Pain under the left shoulder blade is a common occurrence that can occur after a sudden movement or due to an uncomfortable position of the body. They usually pass quickly and no longer bother you.
Constant discomfort under the scapula can be a symptom of a serious illness that requires immediate treatment. Especially do not underestimate this symptom if the pain radiates from the left to the sternum, or the left arm becomes numb.
From whether a person turned to a specialist for help on time, from its nature and location, an accurate diagnosis can be made, the direction of examinations can be chosen, as well as the necessary treatment can be selected in order to eliminate not only the disease itself, but also the causes of its occurrence.
Causes of pain under the left shoulder blade
What does it mean? There are a sufficient number of reasons for pain under the left scapula in adults; they can be associated both with problems of the scapula itself and with diseases of internal organs. Let's consider the most probable causes of this condition below.
Certain diseases of the musculoskeletal system may be accompanied by a painful symptom in the area of the left shoulder blade. Most often it manifests itself like this:
- Osteochondrosis of the thoracic or cervical spine.
- Intercostal neuralgia.
- Traumatic injury to the scapula (compression injury of the suprascapular nerve).
- Rib fracture.
- Sprengel's disease (scapula alata) - pterygoid scapula.
- Myofascial syndrome.
Cardiological diseases. This is not to say that it only hurts in the area of the left shoulder blade. The pain then goes to the left hand, then goes to the clavicle, then descends to the lower abdomen. Depending on the ailment, patients experience a feeling of shortness of breath, a feeling of cardiac arrest or a constriction of the throat. The chest at this time seems to them as constricted or seized with a feeling of heat. These are such diseases:
- Ischemic heart disease.
- Myocardial infarction.
- Pericarditis.
- Angina pectoris (unstable, stable).
- Mitral valve prolapse.
- Less commonly, aortic aneurysm.
Constant pain under the left shoulder blade may indicate diseases of the broncho-pulmonary system. At the same time, painful sensations are always directed towards the affected lung, they are of medium intensity and aching in nature, localized under the left shoulder blade in one pain point. This could be:
- Left-sided pneumonia.
- Pleurisy (dry, left-sided).
- Tracheobronchitis with autonomic dysfunction.
- Acute bronchitis.
- Left lung abscess.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract:
- YABZH (Ulcus gastrica) - gastric ulcer.
- Ulcus duodeni - duodenal ulcer.
- Esophageal spasm.
- GERD is a gasoesophageal reflux disease.
- Rarely - exacerbation of pancreatitis.
Typical causes of pain under the left shoulder blade in prevalence are as follows:
- Cervical osteochondrosis, which manifests itself most often as one-sided pain at the bottom of the os occipitale - the occipital bone. The pain is aching in nature, intensifies with active movements of the head and constantly radiates under the scapula, into the arm.
- Another disease, the typical symptom of which is pain under the left shoulder blade, is intercostal neuralgia. It is a frequent consequence of osteochondrosis and is manifested by lumbago and intense pain of a girdle nature, radiating to the right or left, including under the scapula.
- YABZH (gastric ulcer). The symptom is most often due to seasonality, depends on the nutritional factor and is characterized by paroxysmal, radiating pain.
Based on such a brief anatomical overview, all causes of pain under the left shoulder blade can be divided into two large groups:
- Pain associated with the pathology of internal organs (cardiovascular pathology, respiratory diseases, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and spleen).
- Pain associated with pathology of the musculoskeletal system and muscle pain, including neurogenic in nature.
To find out why it hurts under the left shoulder blade, you should undergo a comprehensive examination, which, based on specific complaints and examination data, will be prescribed by the attending physician. After all, pain in different diseases will differ in nature, intensity and provoking factors.
Angina pectoris
Another cardiac disease can manifest itself as acute pain under the left shoulder blade - this is angina pectoris. With her, pain primarily occurs in the retrosternal region, then, as if "spilled" to the left side. By the nature of the manifestation, they are sharp and constricting, disappear at rest and after taking nitroglycerin. To a lesser extent, validol helps patients.
In most cases, the disease is caused by atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries. Angina attacks most often occur during physical and emotional stress, after sudden hypothermia or overheating of the body, alcohol intake, as well as spicy and heavy food.
Osteochondrosis
The most common cause of pain under the left scapula behind from the back is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, which is characterized by compression of the spinal nerve roots.
This ailment is characterized by a pulling, dull pain, often one-sided just below the occipital region. It can be both permanent and manifested by lumbago, which always radiates under the scapula on the affected side. A sharp increase in the symptom occurs with head movements, after a night's sleep.
It is often the result of prolonged stress on the neck. Also, patients note numbness in the hands, migraines, dizziness.
