Quite often, pain under the left shoulder blade behind the back can bother. It occurs after a sharp and 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 in the internal organs.
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
Various spinal diseases can cause shoulder blade pain. Also, pain can be a secondary symptom of an injury. The reasons why it hurts under the left shoulder blade from behind may be different.
spinal osteochondritis
Osteochondrosis appears due to changes in the spine, when bone tissue is destroyed under the influence of various factors. And there are many factors that lead to this pathology:
- Curvature of the spine as a result of poor posture. It is often found in students, schoolchildren and office workers.
- Statistical and dynamic overload of the body in excessive volumes.
- Overweight and malnutrition.
- Back injury.
- Weak immunity and hereditary factor.
- Flatfoot.
- Colds and frequent 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, which can pull under the shoulder blade. There are pain sensations in the teeth, muscles, abdomen, heart area. The sensation begins to bother when it pricks 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, performance decreases. It can also be baked behind the breastbone.
intercostal neuralgia
This disease occurs when there is irritation, inflammation, pinching or compression of the intercostal nerves. This occurs 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, throbbing, aching or burning. It can 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 regress.
Traumatic injury of the scapula
If the left shoulder blade hurts, the causes may be due to 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 fracture of the scapula 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 location of the scapula. The cause of this pathology is not yet known by science. There is an opinion that the disease develops under the influence of external and internal negative factors in 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 are observed.
Pathology is detected immediately after the birth of the child. With a mild degree of development of the disease, 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 disrupted. There are small painful seals in the muscles, the so-called trigger points. They appear under the influence of trauma and muscle strains. There are several factors that lead to its formation: forced posture, spinal diseases, bruises, monotonous movements, somatic diseases, emotional overload.
The main symptom is pain, which has an aching and pulling character, which increases with exertion and the activation of triggers. Skin sensitivity also increases, skin color changes, and movement in the affected area is limited. Complex treatment is prescribed. For prevention, you need to control your weight, follow 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 a violation of the internal organs. In many diseases, the symptom is pain on the left side. They are divided into cardiological diseases, diseases of the bronchopulmonary system and of the gastrointestinal tract.
Heart diseases
With heart diseases, it hurts not only in the region of the left shoulder blade, but also in the region of the clavicle, 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 the coronary circulation. There is a burning, squeezing, or pressing pain behind the breastbone, radiating to the left collarbone, shoulder blade, arm, and jaw. The patient appears cold sweat, there is a feeling of fear. These symptoms are a direct indication for emergency hospitalization in a medical facility. If timely medical care is not provided, it may have a fatal outcome.
The cause of coronary heart disease is insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle due to coronary vascular disease. The arteries of the heart become clogged with cholesterol plaques or narrow. The heart does not get enough blood to function normally. The reasons are:
- Atherosclerosis of the coronary vessels.
- arterial hypertension.
- Violation of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism.
- Of smoking.
- High cholesterol and overweight.
- Diabetes.
Symptoms are shortness of breath, weakness, arrhythmia, increased sweating. There are spontaneous chest pains that are not affected by nitroglycerin. The patient experiences lack of oxygen, there is fear of death, apathy, sad mood or irrational anxiety. With an attack of angina pectoris, the pain is concentrated behind the sternum. It has a character of sharp, pressing, compressive and burning manifestation. The attack lasts 2-5 minutes and is effectively stopped with medication.
With pericarditis, an inflammatory process appears in the outer layer of the heart. The causes of inflammation are infections, autoimmune diseases, injuries, tumors, metabolic disorders. There is oppressive pain in the chest, swelling of the face and neck, severe shortness of breath, a dry cough, and a hoarse voice.
Mitral valve prolapse is a pathology in which the function of the valve located between the ventricle and the atrium is altered. It is detected by chance and does not pose a danger to the patient's life. It can be congenital or acquired. Another disease that is usually asymptomatic is an aortic aneurysm. With this pathology, a bulge of the vessel wall occurs due to its weakening or a sharp increase in blood pressure. The vessel 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 why a pain symptom appears: acute bronchitis and tracheobronchitis, left-sided pneumonia, left-sided dry pleurisy, left lung abscess. 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 play a role.
Left-sided pneumonia is rare but represents a threat to the patient's life. The main reason is the penetration of pathogens into the left lung. This occurs with a sharp decrease in immunity. There is a strong debilitating cough, burning and pain in the left side of the chest, body temperature rises. It is necessary to seek help as soon as possible, this will help avoid the development of complications. Such a disease as dry pleurisy can be a complication of other pulmonary pathologies. A lung abscess is a complication. It forms as a result of untreated 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 that contain flavorings and preservatives. The symptoms of these diseases are:
- Abdominal pain.
- Acidity.
- Belching.
- Flatulence.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Constipation.
- Diarrhea.
- mouth odor
- Decreased body weight and appetite.
- Dizziness.
- Soft spot.
With a stomach ulcer, the integrity of the tissues of the stomach walls is violated, as a result, gastric juice corrodes them, and an ulcer appears. A feature is the hungry pains that appear against the background of hunger. After eating, they calm down. Another symptom is vomiting with acid content. In addition, the motility of the stomach is disturbed, as a result of which belching and heartburn appear. A complication of the disease can be bleeding, due to the defeat of the blood vessel ulcer. 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 can radiate to the left side of the chest and scapula, lumbar or thoracic spine.
The pain occurs after eating, and also after a while. It is stopped with antacids, antispasmodics, and antisecretory agents. Also, ulcers are characterized by dyspeptic disorders, lack of appetite, which leads to weight loss and painful weight loss. An ulcer causes complications: bleeding, perforation and penetration into the pancreas, duodenal stricture, tumor formation at the site of ulcer formation, and inflammation of the intestinal lining.
Spasm of the esophagus 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 relieve discomfort by drinking plenty of fluids, swallowing air, and exercising. Also a symptom is the reverse reflux of the contents of the esophagus. It often occurs in a dream or when the patient adopts a horizontal position. It manifests itself in the form of vomiting without admixture of gastric juice and bile.
When the contents of the stomach and duodenum reflux, gastroesophageal reflux disease develops.
The main cause is weakness of the lower esophageal sphincter. In this case, when the stomach contracts, its contents are returned to the esophagus. It is characterized by heartburn, which appears when bending over, exercising, after a heavy meal. There is a belch with a bitter or sour taste. You may also experience nausea and vomiting.
Signs of acute pancreatitis are severe, constant, sharp pain felt below the ribs.
There are two causes: alcohol abuse and cholelithiasis. Symptoms are not always pronounced. The pain is poorly relieved by analgesics, sometimes it is necessary to prescribe narcotic drugs. Also, pain under the scapula can bother intestinal colitis. It appears due to infections, medications, chemical or food poisoning, circulatory disorders.