Pain between the shoulder blades limits arm movements and interferes with daily activities. The pain may be dull and achy or sharp or radiate from other areas of the back, neck and shoulders.
If the pain is sharp, it could be a sign of a heart attack and you should seek emergency medical attention. Other symptoms include breathing difficulty, chest pain and a feeling of tightness in the upper middle back.
Causes
Pain in the back of the shoulder blade may come from overusing or straining the muscles of the upper back. This can occur from work or play activities, such as lifting heavy weights or playing sports. Pain in the upper back and shoulders can also be caused by bad posture, which slouches the neck and torso forward. This can cause muscle strain and poor structural changes in the spine.
Some over-the-counter (OTC) medications that do not require a prescription, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, may help ease this type of pain by reducing inflammation and changing how the brain processes pain signals. In some cases, a doctor may recommend additional treatment or surgery.
Once you have found a way to reduce your shoulder blade pain, it is important to take steps to prevent it from returning. This includes slowly easing into exercise, and exercising regularly for many months to build up strength in the area.
Symptoms
The shoulder blades, or scapulae, are triangular-shaped bones in the back of your shoulders. They are attached to muscles that help them move up and down, side to side and in a circle. If they are strained or damaged, pain in the back shoulder blade may occur.
The pain may be sharp and intense or it may feel like a knot in a muscle that is tender to the touch. It may radiate up into the neck or across the chest area.
Over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox DS, Naprosyn), can help relieve some types of shoulder blade pain by reducing inflammation and blocking pain signals in the brain. Taking short breaks from activities that cause shoulder blade pain and performing regular gentle upper back exercises or stretches can also reduce stiffness. If the pain persists, consult a specialist to diagnose the underlying problem. They will take a detailed medical history and perform a physical exam to see what the cause is.
Diagnosis
The nagging pain in the shoulder blade region is a symptom of an underlying problem that needs to be evaluated by a doctor. It can be a simple muscle strain, a neck or spinal issue, or even a medical condition such as heart disease, lung cancer or peptic ulcers.
Your doctor will ask you questions about your pain and perform a physical exam of your shoulder, upper back, and scapula. If you are experiencing severe pain in the back, accompanied by dizziness or chest pain, it could be a sign of a life-threatening condition such as pericarditis or an aortic dissection, which is a serious tear in the largest artery that branches off from your heart. It should be treated immediately with emergency medical care.
Pain in the back shoulder blade can also be caused by a pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot that travels from your legs to your lungs and causes you to feel sharp pain in your shoulder and upper back. This is a medical emergency and requires immediate attention.
Treatment
Whether your pain is from overuse, sleep in the wrong position, or a medical condition, an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment options will help you find relief. Most often, your doctor will recommend RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation). This includes limiting aggravating activities, using ice a few times a day, wearing a compression garment and elevating the shoulder blades when you are resting.
In rare cases, pain in the back of your shoulder blade can be a symptom of a serious medical condition, such as heart attack or cancer. In these cases, your pain is likely to be referred pain, which occurs when a problem in one part of the body stimulates nerves that send pain to another area.chiropractors in my area