to exclude myocardial infarction, spinal oncology, neurological diseases that require urgent treatment. And only then did he decide how to treat this patient.
Which doctor should I go to?
Depending on how the pain sensations occur, what their characteristics are and what they are related to, you should choose a specialist to whom you will go for a consultation:
- Gastroenterologist - for pain associated with eating, the presence of dyspepsia.
- Therapist or pulmonologist - for pain that increases with breathing, accompanied by shortness of breath, cough, fever.
- Neurologist - for pain associated with movement, stress.
- Traumatologist - in case of indication of an injury that precedes the onset of pain.
- Cardiologist - with a burning sensation behind the sternum with radiation under the shoulder blade, in the tongue, left arm.
- Psychologist and psychiatrist - for pain, the causes of which are not found based on the results of a detailed examination, especially if there are other signs of psychosomatic disorders and neuroses.
Diseases and pains are much easier and safer to prevent than to cure. Even if there are no health problems and discomfort, you should visit a doctor regularly and undergo a medical examination. If you still have pain, you can not self-medicate, you should immediately contact a specialist in this field. By eliminating pain with painkillers and without taking comprehensive treatment, you contribute to the development of serious diseases of the heart, gastrointestinal tract or spine.