Subclavicular pain is a clinical sign of many medical conditions, which may include gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases, as well as osteonecrosis, disc herniation, bronchopulmonary disease, and bronchopulmonary disease. other diseases.
Pain symptoms can vary in intensity and locality - below the right or left shoulder blade, and sometimes limit a person's motor activity. Pain below the collarbone is often associated with spasm of skeletal muscles due to stress or with the reflection of pain emanating from internal organs located in the scapula.
Causes of pain below shoulder blades
Regio scapularis - this is the name of the area of the scapularis, delimited by lines - in the upper part of the body between the process of unpaired spines of the 7th cervical vertebrae that protrudes the most and the clavicle, below - a straight linestand along the lower border of the shoulder blades, as well as a line from the armpit to the border of the deltoid. The diagnosis of subclavian pain depends on the nature of the symptom, its localization and the accompanying clinical signs, since the scapula itself can only be painful in the event of an injury - a blow, a bruiseViolet.
Causes of pain under the shoulder blades can be as follows:
- LSRS - levator fibula syndrome, squamous squamous syndrome or levator fibula syndrome. If the muscle attached to the transverse processes of the upper cervical vertebrae is hypothermic, injured, inflamed or overstretched, it will not be able to perform its normal function - tilting the neck and lifting the femur. Symptomatically, PRS - costal squamous syndrome presents as aching, sometimes severe pain in the shoulder blade, at the top of the shoulder blade and below it. Often the pain radiates down the shoulder, behind the sternum. The most painful point is the attachment point of the muscle, if you press on it, the pain becomes acute, spreading to the neck. In addition, a characteristic sign of LS is a crunching sound when moving the shoulder and arm. Continuous dynamic loads, as well as static stress, can produce persistent subscapular pain, which is aggravated by exposure to cold winds.
- YABZH - peptic ulcer, which is the most common cause of radiating pain under the shoulder blade. Symptoms begin with dull pain, aching, increasing and decreasing after taking the drug, vomiting. The pain is directly related to food intake, is seasonal and most often radiates to the left side - from the epigastrium to the left shoulder blade, to the chest and back. Symptoms of stomach ulcer pain are often divided into fasting, late or early pain. In addition, PU is often accompanied by nausea at the peak of pain, vomiting in 75-80% of cases, and heartburn.
- Vegetative pain or as they are commonly called psychopathic pain are also included in the causes of pain below the shoulder blades. Such sensations are similar to the signs of angina or heart attack, as they cause a pressing, burning sensation in the chest that strengthens and spreads to the arms, under the shoulder blades, below the collarbone, more often to the left, the area of the heart. Pain symptoms can be both intense and aching, of unknown nature. The main differentiating sign of vesicular pain is that there is no effect after the administration of cardiac drugs - they do not relieve pain or reduce pressure. As a rule, relaxants and sedatives help to relieve vegetative vascular pain.
- Tumors of the thoracic or cervical spine can cause dull, long-lasting, unilateral pain that often begins at the back of the head and radiates below the shoulder blades. The pain can occur early in the morning, increases with static load (sedentary work), when the body is suddenly moving. This condition is accompanied by radiating pain in the arms, below the shoulder blades, paresthesias, dizziness, visual disturbances. Symptoms are eliminated with warm massage, ointments, warm baths.
- Intercostal neuralgia is the most common cause of pain below the shoulder blade. This symptom develops rapidly and is manifested by paroxysmal, unilateral, excruciating pain of a general nature. Pain spreads along the intercostal muscles, the cavities and increases gradually with deep breathing, coughing, sneezing, exertion, and prolonged walking. Clinically, the intercostal syndrome is manifested by palpation of the medial region, atypical for cardiac pathology, and osteonecrosis. Due to constant muscle tension, the pain can radiate down - down to the lower back, but usually manifests as a stabbing, burning sensation below the shoulder blades.
