Due to sudden movements, long uncomfortable sitting or lying positions, pain under the left shoulder blade may appear from the back from the back. But in this case, it will pass quickly on its own. If the pain syndrome lasts for a long time, with acute, tingling, or cutting features, and painkillers are not helpful, you need to consult a doctor urgently. This pain under the scapula on the left side of the back indicates a disease and can be 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 cause of pain under the left scapula
There are many causes of pain syndrome, but they can be divided into two groups:
- Pain associated with pathology of the musculoskeletal system. Cervical or thoracic spine osteochondrosis, intercostal neuralgia, osteomyelitis, bone tuberculosis, scapula trauma, fracture or rib fracture, myofascial or scapular rib syndrome, periscapula inflammation can cause soreness under the left scapula.
- Pain that occurs in the context of internal organ diseases. Pain under the left scapula may be a symptom of heart disease, bronchopulmonary system, gallbladder, stomach ulcer, esophageal spasm, and worsening pancreatitis.
Rupture of the spleen is a rare pathology that causes pain that radiates to the scapula. This pathology requires immediate surgical treatment because there is a risk of death due to massive abdominal bleeding.
Also dangerous to the body is the back pain on the left side under the scapula, which develops in the context of heart disease:
- Anatomy of the ascending aortic aneurysm;
- Cardiac ischemia;
- Angina pectoris;
- Pericarditis, myocarditis, pericarditis;
- Myocardial infarction.
Pain in the left shoulder blade radiating from the back to the arm and chest area may indicate heart disease. Numbness of the limbs often occurs. Depending on the disease, there will be accompanying symptoms: lack of air, constriction of the throat, compression of the chest, and a feeling of cardiac arrest.
Let us consider the main cause of back pain under the shoulder blade in more detail from the back on the left.
Gallbladder disease
When suffering from cholecystitis and cholelithiasis, heaviness appears on the right side, and pain radiates under the scapula on the left side. Acute attacks of gallbladder inflammation can cause severe pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever. If it is caused by a stone obstructing the bile duct, the pain syndrome is like biliary colic.
In chronic inflammation, the essence of pain is pain. Unpleasant feelings can occur after eating high-fat foods, and there is a long rest period between meals.
In the context of stress, after physical or nerve overwork, seizures may recur.
Subphrenic abscess
It is a collection of pus under the diaphragm. More commonly, abscesses form on the right side, but positioning on the left side is also possible. The pathological manifestations are the following symptoms:
- Pain on the left side, radiating from below the shoulder blade to the sternum;
- Severe chest pain, aggravated by inhalation;
- High body temperature;
- Hiccup
- Excessive sweating;
- Unproductive cough;
- Difficulty breathing.
Without treatment, the disease can cause empyema, pneumonia, and lung abscess.
Bronchopulmonary disease
Lower respiratory diseases (bronchi, lung and pleura) can cause chest pain and scapular pain, accompanied by specific bronchopulmonary clinical manifestations:
- Increased body temperature;
- Weakness, lethargy;
- Difficulty breathing;
- Moderate chest pain (more common on one side of the affected lung), which is aggravated by coughing and inhalation;
- cough;
- respite.
Pain syndrome in the back of the left scapula is often accompanied by pneumonia, dry pleurisy, pneumothorax, acute bronchitis, or left lung abscess.
Kidney disease
Since the right kidney is located near the scapula, scapula pain may occur. With its inflammation, purulent infiltrates or stones form, soreness is more often located on the right side, but it can also radiate to the left. The pain is usually dull or painful, but it is also severe. It is paroxysmal and ascending, that is, it rises from the waist, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and increased body temperature.
Musculoskeletal system diseases
Spinal problems and related neurological diseases are the main causes of back pain in the left scapula area. Pain may occur in any movement, such as turning the body, sneezing, breathing, and deep breathing. They can radiate to the hands and combine with crunch to limit mobility.
Due to these diseases, pain in the scapula area usually occurs:
- Cervical and thoracic spine osteochondrosis;
- Herniated disc;
- protrude;
- Scoliosis;
- Radiculitis.
In the context of spinal degeneration, not only blood vessels and nerve endings are violated, but also muscle spasms. Muscle cramps cause the occurrence of scapular rib syndrome.
One of the most common causes of shoulder blade pain is cervical osteochondrosis. At first, the pain syndrome is mild, but as the degenerative changes become acute, shoot. Pain is accompanied by dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision, and elevated blood pressure.
More rare musculoskeletal diseases that can cause scapula pain include osteomyelitis, bone tuberculosis, and malignant tumors.
Muscle strain and inflammation
The back muscles surrounding the shoulder blades support the spine in an anatomically correct position and protect nearby internal organs. Their inflammation or injury is not only accompanied by pain, but also causes decreased muscle tone and shoulder instability.
Intercostal neuralgia
The disease is accompanied by inflammation of the intercostal nerves and appears in the context of the following predisposing factors:
- Injury to the ribs or spine;
- Low temperature;
- Excessive physical activity;
- Osteochondrosis.
The intensity of the pain syndrome depends on the severity of the pathology and the timeliness of treatment. The pain can be very painful, sometimes unbearable.
