The most common diseases that cause pain under the left shoulder blade are osteochondrosis, angina pectoris, pneumonia, gastric ulcer and panic attack. In addition to pain syndrome, patients may experience nausea, vomiting, heartburn, cough, sputum production, as well as sensory and motor impairment. Diagnosis of patients' condition is based on surveys, examinations, laboratory and instrumental studies. The tactics of treatment depend on the underlying cause of the disease.
Reasons
Pain under the left shoulder blade in the back is a terrible symptom that can be observed in diseases of the spine or severe disorders of the internal organs. At the same time, in 7% of cases, such a pain syndrome occurs due to surgical pathology that requires urgent surgical intervention.
Among the main causes of pain in the left shoulder blade:
- Diseases of the spine (congenital defects, ankylosing spondylitis, spondylosis, osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia, etc. ), provoking compression of the spinal roots;
- Muscle pathologies that cause characteristic pain (dermatomyositis, fibromyalgia, etc. ) - myalgia;
- Neurological disorders characterized by the appearance of specific neuropathic pain (Guillain-Barré syndrome, polyneuropathy, intercostal neuralgia, etc. );
- Diseases of the internal organs:
- Hearts - angina pectoris, arrhythmia, heart attack;
- Lungs - bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, pleurisy;
- stomach - gastritis, ulcers, polyps;
- Spleen - hernias and other pathologies.
- "Blood cancer" (leukemia), so there is pain in the thickness of the bones with bone marrow (pelvis, sternum, shoulder blades, tubular bones).
Sometimes pain syndrome is triggered by disorders of the autonomic nervous system, which regulates the functioning of all organs and systems. In such cases, we are talking about the exacerbation of vegetovascular dystonia - that is. about panic attacks.
Symptoms
The most common causes of pain under the left shoulder blade are osteochondrosis, angina pectoris, pneumonia, gastric ulcer or panic attack.
Osteochondrosis
The disease is caused by the destruction of the intervertebral disc, which normally "softens" the movement in the spine. Usually, the pathology occurs against the background of excessive physical exertion and natural aging of the body.
Thus, the destroyed intervertebral disc (often in the cervical region) comes out and breaks the spinal roots. For this reason, patients (on the lesion side) are concerned about the sharp pain in the back of the head and neck that spreads to the shoulder blade and shoulder area. Over time, superficial sensitivity in these areas is impaired, so patients do not feel temperature and vibration in the skin.
As the disease progresses, the brachial plexus becomes involved in a pathological process, which greatly complicates shoulder mobility. At the same time, the strength of the muscles of the affected arm is significantly weakened, which leads to immobilization in advanced cases.
angina pectoris
Angina pectoris is a pain syndrome that occurs in the chest, also known as angina pectoris. The cause of pain is a violation of the blood supply to the heart muscle due to vasoconstriction or the formation of cholesterol plaques in their lumen. Stimulate an attack of stress, emotional and physical overload.
Patients are usually concerned about sudden stabbing or burning pain in the chest. In this condition, the pain often spreads to the left shoulder blade, as well as the little finger along the ulnar surface of the left hand. Often, pain syndrome is associated with a feeling of interruption in the work of the heart and fear of death.
I have pneumonia
Inflammation of the lungs is a disease often triggered by a bacterial or viral infection. As a rule, patients complain of a significant increase in temperature (up to 39, 5-40 ° C), fever and "stabbing" pain in the chest or shoulder blade from the affected lung. In this case, the pain is exacerbated by sneezing, coughing or shortness of breath.
Cough occurs with the development of the disease, and sometimes the separation of purulent sputum, which acquires a "rusty" character (due to blood contaminants). Patients often experience shortness of breath and shortness of breath, even with little physical activity.
gastric ulcer
The cause of the disease is the local destruction of the gastric mucosa with the formation of gastric ulcers (ie ulcers). Provocateurs are bacterial infections (Helicobacter), high acidity and impaired gastric motility.
The main complaint of peptic ulcer disease is paroxysmal pain in the upper abdomen (epigastrium) that occurs or intensifies after eating. Often, exacerbations are accompanied by nausea and vomiting, which can lead to relief. During the interictal period, patients complain of heartburn, belching, swelling and heaviness after eating.
Vegetative crisis
The cause of the pain may be a crisis of vegetovascular dystonia, known as a panic attack. Patients usually have pain in the heart, or under the back, or in the abdomen, and so on. are concerned about the "migrating" pain that occurs.
At the same time, patients complain of fever, sweating, tremors, shortness of breath, fear of going crazy, or confusion.
Such crises can be a manifestation of both organic pathology (tumor of the adrenal glands, heart disease) and mental (phobia, depression, post-traumatic syndrome). In some cases, panic attacks are the result of medication.
Diagnostics
Diagnostic measures usually include:
- A survey that allows you to determine the conditions for the occurrence and nature of pain;
- Clinical examination with clarification of the localization of pain and identification of pain points;
- Laboratory tests to detect infection (with pneumonia or ulcers), inflammatory changes in the level of blood or muscle protein, indicating their destruction (troponin in myocardial infarction);
- Instrumental methods using X-ray, ultrasound, CT or MRI.
Electrocardiography is also performed during a heart attack, and fibrogastroduodenoscopy (endoscopic examination of the stomach) is performed during gastric ulcer.
Treatment
If there is pain under the left shoulder blade in the back, patients should seek medical attention immediately, because. such a pain syndrome can provide emergency care (myocardial infarction, splenic rupture, ulcer perforation, etc. ). Because it is not recommended to take painkillers in this situation. Analgesics can hide symptoms and complicate subsequent diagnosis!
- Osteochondrosis. Basic therapy includes non-steroidal and steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Muscle relaxants are used to relieve muscle spasms. Chondroprotectors are prescribed as a long-term treatment aimed at slowing the destruction of the intervertebral disc.
- Angina. Relief of an acute attack is carried out with the help of nitrates. However, general therapy is based on lifestyle changes, the use of acetylsalicylic acid (to "thin" the blood), as well as statins to lower cholesterol levels.
- I have pneumonia. The main drug in the treatment of pneumonia is an antibiotic, the choice of which depends on the causative agent of the infection.
- Gastric ulcer. Treatment of an ulcer involves the destruction of the destructive bacteria (Helicobacter pylori). For this purpose, several antibacterial agents, as well as drugs that reduce the acidity of the stomach are prescribed.
- vegetative crisis. In most cases, treatment for panic attacks can be limited to psychotherapy sessions. At the same time, the appointment of psychotropic substances (antidepressants, tranquilizers) is often unreasonable.
Preventive measures
Prevention of back pain under the left shoulder blade is based on:
- timely diagnosis of congenital and acquired diseases of the spine (cervical vertebrae, spondylosis, osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia, injuries);
- early detection of muscle pathology (dermatomyositis, fibromyalgia);
- recovery from neurological disorders (intercostal neuralgia, polyneuropathy);
- treatment of diseases of internal organs:
- heart - angina pectoris, arrhythmia, heart attack;
- lungs - bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculous pleurisy;
- stomach - gastritis, ulcers, polyps;
- spleen - hernias and other pathologies.
- Screening blood test for the presymptomatic diagnosis of leukemia.
Remember, pain in the left shoulder blade can indicate acute pathologies that require urgent treatment or surgery!