Quite often, pain under the left shoulder blade from behind from behind can bother. It occurs after a sharp, strong movement or a long stay in an unsuccessful position. But it can also be a symptom of a serious illness that requires mandatory treatment. The causes of pain can be divided into two main groups: pain caused by diseases of the musculoskeletal system and pain associated with disorders of internal organs.
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
Various diseases of the spine can cause pain in the shoulder blade. Additionally, pain may be a secondary symptom of the injury. The reasons why it hurts under the left shoulder blade from the back can be different.
Osteochondritis of the spine
Osteochondrosis appears due to changes in the spine, when bone tissue is destroyed under the influence of various factors. And there are a lot of factors leading to this pathology:
- Curvature of the spine as a result of poor posture. Often found in students, school children and office workers.
- Statistical and dynamic overload of the body in disproportionate volumes.
- Overweight and malnutrition.
- Back injury.
- Weak immunity and hereditary factor.
- Flat foot.
- Frequent colds and hypothermia, chronic intoxication.
- Metabolic disease.
- Prolonged exposure to vibrations.
- Stress and sedentary lifestyle.
With cervicothoracic osteochondrosis, severe pain appears in the neck, back, shoulders and upper extremities, it can shoot under the scapula. There are pain sensations in the teeth, muscles, abdomen, heart region. The sensation begins to bother when stinging under the shoulder blade, numbness in the cervical and chest region, as well as in the neck and abdomen. Sleep is disturbed, the sensitivity of the hands, blood pressure indicators begin to fluctuate, and performance decreases. It can also cook behind the breastbone.
Intercostal neuralgia
This disease occurs when irritation, inflammation, pinching or compression of the intercostal nerves. This happens with inflammation, infections, chemical poisoning, allergies, and hypothermia. The main symptom of neuralgia is pain, concentrated in the region of the heart. It can be dull or sharp, stabbing, painful or burning. May be episodic or permanent.
There may also be increased sweating, skin discoloration, tingling, or loss of sensation in certain areas. With a forced fixed position, the pain syndrome can recede.
Traumatic scapula injury
If the left shoulder blade hurts, the causes can be caused by injuries. They can appear from a direct blow to the shoulder blades or after a fall on the back or shoulder. In the first hours after the injury, a very strong pain syndrome appears. It is a symptom of a broken shoulder blade or ribs. In the future, swelling and edema develop. With a fracture of the ribs, it is difficult for a person to breathe, and bone damage is noticeable on palpation.
Sprengel's disease
This disease is an abnormal congenital localization of the scapula. The cause of this pathology is not yet known to science. There is an opinion that the disease develops under the influence of external and internal negative factors on the fetus, at 3-4 weeks of pregnancy. At this time, the shoulder girdle and spine are formed. Often this disease is combined with other pathologies: fusion of the ribs, clubfoot, the formation of additional hemivertebrae and an abnormal structure of the cervical region.
Pathology is detected immediately after the birth of the child. With a mild degree of disease development, the following are prescribed: exercise therapy, massage, water procedures, physiotherapy. In moderate and severe cases, surgical treatment is prescribed.
Myofascial syndrome
Under the influence of various factors, the work of the muscular apparatus and the membranes covering the muscles is disturbed. There are small, painful seals in the muscles, the so-called trigger points. They appear under the influence of trauma and muscle fatigue. Several factors lead to their formation: forced posture, diseases of the spine, bruises, monotonous movements, somatic diseases, emotional overstrain.
The main symptom is pain, which has a aching and pulling character, which increases with exertion and activation of triggers. Skin sensitivity also increases, skin color changes, and movement in the affected area is restricted. Complex treatment is prescribed. For prevention, you need to monitor your weight, adhere to a healthy lifestyle, wear comfortable shoes and clothes, avoid stress and hypothermia.
Changes in the work of internal organs
If there is pain in the left shoulder blade from behind, the reasons may be in violation of the internal organs. In many diseases, the symptom is pain in the left side. They are divided into diseases of the cardiology, the bronchopulmonary system and the gastrointestinal tract.
Heart disease
With heart disease, it hurts not only in the region of the left shoulder blade, but also in the region of the collarbone, in the left arm, in the abdomen. Myocardial infarction is one of the varieties of coronary heart disease, in which necrosis of the heart muscle occurs as a result of a violation of coronary circulation. There is a burning, squeezing, or pressing pain behind the breastbone, radiating to the left collarbone, shoulder blade, upper arm, and jaw. The patient appears cold sweats, there is a feeling of fear. These symptoms are a direct indication of emergency hospitalization in a medical institution. If timely medical care is not provided, then a fatal outcome is possible.
The cause of coronary artery disease is insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle due to coronary artery disease. Cardiac arteries clog with cholesterol plaques or narrow. The heart does not receive enough blood to function normally. The reasons are:
- Atherosclerosis of coronary vessels.
- high blood pressure.
- Violation of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism.