- Angina begins as pain in the center of the chest (the posterior thoracic cavity), rapidly spreading, spreading to the left and below the collarbone, posteriorly, below the left shoulder blade. Pain is not always relieved by taking nitroglycerin, a vasodilator, which can be considered a sign of a heart attack. In addition, it is necessary to distinguish the causes of angina: Severe, acute pain in the left chest, below the shoulder blade, characteristic of angina when the patient is under physical or psychological stress -affection. Pulling, sharp pain can be a sign of angina at rest, when no external cause is causing the pain.
- The cause of pain below the shoulder blade can be related to a serious, life-threatening condition - a peptic ulcer perforation, accompanied by sharp, sharp pain that radiates below the collarbone and below one of the shoulder blades. . Characteristic signs of perforation are vomiting, with the patient in a position of folded hands and knees to the abdomen (fetal position). This symptom requires immediate medical attention, as does a heart attack.
- Yuert's symptoms or signs of an inflammatory process in the pericardium, accompanied by exudation. The main manifestations of exudative pericarditis are pain in the back of the neck, shortness of breath, high body temperature, and fever. The pain is increased by effusion and distension of the pericardium with coughing, changes in body position, sensations that can be painful in nature, but often "shoot" in the neck, below the left shoulder blade. Exacerbation of the inflammatory process often causes the clinical picture of "acute abdomen".
- Aortic dissection - dissection of the wall (aneurysm) of the aorta. A life-threatening condition, accompanied by severe pain in the back, between the shoulder blades, or with an alteration of one of them. Usually, the pain is radiating to the left, radiating down the arm and below the left shoulder blade, along the dissected aorta. The most dangerous consequences of this symptom can be stroke (if the blood flow of the carotid artery is disturbed), myocardial infarction (if the coronary blood flow is disturbed), mesenteric thrombosis, paralysis. legs (if iliac artery blood flow is disturbed), spinal cord injury (if vertebral artery blood flow is disturbed).
- Herniated disc in the thoracic spine. The disease is rarely diagnosed, as the thoracic region is quite stable in this sense. Constant, aching, and increasing pain in the affected area, and the pathological focus gradually becomes intense, often resembling the symptoms of diseases of the bronchopulmonary system or the cardiovascular system. The main characteristic signs of a hernia may be muscle tension between the shoulder blades and a visible curvature of the spine. Diagnosis is confirmed by X-ray examination, MRI.
- GSD is a cholelithiasis, the pain of which can also manifest as paroxysmal, unbearable pain that radiates to the right side, below the shoulder blade and above.
- The causes of pain under the shoulder blades can be respiratory diseases - pneumonia or pleurisy. With pneumonia, the pain is localized according to the pathological focal point in the tissue, if the process develops in the posterior parts there will be pain in the back, between the shoulder blades or below them. Pleurisy is also accompanied by pain in the stitches between the shoulder blades, usually below one of them. Pain is aggravated by coughing and breathing reflexes.
- Myositis is an inflammatory process in the muscles caused by hypothermia, SARS or overuse, less often from bruising. The pain comes on suddenly with an acute episode, or develops gradually, of a persistent aching nature in a chronic inflammatory state. Pain symptoms are related to movements, physical activity, changes in posture, and inclination.
Symptoms of pain below the shoulder blade
The symptoms of subscapular pain are so diverse that in clinical practice there is still no single standard algorithm for differential diagnosis. Each medical profession has its own history, examination, testing and examination options, however, there are often cases where pain symptoms are "covered up" and do not indicate the true cause. That is why the patient is asked to describe as accurately as possible the nature of the pain, all the circumstances in which it occurs. In addition, the chronic pain to which a person is "accustomed" often lubricates the diagnostic picture, so time is lost and therapeutic effects are much more difficult to achieve.
What symptoms of pain below the shoulder blades require immediate medical attention?
- Drawing, continuous back pain when irradiated under the shoulder blade, not relieved within 2-3 days.
