Causes of severe back pain between the shoulder blades

Most people, when they experience back pain between the shoulder blades, associate its appearance with various disorders of the spinal column, nerve roots, ligaments, intervertebral discs, or the discs themselves. But it should be remembered that such painful sensations can also be associated with other diseases of the chest organs - the stomach, heart, respiratory system, and mediastinal organs.

Such pain can be either acute, which grows rapidly and either passes quickly or increases significantly with time, or chronic, which worries the patient for a long time and requires an accurate diagnosis, since it can be a symptom of a serious pathology of any chest organs. Sometimes pain between the shoulder blades can occur only after sudden physical exertion or after a long stay in a certain uncomfortable position.

It should be remembered that pain in the interscapular region is not a disease, but a symptom, and before using any ointments for back pain or injections, the real cause of their appearance should be established. When contacting a doctor, it is very important to describe all the slightest concomitant symptoms that accompany pain, the time of their occurrence, provoking factors for its intensification, since the doctor needs help in determining the direction of the examination and it is sometimes very difficult to establish the correct diagnosis without accurate data on the nature of the pain.

Very often, untimely identification of the true cause of pain between the shoulder blades forces a person to undergo a lot of expensive and lengthy examinations, use various treatment options, which are sometimes prescribed inappropriately and therefore do not bring the desired result. Therefore, it is very important that the patient himself knows about the possible list of diseases, which is characterized by this pain syndrome.

Pain caused by pathologies of the spinal column

We will not dwell on such obvious causes as bruises, injuries, dislocations and fractures of the vertebrae, but consider other possible causes of such back pain.

Intervertebral hernia

You should know that a vertebral hernia in the thoracic spine is a very rare occurrence, since this spine does not carry such an increased load as the cervical and lumbar regions. To diagnose or exclude this pathology, the neurologist, the osteopath directs the patient to MRI, CT. Changes in intervertebral hernia are due to the fact that the fibrous ring - the outer part of the intervertebral disc from the tear begins to protrude, while the distance between the vertebrae decreases and the nerve roots are pinched. That is, the fibrous ring cracks, the nucleus pulposus (shock absorber in the center of the disc) begins to protrude into it.

When such a hernia is found, doctors prescribe NSAIDs (anti-inflammatory drugs), physiotherapy, physiotherapy, reflexology, and in severe cases, surgery is indicated. The difference between such pain in an intervertebral hernia of the thoracic spine from other pathologies is its localization in only one place, and the pain can also radiate to the chest, which may resemble symptoms of impaired lung or heart function. With a long-term lack of treatment of an intervertebral hernia, a curvature of the spine, paraparesis of the lower extremities, a disorder of the functions of the pelvic organs, and chronic pain syndrome may occur.

Overstrain in combination with hypothermia of the back muscles

inflammation of the back muscles as a cause of pain between the shoulder blades

Overstrain of the back muscles can also cause pain in the shoulder blades, this is not considered a disease, but with frequent excessive loads, weight lifting, prolonged sitting in a monotonous position, the risk of developing osteochondrosis, scoliosis, intervertebral hernia increases. Very often, people whose work forces them to stay in the same position for several hours a day suffer from such pains - these are seamstresses, drivers, office workers, surgeons.

Sometimes, when such a profession is combined with an air conditioner, hypothermia, a so-called backache can occur, when the pain becomes more intense and requires the appointment of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), the use of warming, distracting ointments, massage, etc.

To prevent such complications, you should try to avoid drafts, lead the most active lifestyle, practice yoga, Bodyflex, therapeutic exercises, take a course of professional massage every six months.

Tuberculosis of the spine

Today, many doctors seem to "forget" about this disease, and anti-tuberculosis services in the country for some reason are declining, and in fact, almost 90% of the population have been infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis since childhood. If a person is injured, especially the back, or a joint, or simply becomes very cold, with a very weakened immune system, a tuberculous focus often occurs at the site of the injury, which even on X-rays by specific signs is not always possible to recognize in time.

Often in such cases, the diagnosis is established only when the person is already exhausted from terrible pain and has a number of complications. With this disease, a person may be disturbed by very strong, burning pain between the shoulder blades, patients describe it as twisting or drilling at one point of the spine, and also when the focus is localized in the thoracic spine, the pain radiates to the chest, in which there is a burning sensation, heat, aches.

Tuberculosis of the spine is a very insidious disease, and when it occurs in the spine, the patient does not always have foci in the lungs, it can be an independent focus of tuberculosis infection in any part of the spine. People are accustomed to the idea that tuberculosis is a disease that affects only the lower social strata of the population and is localized, as a rule, only in the lungs. This is a huge misconception!

When the body's defenses are weakened, Koch's bacillus, which is in the body of almost every person, is activated in the most weakened organs and a slow inflammatory process begins, it can be like the kidneys, lymph nodes, female fallopian tubes, prostate or testicles in men, soand individual vertebrae in the spine or joints in the limbs.

Scoliosis

According to statistics, almost 50% of the population has various degrees of scoliosis development - curvature, twisting of the spinal column, and most often it is the thoracic spine in combination with the cervical or lumbar regions. And since the ribs are connected with the thoracic regions, the shape of the chest also changes. There are a lot of reasons for its development - these are congenital pathologies of ligaments, bones, as well as acquired ones - intense physical overload, sedentary office work or schoolchildren sitting at a desk.

