Pain under the left shoulder blade from the back is a fairly common pathology, especially in the older age group.
Although cases of the disease are not rare at a young age - sports injuries, incorrect posture, hereditary factors can also cause the condition in question.
If the back pain is prolonged and intense and does not go away with time, this is a good reason to see a doctor.
Timely help for the disease can lead to irreversible consequences and complications.
Anatomy of the chest:
Spinal column - consists of vertebrae and spinal cord.It performs extremely important functions - support, shock absorption and protection of the spinal cord.
The scapula, both left and right, belongs to the bones of the upper girdle of the limbs.It is a flat bone that is triangular in shape.
On both the outer and inner surfaces, the scapula has numerous depressions and pits - these are the places of attachment of ligaments and muscles.
It itself consists of a spongy material that is particularly durable, which can be explained by the constant load on the belt of the upper limbs.
The clavicle is the bone that provides articulation between the scapula and sternum.
The heart is an organ that is essentially a muscular bag that ensures the normal circulatory function of the body.
The lungs are paired organs located in the chest that are responsible for breathing and gas exchange.
The esophagus and stomach are the digestive organs.
Ribs are flat bones that attach to the spine at the back and the sternum at the front.They have a protective function for the chest.
Causes of pain under the left shoulder blade from the back
From the above list, it becomes clear that the causes of pain in the back or back of the scapula can be hidden in internal organs or musculoskeletal diseases, which the patient was often unaware of.
It was found that in some pathologies, such unpleasant sensations persist even when a person is resting.However, this symptom does not always indicate the presence of a complex back pathology.
Among the many pathological conditions associated with such symptoms are serious heart, gastrointestinal and neurological diseases.
The main causes of pain in the back and posterior shoulder blades can be divided into 5 most common pathologies among patients:
- Disorders of the locomotor system.
- Acquired and hereditary heart diseases.
- Pathologies of the bronchi, pleura or the lungs themselves.
- Acute or chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Diseases of the locomotor system, including the scapula.
Musculoskeletal diseases
Diseases of the skeletal system are often accompanied by severe pain.
Aching and severe, unbearable pain in the back and shoulder blades can occur due to the following reasons:
- Cervical osteochondrosis is the process of destruction of bone tissue.With it, the strongly compressed nerve roots at first are dull and barely noticeable, and over time cause sharp and shooting pains under the left shoulder blade or in the area next to it, as well as in the back.
- Thoracic osteochondrosis is a process that differs from cervical osteochondrosis only in the localization of the lesion.This osteochondrosis does not affect the cervical roots of the spinal nerves, but the thoracic nerves.The pain may be accompanied by periodic dizziness and numbness of the upper limbs, and the back pain becomes more intense in the morning.
- Damage to the intercostal nerves is the most common cause of pain.Patients experience a burning pain that does not go away on the left side of the shoulder blade or on the left side of the spine.If you do not provide adequate assistance to the patient, the pain becomes shooting and sharp.
- Malignant tumors or metastases of tumors located in the scapula area.It causes severe pain.
- Scapular-rib syndrome is characterized by aching and nagging back pain that often radiates to the arm.
- Osteomyelitis.
- Scapular crunch - with this pathology, the pain in the back is not very pronounced, crepitation (cracking) can only be heard during movement of the shoulder joint.
- Injuries and constant stress on both the back and the spine.
- Pregnancy, especially in the later stages - various types of pain can be explained by the constant stress on the back due to the increase in the size of the fetus.
- Tuberculosis of bones.
- Osteophyte and hernia.Depending on the location of the outbreak and the stage of the disease, due to the constant compression of the blood vessels, thereby disrupting the nerve supply, they can also cause back pain of a different nature - burning, sharp, aching.
- Scapular arthritis of the shoulder joint is associated not only with severe back pain, which is even worse at night, but also with limited movement of the joint and muscle spasms.
- Psychosomatic factors.Stress and constant emotional tension can also cause sharp, stabbing, paroxysmal back pain.
Acquired and hereditary heart diseases
The left scapula and interscapular region may bother patients due to heart disease.The table below shows the causes and nature of the pain.
| Angiosis | Serious disturbance of the blood circulation of the heart | Sharp pain in the back of the back, radiating to the left shoulder blade, interscapular area, lower jaw, left arm.These symptoms are often accompanied by shortness of breath, as a result of which the patient begins to panic due to the fear of death. |
| Aortic aneurysm | Dissection of the walls of the thoracic aorta | The pain in the chest recedes - to the area of the left shoulder blade, behind or between the shoulder blades, and gradually descends to the lower back. |
| Endocarditis, myocarditis, pericarditis | Bacterial, viral or parasitic inflammation | A pain syndrome that increases with the disease. |
| A heart attack | Necrosis of the heart muscle | This pathology can radiate not only to the left shoulder blade and back, but also to the left arm, neck and abdomen.The intensity of the pain is extremely high. |
| Angina pectoris | Pain and discomfort in the chest area | The most pronounced pain syndrome is not observed.Patients complain of tingling and burning in the area of the left shoulder blade or on the left back. |
Pathologies of the bronchi, pleura or lungs themselves
Pain in the left shoulder blade is often caused by pathological processes occurring in the lungs.These diseases are mainly of viral or bacterial origin.