- Pain below the collarbone during static stress (sedentary work) in people over 50 years of age.
- The pain radiates below the shoulder blades, increasing at night or when lying horizontally.
- Pain accompanied by fever.
- Pain accompanied by numbness in the arms, shoulders and neck.
- Pressure and burning pain that begins in the center of the chest.
- Pain that is not relieved by heart medications or tranquilizers.
- Abdominal pain radiating below the shoulder blades.
- Severe, sharp pain accompanied by vomiting.
Symptoms of pain below the shoulder blades are often described as follows:
- Sharp pain in the mid back, extending below the left shoulder blade. The pain starts in the morning and gets worse with movement.
- Sharp, sharp pain below the shoulder blade.
- Dull pain below the shoulder blades, aggravated by raising the arm.
- Drawing, pain below the fibula, spreading to the waist.
- Pain below the left collarbone and a feeling of tightness in the chest.
- Pain under the shoulder blades in a localized, burning form.
- The pain gets worse as the cough persists.
- The aching pain under the shoulder blade was replaced by a burning, numbing sensation in the arm.
- Severe pain that disappears after vomiting.
Despite the many causes of subscapular pain, there are distinguishing danger signals that allow an experienced physician to rule out relatively benign conditions associated with low back pain. The alarming symptoms that can accompany shoulder pain are the following:
- Hyperthermia - 38-40 degrees.
- The pain is spontaneous, increasing, and causes an "acute abdomen".
- Shortness of breath, pale skin.
- Hand swelling.
- Pain does not decrease with rest.
- Vomiting.
- Hypotension. pulse.
- Fainting.
Back pain below shoulder blade
Back pain, sacrococcyx can be related to many diseases, but most often it is caused by spinal deformity, especially it may be accompanied by numbness in the extremities, tingling in the fingers.
In addition, back pain below the shoulder blade is also caused by the following diseases and conditions:
- Curvature of the spine - kyphosis.
- Herniated disc in the thoracic region.
- Lateral curvature of the spine - kyphoscoliosis.
- Coronary artery disease.
- Inflammation around the shoulder.
- Intercostal neuralgia.
- Anterior curvature of the spine - scoliosis.
- Angina - exertion or rest.
- Protrusion (degeneration) of thoracic spine discs without rupture.
- YABZH - peptic ulcer.
- Cholecystitis.
- Hepatic colic accompanied by gallbladder motility disorders.
- Dry pleurisy.
- Pneumonia.
- Inflammation of the interspinous muscle, tendon, and posterior cruciate ligament.
Pain under left shoulder blade
Symptoms of pain under the left shoulder blade can be related to the following diseases:
- Periodic pain below the left shoulder blade may signal a developing peptic ulcer disease. The pain increases rapidly, accompanied by nausea, and then vomiting, the symptom associated with eating or not having food - hunger. The pain begins in the epigastrium and radiates to one side - the right or left side, often radiating under the left breast and under the left shoulder blade.
- Nutritional crises are also characterized by left-sided pain, massaging below the myocardium. Pain below the left shoulder blade, pulling, aching, often causing a feeling of fear, which does not go away when taking nitroglycerin and other heart medications - these are typical signs of mental illness.
- Myocardial infarction often has obvious clinical symptoms - burning in the center of the chest, pain spreading to the left side of the jaw, down the arm, under the left shoulder blade, numbness in the limbs, nausea.
- Angina - attacks that can develop under stress, tension (angina) or as an exacerbation of a chronic form (angina at rest).
- Intercostal neuralgia accompanies acute pain, often intermittent, radiating to the right or left side below the shoulder blade. Symptoms may increase with changes in body position or physical activity. The pain is relieved by warming up and relaxing the muscles.
- Bone tumors, both cervical and thoracic, are also one of the causes of pain below the left shoulder blade. Pain accompanied by dizziness, nausea, numbness in the hand or one hand.
