Basically, pain under the left shoulder behind the back is more often characteristic of older age group persons, but often a similar disease manifests itself at a younger age.
Poor posture, hereditary factors or sports injuries can be the causes of this condition. The main causes of pain under the left shoulder blade from the back to the back should be considered in more detail. Above all, this concern can be considered as a good reason for a visit to a specialist.
Causes and types of pain under the left shoulder blade in the back from the back
The reasons for the development of this pathology are different, they have their own characteristics. Pain on the left side below the shoulder of the back from the back is characterized by the following sensations:
- sharp;
- stupid;
- pulling;
- sewing;
- shooting.
The pain under the left shoulder blade from the back can be of the same type, or alternating. There are times when one type of harassment is replaced by another, for example, a stab wound turns into a shooting. Pathology is caused by various injuries and their consequences, disorders of the musculoskeletal system:
- rib injury - discomfort is felt all over the shoulder;
- osteoporosis, arthritis - affects, in addition to the shoulder, neck and shoulders;
- disc displacement - pain causes spinal canal stenosis;
- wear (aging) of the skeletal system - uncomfortable sensations in the shoulder area can occur when the bone structure changes with age;
- bursitis - the formation of exudate during inflammation of the periarticular sac also causes pain;
- rotational cuff rupture - a sharp, sharp pain in the left shoulder region from back to back with the inability to rotate the arm reports a violation of the shoulder muscles or tendons responsible for coordinating the shoulder joints;
- dislocation - discomfort on the left side of the back may be the result of a dislocation of the clavicle or shoulder joint;
- nerve damage - pinching of the dorsal scapular nerve is also characterized by painful sensation in the back (below the left shoulder).
Lightening of the back pain in the left shoulder area is considered as a signal indicating the following pathologies:
- abscess pneumonia;
- acute inflammation of the bronchial mucosa;
- focal pneumonia;
- pulmonary pleura;
- stomach ulcers;
- esophageal spasm;
- pancreatitis;
- gastroflux.
Heart disease may be another reason the patient has a back pain on the left side below the shoulder:
- heart attack;
- pericarditis;
- angina pectoris;
- mitral valve prolapse.
In addition, it causes discomfort and pain under the left shoulder blade from the back - increased muscle tone:
- poor behavior;
- uncomfortable position during sleep;
- stretching of the cervical muscles.
Just a visit to a specialist will help to accurately determine the causes of the burning sensation under the left shoulder blade from back to back.
Diseases of the broncho-pulmonary system
Pain on the left shoulder of the back shoulder can occur in case of problems with the lower respiratory tract (bronchi, lungs, pleura). The main cause of respiratory pathologies is considered to be diseases provoked by viruses and pathogenic bacteria:
- bronchitis;
- pneumonia;
- pleurisy
Neoplasms in the lungs or bronchi are also capable of causing a burning sensation under the left shoulder blade from back to back.
Lung pleura
Increased pain under the left shoulder after coughing, breathing or sneezing is characteristic of dry pleura. The process continues with an increase in temperature (up to 38 ° C), a feeling of general weakness, sweating, headaches, as well as aching muscles and joints.
Pneumonia
If the back hurts on the left below the shoulder for a long time, then this may be a sign of pneumonia. Its symptoms are similar to pleurisy and are often accompanied by the following symptoms:
- bloody clots in saliva;
- wet cough (rarely dry);
- lack of oxygen;
- increased body temperature (37. 5 ° C - 37. 9 ° C).
Gastrointestinal tract
One of the most common causes of back pain are diseases of the digestive system, especially peptic ulcers and pancreatitis.
Pancreatitis
Back pain under the left shoulder blade, which is based on the pancreas, is not so common. They usually occur in parallel with low back pain and convulsive contractions. They arise suddenly in the area of the heart, chest or back.
Peptic ulcer
With the development of a peptic ulcer, a person has belching or heartburn. A significant proportion of patients (about 75%) feel relief from vomiting, which is caused by considerable pain with pre-nausea. Initially, the discomfort is noticed in the epistragalic region, and then the pain may spread to the left side (nipples, sternum, back). Often, an increase in pain occurs after a meal.
Cardiovascular systems
Pain under the left shoulder of the back from the back is not considered a sign that characterizes a specific disease, but malfunctions of the cardiovascular system are considered one of the important factors. The main diseases for which these symptoms are characteristic include: angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, aortic aneurysm, hypertensive crisis and pericarditis.
Angina pectoris
With angina pectoris, a person experiences acute subscapularis pain in the left back, for the removal of which nitroglycerin is used. An attack of angina pectoris can be caused by physical exertion, psychophysical factors, hypothermia, overload and ingestion of a significant amount of alcohol.
