Shoulder blade pain in the upper back may be a dull or shooting pain sensation. It is commonly observed that individuals have bad posters. Mostly shoulder blade pain is not something to worry about, however, there may be some underlying causes leading to serious conditions.
The interscapular pain may be due to disorders of the spine including sclerosis or osteoarthritis.
A serious medical approach is required for the treatment of pain between shoulder blades. Moreover, there are also certain exercises that facilitate the medication and treatment approach for an individual with severe shoulder blade pain.
What May Cause Pain Between Shoulder Blades?
There are several possible underlying causes for pain between shoulder blades. They include the following:
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Epidural Anesthesia
Pregnant ladies who have epidural injections administered at delivery time may feel interscapular pain. But this type of pain may vanish the moment the drip is removed from the patient
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Shingles
Shingles may affect any part of the body. The nerves mostly associated with the shoulder blades are compressed in this state. The virus responsible for chickenpox is behind this viral infection. The symptoms of shingles include rashes along with stabbing pain in the shoulder area, a condition known as postherpetic neuralgia.
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Pulmonary Embolism
Pulmonary embolism causes pain when a blood clot travels all the way from the legs to the lungs. However, certain conditions may trigger pulmonary embolism like traveling for a long time, pregnancy, surgeries, or cancer. Symptoms that people with pulmonary embolism show are redness, clots in legs, sharp pain, shortness of breath, and mild discomfort.
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Thoracic Compression Fractures
Thoracic fractures may cause severe pain in the shoulder blades due to compression of the thoracic cage. The short height is responsible for producing pressure on the thoracic area that may occur in cancerous conditions. However, as the condition is not very common, it may take some time to diagnose.
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Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a rare condition that may be responsible for the pain in the shoulder blade.
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Thoracic Aorta Tear
The blood leaks into the aorta due to a thoracic tear in blood vessels. This leakage may occur through any wall of the blood vessels. It may result in sharp and sudden pain that requires medical emergency attention.
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Pinched Nerves
Pinched nerves may be one of the causes of pain between shoulder blades. The most common type includes muscle spasms and pain called myofascial pain syndrome.
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Acid Reflux
Gastroesophageal reflux may cause pain between the shoulder blades. Whereas, it may also be due to pancreatic inflammation.Other symptoms include swallowing issues, a hoarse voice, or chest ache.
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Gallbladder Disorders
Gallbladder discomfort may lead to pain in the shoulder blade. The gall bladder disease may result from eating any fatty food that is not healthy for the body. This discomfort leads to itching or sharp pain in the shoulder blade or upper quadrant of the abdomen.
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Cancer
Lung cancer may compress the nerves present in the shoulder area and cause blade pain. Other tumor conditions that may also be responsible for this pain include lymphomas, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, and mesothelioma. One of the most common causes behind the pain is breast cancer which puts pressure on the bones linked with the neck and radiates towards shoulder blades.
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Heart Attack
Heart attack researchers have stated that most women, as compared to men, are affected by the pain in the shoulder blade before a heart attack. The other symptoms associated with this condition are shortness of breath, persistent pain, and lightheadedness.
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Arthritis
Arthritic bones particularly, neck and shoulder bones, may cause interscapular pain.
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Herniated Discs
Herniated discs in the spinal or thoracic area may compress the nerves and cause pain in the shoulder blade. Other symptoms related to degenerative disc disorder are pain, discomfort, tingling, or numbness in the shoulder area. Moreover, this pain may be positional which means its intensity changes with the change in body posture.
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Trauma
Injuries as a result of any trauma may cause pain in the shoulder blade. Such trauma includes shoulder joint rotation or cuff tears. Both disorders develop pain in the shoulder area.
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Muscle Strain
Muscle strain also known as muscle pull is the most common cause of pain in the shoulder blade. It may happen due to poor posture, sleeping in inappropriate posture, lifting heavy objects, or twisting exercises.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Healthcare experts ask some common questions to properly diagnose the condition such as
- When the pain initiated
- Was it a sudden or gradual start
- Intensity of pain
- Is the pain sharp or dull
- Any trigger that makes it severe and worse
- Do you feel other related symptoms
- Have you passed through any trauma
- Any new exercise in the routine
- Any medical history of other related diseases
- Have you a habit of smoking
After the proper diagnosis, some tests including X-rays and MRI can also be recommended.
However, the treatment depends upon the causes responsible for the pain. It ranges from administering over-the-counter medications, avoiding exercises that cause strain, icing, and adding stretching exercises to the routine. Some serious conditions such as rotator cuff may require surgical treatments.
Pain relief clinic recommends adopting better lifestyle modifications in case a person is feeling pain between shoulder blades.
Moreover, the orthopedic experts at the pain clinic fort worth can be contacted for experienced and trained facilities.