- Perforated ulcer is an acute condition, manifested by very severe pain radiating down the collarbone area, below the shoulder blade. In addition to severe pain, the patient presents with a posture of pressing the knee to the abdomen, cold sweat, cyanosis, low blood pressure, pulse.
Pain under right shoulder blade
Symptoms of pain under the right shoulder blade are related to diseases such as:
- Biliary colic pain accompanied by bladder spasms, blocked drains with stones. The pain is sharp, cutting, localized below the right rib and spreading posteriorly, below the shoulder blade.
- Pain below the right shoulder blade can be caused by a diaphragmatic abscess. This symptom is very acute, aggravated by inhalation, even not deeply, often radiating to the right.
- Pyelonephritis in its acute form begins with pain in the lumbar region, then spreads further and is brought out below the right shoulder blade. The process of pyuria in the right kidney is accompanied by painful urination, high body temperature.
- Myofascial syndrome is also the cause of pain under the right fibula. These are chronic muscle pains associated with the irritation of certain trigger points.
- Among the factors that cause the symptom of pain under the right shoulder blade, herpes is also sometimes found - shingles. It is a viral illness that is not life-threatening, but it causes very severe, intense pain, burning sensation, and paralysis. Herpes is typical of a rash, itching, and radiating muscle pain below the shoulder blades.
- Osteosarcoma is one of the most common reasons for radiating pain below the shoulder blade, including the right side.
- Right-sided pneumonia. Pain when pneumonia usually manifests itself in the acute stage, possibly with fever, febrile state.
If the pain is below the shoulder blade
Any pain that "gives away" is called irradiation. The impulse of visceral pain can be so intense that the excitability of the main nerve branch is transmitted rapidly along the chain to the terminal branch, i. e. far from the original source. Pain below the shoulder blade most often comes from the organ affected by inflammation and can be triggered by the following reasons:
- Increased pressure in the intestine accompanied by inflammatory processes, ulcers. The anal portion of the duodenum has a radiating ulcer on the right side below the fibula.
- Biliary colic (gallbladder, liver).
- Acute pain below the left shoulder blade and during angina, when there is a feeling of pressure.
- Pericarditis may also present with pain below the shoulder blades.
- Aortic dissection (aneurysm) is manifested by severe chest pain that radiates to the neck, left side, shoulder, and below the shoulder blade.
- Pneumothorax (spontaneous) - acute pain in the chest with a reflection below the fibula, in the fibula area.
- Acute exacerbation of pancreatitis.
- Kidney pain.
- Acute musculoskeletal pain.
- Heart attack.
- Cervical spine tumor.
The referred pain may be transient, but may also signal that an acute condition is developing that requires immediate medical attention. If the pain is below the shoulder blade and does not go away with antispasmodics, heart medications, you should see a doctor for examination, differential diagnosis and prescription of adequate treatment.
Pain below shoulder blades when inhaling
Pain below the collarbone, aggravated by inspiration, is a characteristic sign of the following pathologies:
- Dry pleurisy is an inflammatory process in the pleura, pleura. The pain may increase with bending, movement, and decrease in a horizontal position or leaning to one side. Fluid accumulation in the pleural space causes swelling and pain under the fibula when breathing in.
- Pericarditis is an inflammatory process in the pericardial sac, the disease is manifested by weakness, pain behind the pericardium, which becomes more intense when inhaling.
- Pain below the shoulder blades accompanied by deep breathing may be indicative of intercostal neuralgia, which manifests as spasms of pain that appear to be chest tightness.
- Gallbladder problems, spasms, and abdominal pain, may also be accompanied by pain on inhalation.
- Renal colic (pyelonephritis, renal abscess) may also be accompanied by hypogastric pain, so severe that it radiates to the epigastrium, subretinal fossa drainage, and increased upon touch.
