Pain between the shoulders can occur for various reasons. Some types of pain do not pose a potential threat to human health, but cause discomfort. You should respond to other pains immediately, as they signal pathological conditions in the body that can be life-threatening.
Causes of concern
Pain syndrome in the interscapular region is characterized by a wide variety. The pain may be sharp, sharp, or dull, and may be nagging, aching, or bursting in nature. Sometimes the feeling of discomfort comes down to just tingling and numbness. There are also cases when back pain radiates to nearby parts of the body. But regardless of the nature of the manifestations, they are always unpleasant and indicate problems in the human body.
The causes of pain between the shoulder blades can be as follows:
- Lack of regular physical activity - exercise, sports, swimming.
- Sedentary work.
- Sudden physical activity, especially if performed by an untrained person.
- All types of injuries that a person received during collisions, falls, car accidents.
The following diseases can provoke the appearance of pain:
- Osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic spine.
- Intervertebral hernia.
- Thoracic or cervical radiculitis.
- Intercostal neuralgia.
- Bad attitude.
- Angina and coronary heart disease.
- Pleurisy.
- Pneumonia.
- Infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis.
The nature of the pain may suggest what disease it is caused by. Thus, with coronary heart disease, in most cases the pain will also affect the chest. But more often, back pain is associated with diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
Diseases with characteristic symptoms
For any disease accompanied by pain between the shoulder blades, the sensations are individual. Thus, with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, pain increases during turning of the body or head, breathing, sneezing, coughing and any physical activity. This is typical for osteochondrosis, intercostal neuralgia and hernia. In addition, in such cases, the pain is not relieved by Nitroglycerin.
With neuralgia, a person's nerve pain, so unpleasant sensations are observed when palpating the problem area. The pain may be dull or sharp in the affected area.
In heart diseases, the pain is often localized between the shoulder blades. At the same time, they are oppressive in nature. Additional symptoms are:
- heart rhythm disorders;
- increased blood pressure;
- difficulty breathing.
The pain radiates to the left arm, neck, head and even the teeth. This condition can be a harbinger of a heart attack, in which a person requires urgent medical attention.
With lung diseases, in addition to unpleasant sensations in the back (dull pain), a person is disturbed by coughing and difficulty breathing. With tuberculosis, blood clots can pass along with sputum. Such conditions of the body pose a potential threat to human life, so they must be treated in a timely manner.
Painful sensations of a shooting nature can appear with a cold. For example, if a person spent a long time on a draft.
Recommended treatments
You should not self-medicate, focusing only on the painful signs of the disease. For an accurate diagnosis, the patient is recommended to consult a doctor. Only in a medical institution will a person be able to carry out the necessary research and provide qualified assistance.
In diseases of the musculoskeletal system, initially efforts are aimed at eliminating pain. For this, a person is prescribed sedatives and ointments.
If a person has a confirmed intervertebral hernia, they may require surgery.
To treat infectious diseases and other disorders of the respiratory system, a person is prescribed complex treatment. An angina attack should be stopped with nitroglycerin tablets, and then the patient should undergo a comprehensive examination. Based on his results, the doctor will be able not only to choose the right treatment, but also to give recommendations to the patient regarding further actions, for example, if the person is recommended for hospitalization and surgery.
How to relieve pain
You can cope with pain using different methods. Thus, for diseases of the heart, lungs and other internal organs, drug therapy cannot be avoided.
To eliminate pain due to diseases of the musculoskeletal system, the following procedures will help:
- A massage that should only be performed by a professional masseuse. It is not recommended to be done in case of intervertebral hernia, as well as in the acute phase of osteochondrosis.
- Exercise therapy is effective. Therapeutic exercise is a set of exercises aimed at restoring the spine and eliminating discomfort.
It is acceptable to use sedatives: tablets, creams, gels.
Preventive measures
To prevent pain between the shoulder blades, a person should carefully monitor his health. At the first symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor.
To prevent heart and respiratory diseases that cause pain in the interscapular area, it is recommended to adhere to a healthy lifestyle:
- stop smoking;
- balance the diet;
- don't get too cold;
- avoid stressful situations;
- do a cardiogram periodically;
- control blood pressure.
To prevent diseases of the musculoskeletal system, it is recommended:
- To live an active lifestyle. It is recommended to visit the gym and the pool at least 2 times a week. If this is not possible, exercise can be replaced by running in the fresh air, cycling, skiing or an active ball game.
- If a person's professional activity involves sedentary work, it is recommended to do a short warm-up for the neck and shoulders every hour.
- You should only sit in comfortable chairs with backrests, as this reduces the load on the spine during sitting work.
- Don't slouch, try to keep the right attitude.
By following these rules, you can protect yourself from many diseases. But if a person shows the first signs of discomfort in the back, it is better not to delay and undergo a timely medical examination. Self-medication without an accurate diagnosis can worsen the situation.