Pain under the left shoulder blade is a common phenomenon that can occur after sudden movement or due to an awkward position of the body. They usually pass quickly and don't bother you anymore.
Constant discomfort under the scapula can be a symptom of a serious condition that requires immediate treatment. Especially do not underestimate this symptom if the pain radiates from the left to the breastbone, or if the left arm becomes numb.
From the moment a person turned to a specialist for help in time, its nature and location, an accurate diagnosis can be made, the direction of examinations can be chosen, as well as the treatmentnecessary 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 causes of pain under the left scapula in adults; they can be associated both with problems with the scapula itself and with diseases of internal organs. Consider the most likely causes of this condition below.
Some diseases of the musculoskeletal system can be accompanied by a painful symptom in the left scapula. Most often, it manifests itself as follows:
- Osteochondrosis of the thoracic or cervical spine.
- Intercostal neuralgia.
- Traumatic injury to the scapula (compression injury to the suprascapular nerve).
- Rib fracture.
- Sprengel's disease (scapula alata) - pterygoid scapula.
- Myofascial syndrome.
Cardiological diseases. That's not to say it only hurts in the left shoulder blade area. The pain then goes to the left hand, then goes to the collarbone, then goes down to the lower abdomen. Depending on the disease, patients experience a sensation of shortness of breath, a sensation of cardiac arrest, or a narrowing of the throat. The chest at this moment seems to them as tightened or seized with a sensation of heat. These are such diseases:
- Ischemic heart disease.
- Myocardial infarction.
- Pericarditis.
- Angina pectoris (unstable, stable).
- Mitral valve prolapse.
- Less frequently, aneurysm of the aorta.
Constant pain under the left scapula may indicate diseases of the bronchopulmonary system. At the same time, painful sensations are always directed to the affected lung, they have an average intensity and a painful character, localized under the left scapula at a painful point. It could be :
- Left pneumonia.
- Pleurisy (dry, on the left side).
- Tracheobronchitis with autonomic dysfunction.
- Acute bronchitis.
- Abscess of the left lung.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract:
- YABZH (Ulcus gastrica) - gastric ulcer.
- Ulcus duodeni - duodenal ulcer.
- Esophageal spasm.
- GERD is a gas-oesophageal reflux disease.
- Rarely - exacerbation of pancreatitis.
The typical causes of pain under the left scapula in prevalence are as follows:
- Cervical osteochondrosis, which is most often manifested by unilateral pain at the bottom of the occipital bone - the occipital bone. The pain is painful in nature, intensifies with active movements of the head and constantly radiates under the scapula, in the arm.
- Another disease, the typical symptom of which is pain under the left scapula, is intercostal neuralgia. It is a frequent consequence of osteochondrosis and manifests itself in lumbago and intense pain of a girdle nature, radiating to the right or to the 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 and radiating pain.
Based on such a brief anatomical overview, all the causes of pain under the left scapula 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 of a neurogenic nature.
To find out why it hurts under the left scapula, you need to 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 heart disease can manifest itself as a sharp pain under the left scapula - this is angina. In her, the pain occurs mainly in the retrosternal region, then, as if it were "poured" on the left side. By the nature of the manifestation, they are acute and constrictive, disappear with 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 consumption, as well as spicy and heavy foods.
Osteochondrosis
The most common cause of pain under the left scapula behind the back is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, which is characterized by compression of the nerve roots in the spine.
This condition is characterized by a dull, pulling pain, often unilateral just below the occipital region. It can be both permanent and manifest as 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. In addition, patients note numbness in the hands, migraines, dizziness.
Pneumonia and pleurisy
In case of pneumonia on the left side (pneumonia), moderate pain, accompanied by a cough with sputum and wheezing in the lungs, will also affect the scapula area. 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: the breathing becomes more shallow.
With purulent pleurisy, a puncture is necessary, followed by an analysis of the discharge and drainage from the pleural cavity.
Stomach ulcer
A stomach ulcer is a common disease that causes increasing pain under the left shoulder blade. The sensations gradually spread to the whole chest, nausea and vomiting appear. Severe pain in the back is observed after eating junk food: too salty, spicy and fatty. Also note:
- pale skin.
- state of nervous fear.
- 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 occur. The aching pain increases with any perfect movement. Sharp pain may be a sign that an exacerbation has occurred and you need to call an ambulance.
Intercostal neuralgia
This pathology often occurs in patients complaining of pain under the left scapula. In this case, the pain spreads to an intercostal space, is accompanied by a feeling of numbness or tingling along the affected area, increases when tilted to the diseased side, that issay to the left. In some cases, along the inflamed intercostal nerve, a rash or redness may occur.
Trauma
Most often, pain from traumatic injuries to the shoulder blades occurs with a direct impact on the shoulder blades or when falling on 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. Traumatic 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 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 during a heart attack may be the most common emotional stress, which is why people with heart problems are advised not to be nervous.
Pain during a heart attack can be of a different nature - cutting, squeezing, or squeezing. But there are also atypical cases where the pain can appear in the most unexpected place and in the most atypical 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 eases when the person is calm or when they lean forward.
This disease is dangerous because adhesions can form and organs contract along with the contraction of the heart. In addition, calcium salts can be deposited in the pericardium of the heart, which leads to thickening of the wall of the heart.
Psychosomatic illnesses
Often pain under the left scapula is associated with psychological stress and diseases of a psychosomatic nature. The reasons for this are 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 on 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.
Diagnostic
To understand how to treat pain under the left scapula in the back, you need to have a comprehensive exam to establish the exact cause of this symptom.
These are first of all:
- Collect the history. It is rather short, since pain under the left scapula in the back is not considered a life-threatening condition.
- Acquaintance with the doctor with a detailed description of the nature of the pain.
- Examination of the patient's back.
- Instrumental examination is carried out only if there is a suspicion of acute infection, oncology, trauma and severe neurological symptoms.
First of all, the doctor conducts a comprehensive 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 contact?
Depending on how painful sensations arise, what are their characteristics and what they are associated with, you need to choose a specialist to whom you will go to consult:
- 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 he indicates an injury that precedes the onset of pain.
- Cardiologist - with a burning sensation behind the breastbone with irradiation under the scapula, in the tongue, left arm.
- Psychologist and psychiatrist - for pain, the causes of which were not found on the basis of the results of a detailed examination, especially if there are other signs of psychosomatic disorders and neuroses.
Illnesses and pain are much easier and safer to prevent than to cure. Even if there are no health problems and discomfort, you should regularly visit a doctor and have a medical examination. If pain still appears, you can not self-medicate, you should immediately contact a specialist in this area. By eliminating pain with analgesics and without taking complex treatment, you contribute to the development of serious diseases of the heart, gastrointestinal tract or spine.