Pain in the left side under the scapula immediately makes a suspected person think about a heart attack. Of course, do not forget about this life-threatening condition, but often back and left pain for less dangerous reasonsIt is worth knowing for yourself why there is pain under the left shoulder blade from behind, to know which doctor to seek help from and in what cases to call an ambulance.
1. Intercostal neuralgia
The disease is accompanied by inflammation of the nervous processes.
Cause
Stimulates nerve irritation:
- short temperedness;
- herpes infection;
- injury to the ribs or spine;
- violation of the nerve root with thoracic osteochondrosis;
- diseases accompanied by deformity of the chest (spondylosis);
- benign neoplasms of the pleura;
- Allergies;
- Osteochondrosis.
Under the scapula on the left, neuralgia appears suddenly and frightens a person, causing him to suspect most of all.
Symptom
With intercostal neuralgia, the pain will be aching, and the intensity will depend on the severity of the pathology. The pain can be severe, almost unbearable, or the disease will manifest itself as a slight excruciating discomfort.
Typical symptoms indicating inflammation or irritation of nervous processes are:
- Relationship with movement and breathing. The pain under the scapula tends to get worse when you move your left hand, cough, breathe heavily, or laugh.
- Effect of heat. After warming up, the pain subsides or disappears completely.
- Palpation. There is more pain on pressing.
If the cause is a herpes infection, the patient develops typical rashes along the veins.
In addition to pain, a person may experience:
- tachycardia;
- skin numbness;
- Increased sweating
It is not always possible to determine whether the pain under the left scapula is caused by intercostal neuralgia or cardiac pathology. If the pain syndrome arose for the first time, and it is not certain whether it was pain due to irritation of the nervous processesIf so, you should seek medical help immediately.
Treatment
Therapy for intercostal neuralgia depends on the cause of the disease.
Patients are prescribed:
- antiviral drugs and ointments (for herpes);
- Painkiller;
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- Ointment with a warming effect.
If the disease is accompanied by severe pain under the left shoulder blade, which cannot be stopped by taking analgesics, patients are prescribed novocaine blockade to alleviate the condition.
In the microscopic stage, to improve tissue trophism and reduce the duration of the recovery period, the following are used:
- physiotherapy procedures;
- massage;
- acupuncture
Treatment is aimed not only at relieving back pain under the scapula on the left, but also at treating a provoking disease (osteochondrosis, shingles). If this is not done, the pathology becomes chronic, with hypothermia or physical exertion. gets faster than
whom to contact
If it hurts in the region of the left shoulder blade, and there is no suspicion of cardiac pathology, then you need to visit a neurologist.
2. Diseases of the broncho-pulmonary system
It can cause injury to the left shoulder blade from behind due to disease of the lower respiratory tract (bronchi, lungs, pleura).
Cause
The main causes of pain in pathologies of the respiratory system are diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria and viruses:
- bronchitis;
- pneumoniae;
- pleura
Also, back pain on the left side can be caused by the presence of neoplasms in the bronchi or lungs.
Symptom
A person has a persistent pulling or aching pain under the scapula on the left side. When you cough and take a deep breath, the pain intensifies. In addition to back pain on the left side, the patient may present with the following complaintscan:
- fever, sometimes reaching high numbers;
- dry cough or accompanied by discharge of viscous sputum (mucous discharge may contain streaks of blood or an admixture of pus);
- weakness and apathy;
- Difficulty in breathing
If the back pain on the left side under the scapula causes a tumor, there will be no hyperthermia, cough and breathing problems will become additional symptoms.
Treatment
If the symptoms of back pain and swelling are provoked by the inflammatory process, then patients are prescribed:
- antibiotics or antivirals;
- drugs to liquefy and stimulate the discharge of sputum;
- antipyretic drugs;
- Pain relievers (if it starts to hurt badly).
For neoplasms, treatment depends on the nature and size of the tumor. Patients are removed tumor formation or conservative therapy.
who fixes
Inflammatory processes in the bronchi or lungs will be treated by a pulmonologist, and in the case of neoplasms, you need to visit an oncologist or surgeon.
3. Vegetative-vascular crisis
The patient complains of a pulling pain and a feeling of fear in the left side under the scapula, but during the initial examination, the discomfort causing the pain cannot be detected.
Cause
Crises can pass on their own, and due to the lack of signs of organic pathology, such people are considered hysterical and unrestrained. But in fact, the causes of the crisis are:
- hormonal imbalance;
- neurological pathology;
- Tension;
- psycho-emotional overstrain;
- endocrine diseases;
- Long-term use of antidepressants or psychotropic drugs.
Vegetative crises are often the first sign of neurological disorders. Symptoms of deterioration in well-being and painful discomfort under the left scapula begin to appear after strong experiences or shocks. Most often, children under 30 years old and women with this diseaseare suffering from.
Symptom
With vegetative-vascular crisis, not only does pain occur in the left side under the scapula, in addition, the patient may experience:
- feeling of suffocation;
- cardiopalmus;
- tremors in hands and feet;
- causeless concern;
- feeling hot or cold;
- to sweat;
- Headache;
- fainting.
It is characteristic that patients cannot tell exactly where it hurts. Pain appears not only under the scapula, but also under the ribs, often radiating to the left shoulder, arm or abdomen.
The duration of the crisis ranges from a few minutes to an hour and a half. In severe cases, a person has seizures.
An additional danger is the fear of attack. A person is afraid of unpleasant sensations, tries to observe all kinds of rituals to avoid pain under the scapula and other unpleasant symptoms. Without treatment, the condition becomes a phobia.
Treatment
The presence of seizures will indicate immediate hospitalization, and mild forms of vegetative vascular crisis are treated at home. As a therapy, they are used:
- sedatives for severe fear;
- herbal remedies to help calm down;
- Antidepressants to reduce increased nervousness and anxiety.
If the crisis is caused by neurological or endocrine diseases, additional therapy is selected to eliminate the disorders that have arisen.
When the onset of an attack is associated with a stress factor, patients are additionally trained to respond correctly to stressful situations, and it is recommended to avoid overwork.
which doctor to contact
When panic attacks appear, you need to contact a vegetarian, but not all cities have these specialists. If it is not possible to consult a vegetarian, you should go to a neurologist or therapist. Additionally, you may need to consult an endocrinologist.
4. Myocardial infarction
A life-threatening condition caused by acute ischemia and necrosis of the heart muscle. In this case, the pain will be strong under the scapula and behind the sternum.
provoking factor
The reason for such pain under the scapula from the back to the left is the complete blockage of the flow of coronary blood to a certain part of the myocardium due to the blockage of the vessel. The following pathologies can provoke a heart attack:
- atherosclerosis;
- Thrombosis.
The resulting blood clot or plaque breaks off, and blood flows to the heart. Once in coronary arteries with a smaller diameter, they close off the vascular lumen and prevent blood flow to the tissues. