Pain under the left shoulder from the back can occur due to sudden movement, prolonged exposure to an uncomfortable position, sitting or lying down.But in this case, it passes quickly by itself.If the pain syndrome continues for a long time, becomes acute, stabbing or cutting in nature and painkillers do not help, then you should urgently consult a doctor.Such pain under the shoulder blade on the left side of the back indicates a pathology, and it is possible that it is severe.The patient needs immediate treatment, which depends not only on the nature of the pain, but also on the cause of its occurrence.
The main causes of pain under the left shoulder blade
There are many causes of pain, but all of them can be divided into 2 groups:
- Pain associated with pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.Pain under the left shoulder can be caused by osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic region, intercostal neuralgia, osteomyelitis, bone tuberculosis, scapular injuries, rib fracture or crack, myofascial or scapulocostal syndrome, glenohumeral periarthritis.
- Pain that occurs due to diseases of the internal organs.Pain under the left shoulder can be a symptom of heart disease, bronchopulmonary system, gall bladder, stomach ulcer, spasm of the esophagus, exacerbation of pancreatitis.
Rare pathologies that cause pain radiating to the shoulder blade include rupture of the spleen.This pathology requires immediate surgical treatment, as massive abdominal bleeding occurs with the risk of death.
No less dangerous for the body is pain in the back on the left under the shoulder blade, which develops against the background of cardiac diseases:
- dissection of an aneurysm of the ascending aorta;
- coronary heart disease;
- angina pectoris;
- pericarditis, myocarditis, pericarditis;
- myocardial infarction.
Pain in the left shoulder from the back, which radiates to the arm and chest area, can indicate heart disease.Numbness of the limbs often occurs.Depending on the disease, accompanying symptoms appear: lack of air, throat tightness, chest tightness, feeling of cardiac arrest.
Let's take a closer look at the main causes of pain under the shoulder blade from the back to the left.
Gallbladder diseases
With cholecystitis and cholelithiasis, heaviness appears on the right side, pain radiating under the shoulder blade on the left.An acute attack of inflammation of the gallbladder causes severe pain, nausea, vomiting and increased body temperature.If it is provoked by the blockage of the bile ducts by a stone, the pain syndrome appears as biliary colic.
With chronic inflammation, the nature of the pain is aching.Unpleasant sensations appear after eating fatty foods, with long breaks between meals.
Recurrences of attacks can occur after physical or nervous strain, against a background of stress.
Subphrenic abscess
It is a collection of pus under the diaphragm.Most often, an abscess forms on the right side, but localization on the left side is also possible.The pathology is manifested by the following symptoms:
- pain on the left side, radiating under the scapula to the sternum;
- acute pain in the chest, which intensifies when you inhale;
- high body temperature;
- hiccups;
- increased sweating;
- non-productive cough;
- dyspnea.
Without treatment, the disease can cause empyema, pneumonia and lung abscess.
Bronchopulmonary diseases
Diseases of the lower respiratory tract (bronchi, lungs and pleura) cause chest and scapular pain, which are always complemented by a specific bronchopulmonary clinical picture:
- increase in body temperature;
- weakness, lethargy;
- difficulty in breathing;
- chest pain (usually from the affected lungs) of moderate intensity, which intensifies when you cough or inhale;
- cough;
- whistling.
Pain syndrome in the back of the back in the area of the left shoulder blade most often occurs with pneumonia, dry pleurisy, pneumothorax, acute bronchitis or abscess of the left lung.
Kidney diseases
Shoulder pain can occur due to problems with the right kidney, as it is located near the scapula.With its inflammation, the formation of purulent infiltrates or stones, the pain is often localized on the right, but it can also radiate to the left.The pain is often dull or aching, but it can also be sharp.It is paroxysmal, contagious, that is, it rises from the lower back, accompanied by nausea, vomiting and elevated body temperature.
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
Problems with the spine and related neurological disorders are the main cause of back pain in the area of the left shoulder blade.Pain can occur with any movement, turning the body, sneezing, breathing or taking a deep breath.They can radiate to the side, combined with a crackling sound and limited mobility.
Pain in the scapula area often occurs due to the following diseases:
- cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis;
- herniated intervertebral discs;
- extension;
- scoliosis;
- radiculitis.
Against the background of degenerative processes in the spine, not only blood vessels and nerve endings are constricted, but also muscle spasm.Muscle spasm provokes the appearance of scapulo-costal syndrome.
One of the most common causes of pain in the scapula is cervical osteochondrosis.At first, the pain syndrome is mild, but with degenerative changes, it becomes acute and shooting.The pain is accompanied by dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision and increased blood pressure.
The rarest diseases of the musculoskeletal system that can provoke scapular pain include osteomyelitis, bone tuberculosis and malignant neoplasms.
Muscle strain and inflammation
The back muscles surrounding the shoulder blade support the spine in an anatomically correct position and protect the internal organs located nearby.Their inflammation or injury is not only accompanied by pain, but also provokes a decrease in muscle tone and the appearance of instability in the shoulder.
Intercostal neuralgia
The disease is accompanied by inflammation of the nerves between the ribs and appears against the background of the following provoking factors:
- rib or back injuries;
- hypothermia;
- excessive physical activity;
- osteochondrosis.
The intensity of the pain syndrome depends on the severity of the pathology and the duration of the treatment.The pain can be painful, but sometimes it hurts so much that you can't bear it.
