Each person sooner or later faces back pain. Problems with the spine can occur due to a sedentary lifestyle, excessive physical exertion, the wrong ratio of work and rest. Pain between the shoulder blades is a common symptom. However, not everyone takes this kind of discomfort seriously enough and is in no hurry to visit a doctor. This is a big mistake, since there are a huge number of causes of pain: from the most common to life-threatening. In any case, problems with the spine interfere with normal pastime. A person feels discomfort when walking, cannot sit for a long time, has difficulty sleeping, etc. In this article we will analyze the causes of pain between the shoulder blades, as well as treatment methods and preventive measures.
Description
Unpleasant sensations between the shoulder blades haunt the person in all matters. The pain intensifies with raising arms, inhaling, after sleep. These and other symptoms, including burning in the chest, should not be ignored. These signs serve as a warning about a very serious disease, therefore it is better not to joke with this matter and make an appointment with the doctor.
Pain in the upper region of the spine is often felt in the following cases:
- at the end of pregnancy;
- After sleep;
- when inhaling and exhaling;
- after a long stay in an uncomfortable position;
- with excessive physical exertion.
The nature of the discomfort is very different, it all depends on the causes of back pain between the shoulder blades. It is divided into several types: aching, sharp, burning, etc. Each type has its own characteristics, which we will highlight in our material.
Why does it hurt between the shoulder blades?
It is worth noting that the discomfort in this area is not a separate disease - this is just a symptom. Therefore, it is very stupid to try to drown out the pain, not knowing the reasons for its appearance. After all, one can completely get rid of torment only by eliminating them.
So, the most common causes of pain between the shoulder blades:
- Diseases associated with the spine. Most often, patients have scoliosis, kyphosis and osteochondrosis. Only a specialist can determine this, so do not delay the appointment.
- Ailments of the cardiovascular system. Back pain between the shoulder blades does not always occur due to problems with the spine, often its causes are diseases of the internal organs. If unpleasant sensations arise due to disturbances in the heart, then treating the back will not help. Such pain usually appears suddenly after high physical activity, and then abruptly subsides.
- Lung problems. Here, along with pain, other symptoms are also observed, such as coughing, weakness of the body, and fever.
- Gastrointestinal tract. Violations in this system can lead not only to unpleasant sensations in the upper part of the spine, but also to nausea, vomiting and heartburn. Such signs clearly hint at gastrointestinal tract diseases. Symptoms are difficult not to notice, because they occur constantly and do not give a person peace.
- Muscle contraction. Pain between the shoulder blades and in the chest does not always indicate spinal deformity. Quite often, discomfort appears as a result of muscle spasm. Aching pain is almost always chronic. Muscles close to the spine suffer from this.
- Professional ailments. This category of diseases is more common in those people who have pain due to the nature of their work. At risk are all those who work in a sitting position for a long time. You can highlight drivers, seamstresses, office workers, etc.
Signs
After talking about the specific causes of pain between the shoulder blades, it is worth noting the fact that, depending on the disease, additional symptoms are inherent in it. They help determine the disease more accurately.
Auxiliary signs may include: a crunch in the vertebrae of the thoracic region, numbness of the extremities, shortness of breath, shortness of breath, cramps, etc. In fact, a huge number of symptoms. Often, patients have pain between the shoulder blades and give back to the sternum. This indicates problems with the cardiovascular system. Moreover, a person feels dull pain, which disappears only after eliminating the cause. Sometimes, along with unpleasant feelings between the shoulder blades, the patient finds it difficult to urinate, an increase in body temperature. These signs, as a rule, indicate problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Pain during pregnancy
Quite often, girls in position complain of pain between the shoulder blades. What to do in such a situation? First you need to identify the reason. In most cases, this is a temporary phenomenon, and it is associated with several factors. Here are the main ones:
- throughout pregnancy, weight increases, and with it the pressure on the spine;
- the uterus, as you know, increases very quickly, which leads to a shift in the center of gravity;
- the load increases all the time, including on the spinal muscles.
Qualified specialists are in no hurry to prescribe treatment for future mothers. This is due to the temporary nature of the discomfort. That is, after the expiration of pregnancy and the birth of the baby, all painful symptoms should go away by themselves. If after this the pain still does not recede, then effective therapy is needed.
Pregnant women can be advised to wear comfortable clothes and shoes, relax a lot, get enough sleep, do simple physical exercises daily to strengthen the back muscles, eat right, spend more time in the fresh air. Simple actions will greatly facilitate the life of expectant mothers, and pregnancy will proceed well.
Types of pain
As already noted, back pain between the shoulder blades can be of a different nature. Since each person has his own threshold of sensitivity, it is difficult to systematize all types of unpleasant sensations. But nevertheless, highly qualified specialists in this matter succeeded and were able to put everything on the shelves.
So, the types of pain between the shoulder blades:
- Sharp. There is such an unpleasant sensation as a result of pinching of the nerve endings, with severe inflammation. Previously, such a symptom was called sciatica, but this word is no longer used in modern medicine. Sharp pain occurs during biliary colic.
- Burning. This kind of painful sensation is observed in two situations: when osteochondrosis or coronary heart disease suffers. Burning attacks suddenly, and passes just as quickly after taking pain medication.
- Aching. If the patient feels such pain, then with almost one hundred percent certainty it can be argued that these are problems with the spine. In this way, scoliosis, kyphosis and hernia are not forgotten.
- Strong Pain between the shoulder blades of this kind occurs with pancreatitis, intercostal neuralgia, etc. Similar sensations are observed in patients during a heart attack. In addition to painful feelings, there is an increased blood pressure and tachycardia.
- Sharp. This kind of unpleasant sensation occurs against the background of gallbladder inflammation. The patient feels discomfort after eating fatty foods. In addition, if there is acute pain between the shoulder blades in the spine and gives it to the chest, we can talk about chest osteochondrosis.
