Pain that appears on the left side below the scapula is a fairly common symptom that can manifest in men and women and even children. At first glance, these symptoms may seem trivial, but in fact, pain from under the shoulder blade on the left side of the back can be a precursor to many dangerous diseases.
There are many reasons for this pain syndrome, and it is usually not related to the problem of the scapula itself. In most cases, the cause of pain is inflammation and pathological processes in other organs and systems.
Why is there pain under the left shoulder blade?
To understand why it hurts under the scapula, we must recall a person's anatomy. In fact, in most cases, it is the nearby organs that are injured, although the pain radiates along nerve fibers away from the focus of the disease.
The left scapula is located on the ribs that form the chest. The ribs are connected by ligaments and intercostal muscles. There are intercostal blood vessels and intercostal nerves between each rib. In turn, the intercostal nerves branch from the spinal cord, which is located in the trunk of the spine, in the center of the scapula. Together with the ribs, the scapula protects the left heart, left lung, stomach, spleen, pancreas, and aorta.
According to this position, the cause of pain can be divided into two categories:
- Pain associated with diseases of the musculoskeletal system and muscle pain.
- Pain related to pathological changes in the work of internal organs (diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, spleen, and respiratory organs).
The cause of shoulder blade pain can be determined according to its nature, strength and location:
- Pain radiates to the left scapula. . .The pathological source of this pain may be far away from the painful site. In most cases, this symptom is a typical symptom of stomach or heart disease.
- Soreness under the left scapula. . . Indicates that there is a long-term chronic process. This pain may be related to chronic heart disease (pericarditis, myocarditis) and osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
- A dull pain under the left scapula. . . In most cases, it occurs in the context of the development of thoracic or cervical osteochondrosis. The pain usually spreads from the back of the head down the back, arms, and shoulder blades, and is accompanied by nausea, dizziness, and numbness (tingling) of the hands.
- Severe pain under the left scapula. . . The severe pain in the scapular region is not typical, which means it is a signal of a pathological condition that may be life-threatening. At best, severe pain may indicate intercostal neuralgia, but more often, this sensation indicates the presence of peptic ulcer and the development of a pre-infarct state.
- Severe pain under the left scapula. . . Intercostal neuralgia can cause severe pain-at the same time, when inhaling, the pain syndrome is significantly worsened, and there is a feeling of "he is out of breath". In the acute phase, left side pneumonia can cause severe pain, and the patient feels cuts and stab wounds on the entire left chest, radiating to the left scapula. Less commonly, acute pain may appear as pancreatitis worsens-the pain is characterized by shingles and cramps.
- Left shoulder blade throbbing pain. . .It may indicate the initial stage of the development of cervical osteochondrosis. The pain starts below the occiput and radiates to the left (or right) side of the back.
- Burning under the scapula. . . This symptom may indicate long-term intercostal neuralgia, angina pectoris, and myocardial infarction. Sometimes a burning sensation under the scapula may indicate the development of vegetative dystonia. In this case, the pain is accompanied by tachycardia, hand tremors, and a strong sense of fear.
- Persistent pain under the left scapula. . . This pain syndrome may indicate the development of pneumonia on the left side. In this case, the pain is accompanied by a dry cough, low-grade fever, feeling of lack of air, and shortness of breath.
- Suture pain under the left scapula. . .Suture pain (so-called "back pain") is usually a sign of osteochondrosis, but it may also indicate intercostal neuralgia. A tingling sensation in the back caused by fatigue, deep breathing, or coughing may be a sign of pleurisy or pneumonia.
- tenderness. . . indicates the development of osteochondrosis, and may also indicate the initial stage of coronary heart disease and the deterioration of vegetative vascular dystonia.
- Throbbing. . .In most cases, the left-side protrusion of the thoracic or cervical intervertebral disc manifests in this way. Throbbing pain may indicate a herniated disc or aortic dissection.
- Severe pain under the left scapula. . . indicates a dangerous situation and requires immediate medical attention. The causes of the pain syndrome may be: angina pectoris, herniated intervertebral disc, gastric ulcer.
The nature of the pain and its location may vary, but the most common is that the pain under the left scapula is a very dangerous symptom that requires immediate medical intervention.
What diseases can cause pain under the left scapula?
The pain syndrome on the left side under the scapula is most often caused by diseases of the musculoskeletal system, heart, stomach, and bronchopulmonary system.
Consider the possible disease, accompanied by pain under the left scapula, and accompanying symptoms.