It is important to seek help from a neurologist in time. They will provide qualified, and most importantly, timely help. Otherwise, intercostal neuralgia will cause serious discomfort to people:
- Pain becomes shooting, cutting;
- Pain increases with hand movement, coughing or inhalation;
- Numbness in the affected part of the body;
- Heart rhythm disorder.
Disease or injury of the scapula
Cracks and fractures of the scapula, humeral arthritis are accompanied by pain, restricted movement, blood vessel damage, and nerve endings squeezing.
Scapula injuries are more common in athletes, patients with osteoporosis, and patients with bone cancer.
Types of pain under the left shoulder blade
Before starting diagnosis and treatment, it is important to understand the nature, location, intensity of pain, and their relationship with exercise, breathing, and food intake. If there is pain under the left shoulder blade after eating, heart disease and musculoskeletal diseases can be ruled out. Causes of pain in gallbladder, pancreas, and stomach diseases.
According to the nature of the pain syndrome, shingles is acute, burning, growing, painful, dull, and sharp.
Sore left scapula
It is constant and periodic, indicating the pathology of the internal organs and the diseases of the spine. If left untreated, it will become stab wounds and burns. Attacks are more likely to occur when you raise your arms, exercise, or maintain a position for a long time.
Appears in scoliosis, chronic cholecystitis, scapular rib syndrome, intervertebral disc herniation, early stage of cervical osteochondrosis, bruises and other mild injuries, intercostal neuralgia.
Severe pain under the left scapula
This is a severe pain syndrome in the back under the shoulder blades that restricts movement and makes it difficult to breathe in. It is typically used for myocardial infarction, shoulder bursitis, deterioration of osteochondrosis, spondylosis, hernia, subdiaphragmatic abscess, pleurisy, acute cholecystitis, intercostal neuralgia.
Severe pain in the left scapula area
It may happen suddenly, or it may be the result of long-term pain. Shooting and severe pain are signs of osteochondrosis, hernia, trauma, intercostal neuralgia, scapular tuberculosis, aortic aneurysm, perforated gastric ulcer, and radiculitis.
Suture pain behind the left scapula
It manifests as low back pain, which is a typical manifestation of nerve endings in musculoskeletal diseases. If it is accompanied by chest compression and lack of air, myocardial infarction and lung abscess cannot be ruled out.
Pain in the left back under the shoulder blade
It is inherent to most pathologies of the musculoskeletal system and bronchopulmonary diseases.
Persistent pain on the left side below the scapula
Even in the supine position, this pain will not leave the patient. It interferes with sleep, breathing, and walking. More commonly, pain increases with physical exertion, coughing, and sneezing.
Spine or scapula injury, scapular rib syndrome, bronchopulmonary disease, pyelonephritis, continuous traction or pain in the tumor society. Digestive disease, herpes zoster, is inherent in patients with acute pancreatitis.
Burning pain on the left side of the scapula
It is simply unsightly, accompanied by intercostal neuralgia, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, and muscle strain.
important! The burning sensation spreads to the breastbone and is accompanied by shortness of breath. You need to call an ambulance immediately. This is a sign of a heart attack.
How to relieve painful episodes under the left scapula
The resulting pain under the left scapula, especially if the pain is severe enough, will interfere with freedom of movement and breathing, and requires qualified help because they pose a threat to human health and life. You can't ignore them and self-medicate. Taking analgesics, antispasmodics and other analgesics can relieve the pain, but it cannot correct the cause. It should be investigated by a doctor.
important! An emergency ambulance is needed to treat severe pain that is increasing in intensity and rapidly deteriorating health.
Which doctor should I contact for pain on the left side under the scapula?
In the first pain sensation in the scapula area, it is necessary to consult an expert and make a diagnosis. Since back pain is usually neurological in nature, you should make an appointment with a neurologist.
The doctor will perform a visual inspection, check the patient's main complaint, and draw a clinical picture: the nature and conditions of the onset of the pain syndrome (supine position, exercise), intensity and accompanying symptoms.
In order to understand exactly the cause of the back illness, the attending doctor will prescribe additional examinations:
- Laboratory-clinical analysis of blood and urine, which will show the inflammatory process;
- Tools must include MRI, because this diagnostic method can provide the most accurate information about the state of the spine, muscle tissue, nerve endings, and blood vessels.
If a pathology that a neurologist is incompetent is found during the instrumented diagnosis, the doctor will refer the patient to a therapist, pulmonologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist, traumatologist, or other specialist.
Treatment of pain on the left side of the scapula
All treatment measures are aimed at eliminating the underlying cause and reducing pain. The doctor chooses the medicine according to the cause of the pain in the scapula.
If musculoskeletal diseases or their complications are the culprit, then medications look like this:
- Anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs;
- Muscle relaxant
- Analgesic
- Local anesthetics.
Medication must be supplemented by physical therapy, massage, and therapeutic exercises.
If conservative treatment cannot provide the desired therapeutic effect, surgery is required on the patient.
When which side of the shoulder blade pain is important: right or left
Heart disease, especially a serious heart disease like myocardial infarction, manifests itself as symptoms on the left side. This condition is similar to injury and rupture of the spleen. These pathologies can lead to death of the patient, so the location of pain is extremely important.
Remember, self-medication will only aggravate your health and lead to complications. The left scapula continues to be uncomfortable and needs professional help.