Some of them are described below:
Pneumonia - patients report pain when coughing, sneezing, and when the process is advanced, even when inhaling.Patients often assume a forced position - lying down, with the head elevated, or simply lying on the healthy side.
In the case of pneumonia, pain in the shoulder blade region and back is not the most important clinical symptom.Such patients experience a low-grade fever - 37-38 ° C, shortness of breath, first dry, then sputum, cough.
In particularly advanced cases, blood and pus may appear in the discharge from the lungs.
Bronchitis is often accompanied by a barking cough.Pain in the area of the left scapula or in the back can occur precisely because of this.
Pleurisy - most often, due to this pathology, a pain syndrome develops in the left shoulder blades and back in the interscapular area.
The pain in the back and shoulder blade is dull and dull at first, and then becomes more and more intense as the process progresses.
With this disease, early diagnosis is important - an X-ray of the chest circumference.
In the absence of pathologies in the lungs, pleura and bronchi, the patient should urgently consult a cardiologist to rule out a heart attack.
Tuberculosis of the thoracic and bronchial lymph nodes
This pathology can be accompanied by back pain, especially in the terminal stages.
Acute or chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
Pain in the left scapula, back or interscapular space is often an important clinical symptom of diseases of the digestive system.It is important to know what pathologies can be accompanied by pain in the left shoulder blade.
Perforated gastric ulcer
Perforated gastric ulcer, more precisely its upper sections, can be accompanied by sharp, aching pain in the area of the left shoulder blade in addition to stabbing "dagger" abdominal pain, fever, and vomiting.
Acute pancreatitis
Constant strapping pain in the epigastric region and disorders of the digestive system - vomiting, diarrhea, accompanied by pain in the left scapula of the back in the lumbar region.
Spleen injury or rupture
Spleen injuries are often invisible due to non-characteristic signs that appear when the organ is damaged.Symptoms may be hidden without severe pain.
When the splenic parenchyma ruptures, a hematoma forms in the space under the capsule, which is accompanied by dull pain, which increases with the growth of the hematoma under the left shoulder blade and behind the back, on the left side of the ribs.
Attention!The conditions described above require immediate diagnosis and, in some cases, surgical intervention.
Diseases of the locomotor system, including the scapula
In this case, any pathological process affecting the shoulder joint is accompanied by pain under the left shoulder blade, which increases with arm movement.
Sharp pain can be caused by:
- Sudden movements.
- Injuries - fractures, displacement of the scapula.The nature of pain can be acute or dull.Painkillers should be used to relieve pain.
- Tuberculosis of the scapula - the pain increases as the disease progresses.
- Gunshot wounds to the scapula.The pain may persist for a long time even after the scapula has been restored.
- Bursitis is an inflammation of the surface of the shoulder joint.
Diagnosis of diseases associated with pain in the left shoulder blade
If you complain of pain in the area of the left shoulder blade, it is extremely necessary to consult a doctor in time in order to establish a diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
The following research methods are needed to establish an accurate diagnosis:
- Computed tomography.
- X-ray in different projections depending on the location of the pathological process.In addition, chest x-rays are needed to rule out pleurisy, tuberculosis, and pneumonia in case of lung disease.
- MRI - its layer-by-layer image allows for a more thorough study of the ongoing pathological process.The outcome of the treatment largely depends on its results.
- In order to rule out a heart attack, patients are prescribed an EKG, echocardiogram, heart ultrasound, and a blood test to check the presence of heart attack markers in the blood.
- Ultrasound of the internal organs helps to confirm or exclude diseases of the parenchymal organs that can cause pain in the area of the left shoulder blade and back.
- General and biochemical blood test, pulse and pressure measurement.
Basic rules of therapy
If the pain in the area of the left shoulder blade noticeably makes breathing difficult, this is a serious reason to consult a therapist.
Self-administration of drugs can only make the condition worse.
It is important to diagnose the cause of the pain and its origin.With a correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment, the pain attack stops.
During self-medication, a recurring pain syndrome often occurs, which disrupts the patient's quality of life.
Medicines should only be taken under the supervision of a specialist;in addition, the patients are prescribed a treatment regimen and diet according to the diagnosis.