| disease | The nature of pain | Related symptoms |
|---|---|---|
| Musculoskeletal system | ||
| Peri-scapula inflammation | The pain appears in the shoulder area and radiates to the scapula. | The patient cannot move freely (cannot put his hands behind his head due to pain), and there is a crunching sound in the joints when moving. |
| Intercostal neuralgia | Pain is located in one of the intercostal spaces and is accompanied by numbness. The pain syndrome is exacerbated when bending to the left. | During the course of the inflamed area, redness may appear and a characteristic rash may appear on the skin. |
| Back muscle diseases (myositis, inflammation, disease) | Back pain occurs violently, it may be painful in nature. | On the left side, pain occurs when the shoulder blade is injured and the muscle is stretched. |
| Oncology | Pain or persistent severe pain under the left scapula. | For tumors of the scapula, the back part of the thoracic spine will be deformed. |
| trauma | Severe pain syndrome, especially in the first few hours after injury. | If the pain gets worse with exercise and there is swelling or swelling, it may be a scapula or rib fracture. |
| Osteochondrosis, spondylosis, thoracic scoliosis, intervertebral disc herniation | Severe pain is manifested as persistent or "back pain. " | An unpleasant sensation appeared in the spine-it felt like they had been "nailed to the stake". |
| heart disease | ||
| Angina pectoris | Pain below the left shoulder blade occurs when the force is exerted, radiating from the back to the left arm, left shoulder blade, and sometimes to the left chin. | It is accompanied by shortness of breath and fear of death. |
| Myocardial infarction | Burning pain from the side of the heart below the left scapula. | Medication does not relieve heart pain. His left hand was numb, his breathing was rapid, and his breastbone began to "burn". |
| Pericarditis and myocarditis | Pain characteristics of pain on the left side. | It is accompanied by chills, more often at night and temperature rises. |
| Dissecting aneurysm of ascending aorta | The pain syndrome migrates from top to bottom. Initially, the pain occurred in the chest, then gradually moved under the left shoulder blade and further into the lower back. | The pressure dropped sharply. |
| Bronchopulmonary system disease | ||
| Left side pneumonia | The pain is moderate. | Cough with sputum, lung wheezing, fever. |
| pleurisy | Pain when breathing | Shortness of breath, wheezing in the lungs. |
| Gastrointestinal pathology | ||
| Stomach ulcer | Pain under the scapula is accompanied by a burning sensation (more commonly at night). | Pain related to eating. |
| Perforated ulcer | Sharp tingling (such as tingling). | Fever, vomiting. |
| Acute pancreatitis | Shingles are painful and sometimes they radiate to the side. | Flatulence, repeated vomiting, fever. |
Other symptoms that accompany the pain syndrome can help determine the disease caused by the pain on the left side below the scapula:
- Pain worsens after eating-Peptic ulcer, pancreatitis, gastritis.
- Pain worsens when you sneeze-Bone diseases, trauma, pleurisy, neuralgia, joint and muscle diseases.
- Pain when turning the head-Osteochondrosis, clavicle injury.
- Pain when swallowing-Esophageal diseases, psychosomatic diseases.
- Pain accompanied by shortness of breath-Pleurisy, heart disease, intercostal neuralgia.
- With pain, cough-Damage to the respiratory system.
- Temperature appearance-Infection and inflammatory process: pericarditis, purulent pleurisy, subdiaphragmatic abscess.
- Pain is accompanied by numbness in the left arm.-Angina pectoris, osteochondrosis, myocardial infarction.
- Nausea and belching with pain-Gastrointestinal pathology (pancreatitis, ulcer, gastritis).
- With pain, the tongue will become numb-Angina, osteochondrosis, heart attack.
In pregnant women, the cause of pain under the scapula is the same as that of others, but in expectant mothers, the risk of certain diseases is much higher. The most likely causes of left back pain in pregnant women are osteochondrosis (due to greater load on the spine), pyelonephritis (due to kidney displacement and activity activation), and overstrained back muscles.
In children, pain under the scapula is usually caused by trauma, accompanied by neuralgia (after hypothermia), myositis, and pleurisy.
Diagnosis and treatment. Which doctor should I see?
You should choose a doctor appointment based on the nature of the pain and its manifestations:
- Emergency doctor-Severe pain, a burning sensation in the chest, shortness of breath, accompanied by severe dizziness, severe weakness, or loss of consciousness.
- Neurologist-If the pain is related to fatigue or exercise.
- Traumatologist-If the pain appears after the injury.
- Cardiologist-There is a burning sensation behind the sternum, extending to the underside of the scapula, left hand, and lower jaw.
- Pulmonologist (or therapist)-If the pain gets worse with breathing and is accompanied by cough, shortness of breath, and fever.
- Gastroenterologist-If the pain is related to meals and is accompanied by indigestion.
- Surgeon-Pain under the scapula with deformation of the sternum, severe pain with high fever.
If it is difficult to independently decide to choose a doctor, it is worth contacting a therapist, who will make an appointment with a narrow specialist based on the results of the examination.
Prescribe diagnostic measures based on the cause of the pain below the left scapula. Later:
- General examination-record medical history and interview with the patient, visual examination (measure pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, palpation, hearing), perform blood and urine tests.
- X-rays, CT and MRI-determine the pathology of the spine and diseases of the musculoskeletal system, as well as diseases of the lung system.
- Ultrasound of the abdominal organs, EGD-gastrointestinal diseases.
- Ultrasound and electrocardiogram-used to check for cardiovascular disease.
The treatment options for left subscapular pain are specifically selected for each disease-there is no single treatment option.
important!The treatment of pain under the left scapula is mainly to treat diseases that cause pain syndrome.
If the pain is related to cardiovascular disease, heart medications will be prescribed, and diets that avoid physical, mental and emotional activities will be prescribed.
Gastrointestinal lesions that cause pain can be treated with antacids and a mild diet.
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system are treated with the help of long-term treatments, including the use of anti-inflammatory drugs and special treatment exercises.
When conservative treatment fails, surgery is prescribed. Surgical intervention is necessary for perforating ulcers, severe gastrointestinal diseases, ruptured spleen, and intervertebral hernia.
If there is pain under the left scapula, it must be checked by a doctor to avoid the occurrence and development of life-threatening pathologies.