- Smoking.
- High cholesterol and overweight.
- Diabetes.
Symptoms are shortness of breath, weakness, arrhythmia, increased sweating. There are spontaneous chest pains that are unaffected by nitroglycerin. The patient experiences a lack of oxygen, there is a fear of death, apathy, a low mood or unreasonable anxiety. During an attack of angina pectoris, the pain is concentrated behind the sternum. It has a cutting, pressing, compressive and burning character of manifestation. The attack lasts from 2 to 5 minutes and is effectively stopped by medication.
With pericarditis, an inflammatory process appears in the outer shell of the heart. The causes of inflammation are infections, autoimmune diseases, injuries, tumors, metabolic disorders. There is pressing pain in the chest, swelling of the face and neck, severe shortness of breath, dry cough and hoarse voice.
Mitral valve prolapse is a pathology in which the function of the valve located between the ventricle and the atrium is impaired. It is detected by chance and poses no danger to the patient's life. May be congenital or acquired. Another disease that is usually asymptomatic is an aortic aneurysm. With this pathology, a protrusion of the vascular wall occurs due to its weakening or a sharp increase in blood pressure. The vascular wall is weakened by the deposition of foreign substances, inflammation or tissue destruction.
Pathologies of the bronchopulmonary system
In diseases of the bronchopulmonary system, pain appears in the scapula on the left.
The reasons for which a painful symptom appears: acute bronchitis and tracheobronchitis, pneumonia on the left side, dry pleurisy on the left side, abscess of the left lung. Acute bronchitis is manifested by cough, weakness, increased sweating, shortness of breath and decreased activity, fever up to 38 degrees. The causes of the development of pathology are of viral or bacterial origin. Physical, chemical and allergic factors also influence.
Left-sided pneumonia is rare, but it poses a threat to the patient's life. The main reason is the penetration of pathogens into the left lung. This happens with a sharp decrease in immunity. There is a strong debilitating cough, burning and pain on the left side of the chest, body temperature rises. It is necessary to seek help as soon as possible, this will help to avoid the development of complications. A disease such as dry pleurisy can be a complication of other lung pathologies. A lung abscess is a complication. It is formed as a result of undertreated pneumonia.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
A very common group of diseases in which pain radiates to the left shoulder blade from behind. The reasons may be different. The growth of pathologies is associated with errors in nutrition, the use of foods containing flavorings and preservatives. The symptoms of these diseases are:
- Abdominal pain.
- Stomach pains.
- belching.
- Flatulence.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Constipation.
- Diarrhea.
- Odor from the mouth.
- Decreased body weight and appetite.
- Dizziness.
- Weakness.
With a stomach ulcer, the integrity of the tissues of the walls of the stomach is violated, as a result, they are corroded by gastric juice and an ulcer appears. A feature is the hungry pains that appear on the background of hunger. After eating, they disappear. Another symptom is vomiting with acidic content. Also, the motility of the stomach is disturbed, which leads to the appearance of belching and heartburn. A complication of the disease can be bleeding, due to the defeat of the ulcer of blood vessels. This is a very serious disease in which self-medication is dangerous as it can lead to perforation of the ulcer and death.
The main symptom of a duodenal ulcer is pain in the epigastric region, which may radiate to the left side of the chest and shoulder blade, lumbar or thoracic spine.
The pain occurs after eating, and also after some time. It is stopped by antacids, antispasmodics and antisecretory drugs. In addition, ulcers are characterized by dyspeptic disorders, lack of appetite, which leads to weight loss and painful weight loss. An ulcer leads to complications: bleeding, perforation and penetration into the pancreas, duodenal stenosis, tumor formation at the site of ulcer formation and inflammation of the intestinal mucosa.
Esophageal spasm is characterized by a violation of swallowing.
The cause may be excitement, as well as rapid absorption and poor chewing of food, consumption of foods rich in fiber. You can ease the discomfort by drinking plenty of fluids, swallowing air, and doing exercises. Another symptom is the reverse reflux of the contents of the esophagus. Often occurs in a dream or when the patient takes a horizontal position. It manifests itself in the form of vomiting without an admixture of gastric juice and bile.
When the contents of the stomach and duodenum are refluxed, gastroesophageal reflux disease develops.
The main cause is weakness of the lower esophageal sphincter. In this case, when the stomach contracts, its contents are pushed back into the esophagus. It is characterized by heartburn, which appears when bending over, exercising, after a heavy meal. There is an eructation with a bitter or sour taste. You may also experience nausea and vomiting.
Signs of acute pancreatitis are intense, constant, sharp pains felt under the ribs.
There are two causes: alcohol abuse and cholelithiasis. Symptoms are not always pronounced. The pain is poorly relieved by painkillers, sometimes it is necessary to prescribe narcotics. Also, pain under the shoulder blade can interfere with intestinal colitis. Appears due to infections, medications, chemical or food poisoning, circulatory disorders.