Pain between the shoulder blades can occur for many reasons. Some types of pain do not pose a potential danger to human health but do cause discomfort. Other pain needs to be addressed immediately because they signal a medical condition in the body that can be life-threatening.
Cause of discomfort
Pain syndrome in the interscapular region is characterized by many different types. The pain can be sharp, sharp or dull and can be persistent, aching or explosive in nature. Sometimes the discomfort is just tingling and numbness. There are also cases where pain from the back spreads to neighboring parts of the body. But regardless of the nature of the manifestations, they always cause discomfort and indicate problems in the human body.
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 a collision, fall, car accident.
The following diseases can cause pain:
- Osteonecrosis of the cervical or thoracic spine.
- Intervertebral hernia.
- Radiculitis of the chest or cervix.
- Intercostal neuralgia.
- Bad posture.
- Angina and coronary heart disease.
- Pleurisy.
- Pneumonia.
- Infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis.
The nature of the pain may suggest the cause of the disease. 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.
The disease has characteristic symptoms
For each disease that involves pain between the shoulder blades, the feeling will be different. So, with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, pain increases when turning the body or head, breathing, sneezing, coughing and any physical activity. This is typical for osteoarthritis, intercostal neuralgia and hernia. Also, in such cases, the pain is not relieved by taking Nitroglycerin.
With neuralgia, a person with nerve pain should experience discomfort when touching the problem area. The pain can be dull or severe in the affected area.
In heart disease, pain is often localized between the shoulder blades. At the same time, they are oppressive in nature. Additional symptoms are:
- arrhythmia;
- hypertension;
- shortness of breath.
The pain spread to his left arm, neck, head and even his teeth. This condition can be a harbinger of a heart attack, in which a person needs urgent medical attention.
When suffering from lung diseases, in addition to feeling discomfort in the back (dull pain), the patient also feels uncomfortable from coughing and shortness of breath. With tuberculosis, blood clots can pass out with the sputum. Such conditions of the body pose a potential threat to human life, so they must be treated promptly.
Painful shooting sensations may appear with a cold. For example, if a person has spent a long time on a draft.
Recommended treatments
You should not self-treat but only focus on the painful signs of the disease. For an accurate diagnosis, patients should consult a doctor. Only in a medical facility can a person conduct the necessary research and provide qualified assistance.
In diseases of the musculoskeletal system, initial efforts are aimed at eliminating pain. To do this, a person is prescribed painkillers and ointments.
If a person is confirmed to have a herniated disc, he or she may require surgery.
For the treatment of infectious diseases and other disorders of the respiratory system, a person is prescribed complex treatment. Angina pectoris must be stopped with nitroglycerin tablets, after which the patient must be fully examined. Based on its results, the doctor can not only choose the appropriate treatment, but also give recommendations to the patient regarding further actions, for example, if he or she is recommended for hospitalization and surgery. art.
How to relieve pain
You can deal with pain using many different methods. Thus, for diseases of the heart, lungs and other internal organs, drug treatment cannot be avoided.
To eliminate pain caused by diseases of the musculoskeletal system, the following procedures will help:
- A massage should only be performed by a professional massage therapist. This should not be done in case of intervertebral hernia, as well as in the acute stage of osteonecrosis.
- Exercise therapy is effective. Therapeutic exercises are a set of exercises aimed at restoring the spine and eliminating discomfort.
It is acceptable to use pain relievers: tablets, creams, gels.
Precautions
To prevent pain between the shoulder blades, a person needs to 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 area, a healthy lifestyle should be followed:
- quit smoking;
- balanced diet;
- don't be too cold;
- avoid stressful situations;
- periodically perform heart measurements;
- control blood pressure.
To prevent diseases of the musculoskeletal system, it is recommended to:
- To live an active lifestyle. It is recommended to go to the gym and swimming pool at least twice a week. If this is not possible, exercises can be replaced by jogging in the fresh air, cycling, skiing or active football.
- If a person's occupational activity involves sedentary work, a short warm-up for the neck and shoulders should be done every hour.
- You should sit only in comfortable chairs with backrests, as this helps reduce the load on the spine during sedentary work.
- Do not bend over, try to maintain correct posture.
By following these rules, you can protect yourself from many diseases. But if a person has the first signs of discomfort in the back, it is better not to delay and see a doctor promptly. Self-medication without an accurate diagnosis can make the situation worse.