Pneumonia and pleurisy
With left-sided pneumonia (pneumonia), moderate pain, accompanied by a cough with sputum and wheezing in the lungs, will also bother in the area of the scapula. At the same time, temperature "candles" are often noted.
Pleurisy (inflammation of the pleura) can be dry or purulent. Both types of this pathology are accompanied by severe pain when breathing, while the person protects the affected side: breathing becomes more shallow.
With purulent pleurisy, a puncture is required, followed by analysis of the discharge and drainage of the pleural cavity.
Stomach ulcer
A stomach ulcer is a common disease that causes increasing pain under the left shoulder blade. Sensations gradually spread to the entire chest, nausea and vomiting appear. Severe pain in the back is observed after eating junk food: too salty, spicy and oily. Also noted:
- pallor of the skin.
- nervous frightened state.
- cold sweat.
- blood clots in vomit (the main sign that an urgent need to call a doctor at home).
A person cannot move normally when painful sensations arise. Aching pain increases with any perfect movement. A sharp pain can be a signal that an exacerbation has occurred and you need to call an ambulance.
Intercostal neuralgia
This pathology often occurs in patients with complaints of pain under the left shoulder blade. In this case, the pain extends to one intercostal space, is accompanied by a feeling of numbness or tingling along the affected area, increases when tilted to the sick side, that is, to the left. In some cases, skin rash or redness may occur along the inflamed intercostal nerve.
Trauma
Most often, pain caused by traumatic injuries of the shoulder blades occurs with a direct impact on the shoulder blades or when falling onto the back. The pain syndrome is intense, especially during the first hours after the injury.
In the future, it appears or intensifies with movement, edema and swelling develop. Trauma pain can also be caused by a fracture of the scapula or ribs. Therefore, it is imperative to perform an X-ray.
Myocardial infarction
A heart attack is characterized by a sharp sharp pain under the left shoulder blade, which can also appear all over the left side of the body (in the left hand, left side of the neck).
The cause of an acute angina attack in a heart attack can be the most common emotional stress, which is why people with heart problems are advised not to be nervous.
Pain in a heart attack can be of a different nature - cutting, squeezing or pressing. But there are also non-standard cases when pain can manifest itself in the most unexpected place and in the most non-standard way, for example, in the peritoneal region.
Pericarditis
The disease is associated with inflammation of the serous membrane of the heart. With this disease, tachycardia often develops, hence the cause of pain in the left side of the back. The pain is sharp, but subside when the person is calm or when bending forward.
This ailment is dangerous in that adhesions can form and organs contract along with the contraction of the heart. Also, calcium salts can be deposited in the pericardium of the heart, which leads to a thickening of the lining of the heart.
Psychosomatic diseases
Often, pain under the left shoulder blade is noted with psychological stress and diseases of a psychosomatic nature. The reasons lie in stress and emotional upheaval, which the body cannot cope with on its own and signals problems with the help of psychosomatic pain.
In addition to painful sensations in the back of the scapula with psychosomatics, the following accompanying symptoms may occur:
- heat;
- discomfort in the chest area;
- cramps in the throat;
- lack of air.
Diagnostics
To understand how to treat pain under the left shoulder blade in the back from the back, you need to undergo a comprehensive examination to establish the exact cause of this symptom.
First of all, these are:
- Collecting anamnesis. It is rather short, since pain under the left shoulder blade in the back is not considered a life-threatening pathology.
- Acquaintance of the doctor with a detailed description of the nature of the pain.
- Examination of the patient's back.
- Instrumental examination is carried out only in case of suspicion of acute infection, oncology, trauma and with severe neurological symptoms.
First of all, the doctor conducts a full diagnosis to exclude myocardial infarction, spinal oncology, neurological disorders that require urgent treatment. And only after that he decides how to treat this patient.
Which doctor should I go to?
Depending on how pain sensations arise, what are their characteristics and what they are associated with, you should choose a specialist to whom you will go for a consultation:
- Gastroenterologist - for pain associated with meals, the presence of dyspepsia.
- Therapist or pulmonologist - for pain, aggravated by breathing, accompanied by shortness of breath, cough, fever.
- Neurologist - for pain associated with movement, stress.
- Traumatologist - when indicating an injury that precedes the onset of pain.
- Cardiologist - with a burning sensation behind the sternum with irradiation under the scapula, into the tongue, left arm.
- Psychologist and psychiatrist - for pain, the causes of which were not found based on the results of a detailed examination, especially if there are other signs of psychosomatic disorders and neuroses.
Diseases and pains are much easier and safer to prevent than to cure. Even if there are no health problems and discomfort, you need to regularly visit a doctor and undergo a medical examination. If pains still appear, you cannot self-medicate, you need to immediately contact a specialist in this area. By eliminating pain with pain relievers and without taking complex treatment, you contribute to the development of serious diseases of the heart, gastrointestinal tract or spine.