Myocardial infarction
The characteristic pain under the left shoulder from the back to the back can be caused by a complete lack of coronary blood supply to one of the myocardial sites due to a blockage of the vessel. The cause of a heart attack is:
- atherosclerosis;
- thrombosis.
When a thrombus (plaque) ruptures, it enters the heart with blood flow and, once in the small-diameter coronary arteries, they block the vessel and interrupt the distribution of blood to the tissues. With a lack of oxygen, the process of myocardial cell death begins.
Symptoms of myocardial infarction include acute and throbbing pain, concentrated on the left side of the sternum. Distributed in the area:
- left hand;
- shoulder;
- lower jaw.
It is impossible to stop the pain during a heart attack with the help of analgesics and nitroglycerin can only slightly reduce the pain.
Aortic aneurysm
In half of the cases of thoracic aortic aneurysm in the early stages, there are no signs of disease. Symptoms depend on the location of the aneurysm, its size, and the presence (absence) of the dissection. In addition to back pain, the following complaints are possible:
- discomfort in left back, neck, lower jaw;
- chest pain;
- cough, hoarseness, shortness of breath.
May be associated with signs of heart failure due to heart failure. Symptoms may appear suddenly and are expressed with severe pain in the chest and left back.
Hypertensive crisis
Contrary to popular belief, a hypertensive crisis is not characterized by any standard blood pressure numbers, they are merely individual. In addition to the sign that the patient has colitis under the left shoulder from back to back, symptoms of a hypertensive crisis should include:
- headache in the back of the head;
- pulsation in temples;
- gulçim;
- nausea and vomiting;
- vision problems;
- skin rash;
- an increase in diastolic blood pressure values above 110-120 mm Hg. art
When a hypertensive crisis occurs, the risk of complications from a number of systems and organs, the central nervous system, etc. increases.
Pericarditis
Patients may show symptoms of inflammation (acute pericarditis) or signs of fluid retention (pleural effusion). They vary depending on the degree of the inflammatory process and the volume of pericardial fluid. With acute pericarditis, pain occurs on the left side below the shoulder blade, in the chest, and sometimes shortness of breath is observed. And also the first manifestation may be tamponade with the development of hypotension, shock or pulmonary edema.
Musculoskeletal systems
Various destructive pathologies in the spine, bones, can cause back pain under the left shoulder. In addition, they include: intercostal neuralgia, osteochondrosis and intervertebral hernia.
Intercostal neuralgia
Back pain in the left shoulder area with neuralgia has its own characteristics, for example, its intensification during physical exertion and the point of pain can be determined by touch. The pain with neuralgia is long and is not minimized with nitroglycerin.
Osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis is often a common cause of pain under the left shoulder back to back and is characterized by the following symptoms:
- muscle pain, numbness;
- development of dizziness;
- the appearance of "goose bumps" (paresthesia);
- frequent headaches.
Intervertebral hernia
A hernia occurs when the fibrosus anulus surrounding the intervertebral disc ruptures, resulting in a displacement of the disc nucleus. The symptoms of a disc herniation depend on its location. The most important symptom of a disc herniation is pain in the left side of the back, which multiplies with movement or lifting weights.
Psychosomatic diseases
One of the causes of pain under the left shoulder blade from the back to the back can be considered psychosomatic disease. Not every specialist will be able to recognize this disease and its true causes, as they often do not have special features. Different organ systems can be directly related to the dynamics of the patient's mental state:
- Gastrointestinal tract;
- cardiovascular systems;
- nervous system;
- immunity
Treatment of pain under the left shoulder blade from back to back in psychosomatic diseases occurs without the use of traditional therapy. In such cases, it is important to establish psychological motives and carry out treatment with a psychotherapeutic bias.
Diagnostic measures
Our specialists will establish a more accurate diagnosis after performing the necessary laboratory and instrumental diagnostics using the most modern equipment. When will the testimony be performed:
- blood tests;
- urine analysis to assess kidney function;
- liver function tests;
- gastric endoscopy;
- Ultrasound for the diagnosis of somatic disorders, heart conditions, blood vessels;
- Scanning of the liver, pancreas;
- ECG of the heart;
- chest radiograph.
Based on the fact that pain under the left shoulder blade from the back to the back can not be a symptom of a disease, a comprehensive examination by some specialists is not excluded. Our clinic offers patients one of the most modern complex types of examination - control, which includes many types of tests with the smallest set of diagnostic procedures. Timely contact of our specialists and guaranteed correct diagnosis will help the patient to perform a high quality and successful treatment.