With lateral and direct chest x-rays, a surgeon, neurologist, orthopedist, or osteopath can make a similar diagnosis. Therapy of such a pathology should be very intensive and long - this is a massage, wearing a special corset, therapeutic exercises. In scoliosis, back pain between the shoulder blades is the leading symptom, and the following symptoms are also inherent in it:

  • At an early stage, the visual curvature may be subtle, but with the progression of scoliosis when examining the patient from behind, the curvature becomes noticeable.
  • With scoliosis, there is an increase in fatigue of the back muscles
  • Shoulders and arm position may be at different heights
  • Pain that disturbs the patient in the chest is localized more often in one side
  • Between the shoulder blades, pain can be both periodic from severe overexertion or a long standing or sitting position, and can also be constant.

Osteochondrosis

Since the primary stages of osteochondrosis are today found even in ten-year-old children, this pathology can rightfully be called the scourge of a modern city dweller. More recently, this disease was considered a disease of the elderly, but modern life, an incorrect, sedentary lifestyle, leads to the early development of dystrophic changes in the joints and spine. The cause of back pain is promoted by the inflammatory process that develops in the surrounding tissues around the damaged vertebrae, as well as due to pinched nerve roots. The following symptoms are characteristic of osteochondrosis:

  • Constant, aching pain in the back, aggravated by sneezing, coughing, a sharp change in body position, during physical exertion
  • When straightening the shoulders, you can hear a crunch between the shoulder blades
  • Chest pain can be described as if "the stake is worth it"
  • Reducing the mobility of the ribs leads to difficulty in breathing, and the person, as it were, begins to breathe in the stomach
  • Movement in the hands is limited, weakness, tingling or numbness in the hands is felt.

Intercostal neuralgia

Intercostal neuralgia usually bothers a person with pain in one side of the chest, but in rare cases it can also be in the area of the shoulder blades. This occurs in situations where compression of the nerve roots in the thoracic region occurs during excessive stress, hypothermia, trauma, infectious diseases, or osteochondrosis of the thoracic region.

With intercostal neuralgia, symptoms, pain increase with pressure on the chest, with coughing, and can disturb the patient both day and night. Since pain in osteochondrosis, scoliosis and intercostal neuralgia is very difficult to differentiate, to clarify the diagnosis, one should contact qualified orthopedists, neurologists, osteopaths, and surgeons.

Spondylarthrosis

This disease is very similar to osteochondrosis, according to the nature of the pain, according to the factors that increase it during exercise, change in body position. It is also chronic, with periods of exacerbations and remissions. It is possible to distinguish spondylarthrosis from osteochondrosis only with the help of X-ray, MRI or CT. With this disease, cartilage is destroyed and replaced by bone tissue, so bony protrusions can be found on the vertebrae.

Myositis of the back muscles

After any hypothermia, SARS, influenza, muscle strain, back injury, inflammation in the muscle tissue can occur - myositis. Like any disease, it can be acute or chronic. Pain in this case can be in any part of the spine, they are aching in nature and also increase with palpation, movement, physical exertion. This is not a dangerous condition, and using warming and pain-relieving ointments for back pain usually helps.

Diseases of the internal organs

As we have already said, pain in the shoulder blades on the back is not always a sign of diseases of the spine, almost all diseases of the mediastinal organs, heart, stomach, pancreas and gallbladder can contribute to the appearance of pain in the back. In our time of oncological tension, when cancer spares neither children nor adults, the development of tumors of the mediastinal organs, stomach, and lungs can also be manifested by pain in the shoulder blades.

Diseases of the cardiovascular system

Ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, angina are diseases that can also be the cause of such pain. With angina. for example, the pain never lasts more than 5 minutes, and with nitroglycerin it usually resolves immediately. However, in an acute attack, if severe pain lasts more than 5 minutes, blood pressure decreases, cold sweat appears, pallor of the skin, you should immediately call an ambulance.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

Stomach ulcer, pancreatitis, cholecystitis are three diseases that may also be responsible for the occurrence of pain in the thoracic region both in front and behind. Also, the development of oncological diseases of the stomach, pancreas can cause such sensations.

Respiratory system diseases

If the patient, in addition to back pain, is worried about coughing, an increase in body temperature, even a slight one, the cause may be lung pathologies. Usually, diseases such as pneumonia or pleurisy are preceded by hypothermia, acute respiratory viral infections, influenza. Recently, cases of the development of atypical forms of pneumonia have become more frequent, when pneumonia is caused by pathogens such as mycoplasma or chlamydia, they are not accompanied by a very high temperature, but can occur against the background of subfebrile condition, and back pain may appear on the right, left, when inhaling, especiallyaggravated by deep inspiration. The main criterion for distinguishing lung pathology from other causes is the presence of temperature, not even high, and cough.

Other diseases

  • Osteoporosis with fractures of the vertebral bodies, say, against the background of long-term use of steroid hormones or a drop in estrogens in postmenopausal women.
  • Metastasis to the vertebrae of stomach cancer, for example, can also cause pain.
  • Spontaneous fractures with irrational loads.
  • Ankylochiating spondylitis (Bechterew's disease) is a systemic disease. Affecting more often than men, in which, against the background of inflammation, the vertebrae are affected and ossification of the ligaments occurs. As a result, the spine becomes inflexible and is described radiologically as a bamboo stick.