Pain between the shoulder blades can occur for a variety of reasons. Some types of pain do not pose a potential threat to human health, but cause discomfort. Other pains must be responded to immediately, as they indicate pathological conditions in the body that can be life-threatening.
Reasons for discomfort
The pain syndrome in the interscapular region is characterized by many types. The pain may be sharp, sharp, or dull, and may be nagging, aching, or bursting in nature. Sometimes the discomfort manifests itself only in tingling and numbness. There are also cases when back pain radiates to nearby body parts. 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 - exercise, sports, swimming.
- Sedentary work.
- Sudden physical activity, especially if performed by an untrained person.
- All types of injuries that a person received during a collision, fall, car accident.
The following diseases can cause pain:
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic spine.
- Intervertebral hernia.
- Thoracic or cervical radiculitis.
- Intercostal neuralgia.
- Bad posture.
- Angina and coronary artery disease.
- Pleurisy.
- Pneumonia.
- Infectious diseases such as tuberculosis.
The nature of the pain may indicate what disease caused it. Thus, in the case of coronary artery disease, the pain also affects the chest in most cases. 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 unique. Thus, in the case of diseases of the locomotor system, the pain increases when turning the body or head, breathing, sneezing, coughing and any physical activity. This is characteristic of osteochondrosis, intercostal neuralgia and hernia. Also, in such cases, the pain is not relieved by Nitroglycerin.
With neuralgia, a person's nerves hurt, so unpleasant sensations can be observed when touching the problem area. The pain may be dull or sharp in the affected area.
In heart disease, the pain is often localized between the shoulder blades. At the same time, they are oppressive in nature. Other symptoms include:
- heart rhythm disorders;
- increased blood pressure;
- heavy breathing.
The pain radiates to the left arm, neck, head and even the teeth. This condition can be a harbinger of a heart attack, in which a person requires emergency medical attention.
In the case of lung diseases, in addition to discomfort in the back (dull pain), the person is also bothered by coughing and breathing difficulties. In case of tuberculosis, blood clots can pass with the sputum. Such conditions of the body pose a potential threat to human life, so they must be treated in a timely manner.
Painful, shooting sensations may occur in the case of a cold. For example, if a person spent a long time in the draft.
Recommended treatments
You should not self-medicate, focusing only on the painful signs of the disease. For an accurate diagnosis, the patient is recommended to consult a doctor. Only in a medical institution will you be able to carry out the necessary research and provide qualified assistance.
In diseases of the musculoskeletal system, efforts are initially aimed at eliminating pain. For this, the person is prescribed painkillers and ointments.
If a person has a confirmed intervertebral hernia, they may need surgery.
A complex treatment is prescribed for the treatment of infectious diseases and other disorders of the respiratory system. An anginal attack should be stopped with nitroglycerin tablets, and then the patient should undergo a comprehensive examination. Based on the results, the doctor can not only choose the appropriate treatment, but also give suggestions to the patient on what to do next, for example, if hospitalization or surgery is recommended.
How to relieve pain
Coping with pain can be done in a variety of ways. Thus, drug therapy cannot be avoided in the case of diseases of the heart, lungs and other internal organs.
In order to eliminate pain due to diseases of the musculoskeletal system, the following procedures help:
- A massage that can only be performed by a professional massage therapist. It is not recommended in the case of intervertebral hernia and in the acute stage of osteochondrosis.
- Exercise therapy is effective. Therapeutic exercise is a series of exercises aimed at restoring the spine and eliminating discomfort.
It is acceptable to use painkillers: tablets, creams, gels.
Preventive measures
In order to prevent pain between the shoulder blades, a person should carefully monitor his health. When the first symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor immediately.
In order to prevent heart and respiratory diseases that cause pain in the interscapular area, it is recommended to follow a healthy lifestyle:
- don't smoke cigarettes;
- balances the diet;
- do not overcool;
- avoid stressful situations;
- regularly perform a cardiogram;
- regulates blood pressure.
Recommended for the prevention of musculoskeletal diseases:
- Lead an active lifestyle. It is advisable to visit the gym and the swimming pool at least 2 times a week. If this is not possible, exercises can be replaced by jogging, cycling, skiing or active ball games in the fresh air.
- If a person's professional activity involves sitting, it is recommended to do a short warm-up on the neck and shoulders every hour.
- You should only sit on comfortable chairs with a back, because this reduces the strain on the spine during sitting.
- Do not slouch, try to maintain the correct posture.
By following these rules, you can protect yourself from many diseases. But if a person shows the first signs of discomfort on the back, it is better not to delay and undergo a medical examination in time. Self-medication without an accurate diagnosis can worsen the situation.