Severe pain below the shoulder blade
Severe severe pain below the collarbone - left or right - is reason to seek medical help, often such pain does not go away on its own and it can also indicate life-threatening conditions. Severe pain below the shoulder blades can be caused by the following conditions:
- Dagger-like, sharp, shooting pain, increased on inspiration, reflected in the shoulder, may be a sign of spontaneous pneumothorax. Additional clinical symptoms of pneumothorax are rapidly developing dyspnea, tachycardia, hypotension, bradycardia, and increased (compensating) neck veins.
- Severe pain, radiating below the clavicle and accompanied by arterial hypertension, indicates an exacerbation of osteonecrosis of the thoracic spine. At the same time, lower back pain, headaches, and increased blood pressure are obvious symptoms of nerve endings in the neck or chest area being compressed. The pain may increase when turning, shooting when bending or moving, and cannot be stopped by heart medications, sedatives.
- Severe pain below the shoulder blades may be related to perforation of an ulcer of the upper stomach. If the perforation progresses rapidly, the pain increases minute by minute, the general clinical picture of the ulcer is typical - acute pain accompanied by radiation, vomiting, cold sweat, pale face, characteristic posture- Knees up to chest.
- Hepatic (biliary) colic is also manifested by severe pain, radiating to the right side, below the shoulder blade, in the neck and even the area of the right eye. Painful symptoms related to biliary tract obstruction after eating fried, greasy foods.
- A pus-producing process in the area between the diaphragm and underlying organs, a diaphragmatic abscess is an acute condition requiring immediate medical attention. A bacterial infection that is developing in this form can cause general intoxication, sepsis. This is essentially a purulent peritonitis, limited by the diaphragm, manifested by severe pain in the lower abdomen, spreading to the right side - shoulder, below the shoulder blade. Also typical are hyperthermia up to 40 degrees, fever, nausea.
Severe radiating pain should not last more than an hour, if it cannot be stopped by the available measures, you need to call 911.
Pain behind shoulder blade
Pain behind the shoulder blades, between them, as a rule, is not intense, so the patient does not pay attention to the symptom, considering it temporary, transient. Failure to promptly identify the cause, the factor that causes that pain, can lead to the development of chronic, difficult-to-treat diseases.
Persistent, persistent pain between the shoulder blades, below them, is often due to muscle tension, which is explained by the peculiarities of the profession - sedentary in the office, working at a sewing machine, driving a car, v. v. Usually, lower back pain is not associated with life-threatening diseases and even with dystrophic changes of the spine, because the thoracic region is not mobile, it is quite stable and stable. Often, violations, changes, less often inflammation, involving the musculoskeletal system of the intervertebral region, ligaments and tendons can also be stretched.
This type of pain, which involves the muscles, is characterized by a feeling of heaviness, tension, and quickly passes with active movement (exercise), massage, or warm-up.
Pain due to injury and stretching of tendons is different, it causes aching sensation under the shoulder blade, often pain symptoms are expressed in the heart area. In addition, a person complains of hand numbness, tingling sensation, "goosebumps". It is impossible to neutralize such pain with heart drugs, but you can get rid of it and do it quite simply:
- Periodically change the position of the body, preferably every half hour. If the job is sedentary, you need to get up, walk, perform movements that rotate your arms and shoulders, bring them together and spread your shoulder blades.
- Should spend 20-30 minutes a day for exercises to stretch the interstitial and general muscles of the body. Regular exercise will help prevent muscle spasms and pain behind the shoulder blades.
- Need to periodically massage the shoulder, neck, collar area.
- Periodically, you can do the following exercise: put a small (tennis) ball on the floor, lie on your back on it and "roll" on the ball, passing it vertically and between the shoulder blades.
If symptoms of pain from the back to the shoulder blades are accompanied by cough, sublingual temperature, pain that increases with breathing, cough reflex, you should see a doctor, examine to rule out bronchopulmonary diseases.