It is important to contact a neurologist in time, who will provide qualified help and, most importantly, in time, otherwise intercostal neuralgia will cause a person severe discomfort:
- the pain becomes shooting, cutting in nature;
- the pain increases when you move your hand, cough or inhale;
- numbness occurs in the affected area of the body;
- the heart rhythm is disturbed.
Diseases or injuries of the scapula
Cracks and fractures of the scapula, glenohumeral arthritis are associated with pain, limitation of movement, damage to blood vessels and compressed nerve endings.
Scapula injuries are more common in athletes, patients with osteoporosis and bone cancer.
Types of pain under the shoulder blade on the left
Before proceeding with diagnosis and treatment, it is important to understand the nature, localization, intensity of pain, their relationship with movement, breathing and nutrition.If it hurts under the left shoulder blade after eating, then heart pathologies and diseases of the musculoskeletal system can be excluded.The cause of the pain is diseases of the gall bladder, pancreas and stomach.
The nature of the pain syndrome can be surrounded, acute, burning, increasing, aching, dull, sharp.
Aching pain in left shoulder
It can be constant or periodic, indicating both pathologies of internal organs and diseases of the spine.Without treatment, it can turn into a stinging, burning sensation.Attacks most often occur when lifting the arm, physical activity or standing in one position for a long time.
Appears with scoliosis, chronic cholecystitis, scapulo-costal syndrome, intervertebral disc herniation, initial stages of cervical osteochondrosis, bruises and other minor injuries, intercostal neuralgia.
Acute pain under the left shoulder blade
This is a severe pain syndrome in the back below the shoulder blade, which limits movement and makes breathing difficult.Characteristic for myocardial infarction, bursitis of the shoulder joint, exacerbation of osteochondrosis, spondylosis, hernia, subphrenic abscess, pleurisy, acute cholecystitis, intercostal neuralgia.
Severe pain in the left shoulder area
It can happen suddenly or be the result of prolonged pain.Shooting, sharp pain is a sign of osteochondrosis, hernia, trauma, intercostal neuralgia, scapular tuberculosis, aortic aneurysm, perforated gastric ulcer, radiculitis.
Stitching pain behind left shoulder blade
It manifests itself as lumbago, which is typical for compressed nerve endings in diseases of the musculoskeletal system.If it is accompanied by chest compression and lack of air, then myocardial infarction or lung abscess cannot be excluded.
Annoying pain in the left side of the back under the shoulder blade
Inherent in most pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, as well as bronchopulmonary diseases.
Constant pain on the left side under the shoulder blade
Such pain does not leave the patient even in a lying position.It interferes with sleep, breathing and walking.Most often, the pain intensifies with physical activity, coughing and sneezing.
Constant nagging or aching pain occurs due to injuries of the spine or scapula, scapulochibular syndrome, bronchopulmonary diseases, pyelonephritis and oncology.Belt pain with disorders of the digestive system is characteristic of patients with acute pancreatitis.
Burning pain in the left side of the shoulder blade
It is simply unbearable and appears with intercostal neuralgia, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, muscle strain.
Important!If a burning sensation that spreads to the sternum is accompanied by shortness of breath, you should immediately call an ambulance.This is a sign of a heart attack.
How to relieve pain under the left shoulder blade
Pain sensations under the shoulder blade on the left, especially if they are quite intense, interfere with free movement and breathing, require qualified help, as they pose a threat to human health and life.You cannot ignore them and self-medicate.Taking analgesics, antispasmodics and other sedatives can relieve the pain, but it does not eliminate the cause, which must be discovered by the doctor.
Important!Emergency care will be required in case of severe pain with increasing intensity and rapid deterioration of well-being.
Which doctor should I consult for pain in the left under the scapula?
At the first painful sensation in the shoulder blade area, you should consult a specialist and undergo diagnostics.Since the nature of back pain is often neurological, you should make an appointment with a neurologist.
The doctor will conduct a visual examination, study the patient's complaints, draw up a clinical picture: the nature and conditions of the pain syndrome (in a lying position, during movement), its intensity, accompanying symptoms.
To understand exactly why your back hurts, your doctor will prescribe an additional examination:
- laboratory - clinical analysis of blood and urine, which will show the inflammatory process;
- instrumental, necessarily including MRI, as this diagnostic method provides the most accurate information about the condition of the spine, muscle tissue, nerve endings and blood vessels.
If the instrumental diagnosis reveals a pathology that is not within the competence of a neurologist, the doctor will refer the patient to a therapist, pulmonologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist, traumatologist or other specialists.
Treatment of pain on the left side of the shoulder blade
All therapeutic measures are aimed at eliminating the root cause and relieving pain.The doctor chooses medications based on the reason why pain occurs in the shoulder area.
If the cause is a disease of the musculoskeletal system or its complications, then drug therapy looks like this:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- muscle relaxants;
- analgesics;
- local anesthetics.
Drug therapy should be supplemented with physiotherapeutic treatment, massage and therapeutic exercises.
If conservative therapy does not give the desired therapeutic effect, the patient is indicated for surgery.
When it is important on which side of the pain in the shoulder blade: right or left
Heart diseases, especially severe ones such as myocardial infarction, manifest with left-sided symptoms.The situation is similar to injuries and rupture of the spleen.These pathologies can lead to the death of the patient, so the localization of pain is extremely important.
Remember, self-medication can worsen your health condition and contribute to the development of complications.If there is persistent discomfort in the area of the left shoulder blade, professional help is required.