- Dumb. Often the most harmless type of pain appears as a result of excessive physical exertion, problems with muscles and ligaments. In rare cases, when an unpleasant feeling lasts a long time, this indicates a disease of the gastrointestinal tract or osteochondrosis.
Diagnosis of diseases
If you have back pain in the middle between the shoulder blades, consult a doctor immediately. With the help of modern technologies, it will be possible to quickly determine the diagnosis. Usually, doctors use MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), CT (computed tomography) and x-ray for this.
However, the correct diagnosis can also be made by identifying additional symptoms. Scoliosis, for example, is distinguished by the fact that the patient feels a constant pain between the shoulder blades. She gives to the chest. Appears as a result of a long stay in one position. Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine, so an unpleasant sensation is localized in one place.
Osteochondrosis is characterized by aching pain. In addition, difficulty in breathing and a strong cough are found. If you sharply straighten the spine, you can hear a crunch. Angina pectoris is characterized by pain attacks, each of them lasts no more than 5 minutes. The nature of the pain sensation is burning, gives to the arm and left shoulder blade.
A heart attack can be determined by the arising pain in the lower jaw, as well as the appearance of shortness of breath. Gastric ulcer is associated with concomitant symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and heartburn. The patient is relieved only after an attack of vomiting.
With pancreatitis, acute unbearable pain is observed. Pneumonia is indicated by high body temperature, coughing and shortness of breath. Inflammation of the gallbladder is characterized by sharp stitching discomfort. Plus, a person suffers from nausea and vomiting.
An experienced doctor will make these conclusions after a visual examination and questioning of the patient. Then you need to resort to therapeutic measures to confirm the diagnosis. After that, the doctor prescribes therapy, which the patient must necessarily adhere to.
Drug treatment
It is worth noting that taking medications should be carried out under the strict supervision of the attending physician. As for the choice of medicines, it is not recommended to carry it out independently. In each specific situation, different drugs will be effective, consider the most common cases.
To eliminate the pain, doctors prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Especially effective are Diclofenac, Movalis, Nimesulide. Medications are aimed at relieving inflammation and muscle tone, as well as improving blood circulation.
If the pain syndrome is pronounced, then it is necessary to remove it by radical methods. This refers to an injection containing lidocaine (novocaine) in combination with prednisolone. Injections can not be made often, about once every three days, and the total number of injections should not exceed four. Otherwise, medications will only harm the body, increasing the likelihood of complications.
Sometimes a doctor prescribes diuretics. This is done to relieve swelling at the site of inflammation. However, before taking them, you need to make sure that there is enough potassium in the body. In addition, the attending physician has the right to prescribe additional medications. It depends on the specific disease, type and nature of the pain. In any case, do not neglect the advice of qualified specialists in order to avoid negative consequences.
Methods for self-relieving pain
I must say that self-medication is not worth it, here we mean non-drug therapy, which the attending physician advised to use. After all, taking medications does not cover all the problems at once, the intervention of alternative medicine in this case is necessary.
The methods of therapy are directly dependent on the causes of the pain in the middle between the shoulder blades. If the basis of the discomfort is muscle spasm, then you can contact a massage therapist or chiropractor. Thanks to the services of these specialists, the patient will improve blood circulation and improve muscle position.
If the focus of the problem is a disease of the gastrointestinal tract, then of all the independent ways to eliminate the trouble, diet is highlighted. In this case, you will not be able to eat fried, salty, fatty and spicy foods.
Sometimes the doctor offers the patient acupuncture. This method has recently become very popular, but not everyone recognizes its effectiveness. Acupuncture will help the body relax, resulting in improved overall well-being.
Gymnastics
Where without exercise? The pain between the shoulder blades quite often bothers people. In addition to drug treatment, physiotherapy and massage, you must regularly do gymnastics. Exercise helps to prepare the muscles for exertion, so that lactic acid comes out and the body slowly returns to normal. It is worth noting that gymnastics is done only during the weakening of discomfort. In this case, nothing can be done through pain.
All exercises should be performed slowly and smoothly. The main rule of such gymnastics is to listen to your body. If you feel tingling or pain, you should stop the exercise and postpone its performance for an indefinite period. It is such tasks that make it possible to understand how the recovery process goes. Once a week, you should roughly try to perform complex exercises. As soon as the number of such tasks is reduced to zero, the restoration can be considered perfect.
There are three main stages of training: warm-up, gymnastics and stretching. Do not underestimate the value of the workout. If you do not warm up the muscles, then the likelihood of injury is significantly increased. Warm up with squats, circular movements of the shoulders, turns of the head.
Then you can start the basic exercises. Here, doctors recommend making inclinations, circular rotations with the body. The following exercise is considered quite effective: first you need to lie on your stomach, arms extended along the body. The first step will be to raise the chin and hold this position for thirty seconds. Then you need to simultaneously raise the body and legs. Perform everything smoothly, without sudden movements.
The final part is stretching. Muscles during this slowly exit active work and return to normal.
Prevention of pain between the shoulder blades
In order to protect yourself as much as possible from such a symptom, you must adhere to certain recommendations:
- an active and healthy lifestyle;
- getting rid of bad habits, in particular smoking and drinking alcohol;
- exercise
- do not overload the spine;
- control of posture, you must try to walk and sit with a flat back;
- sleep in comfortable conditions.
However, not always a person can prevent discomfort in the area of the shoulder blades. If pain occurs, then try to unload the spine and take more time to rest. With constant ongoing pain, it is necessary to appear to a specialist. According to the rules of medicine, eliminating an unpleasant feeling is quite simple, you just need to find the reason and undergo a full-fledged comprehensive treatment prescribed by a doctor.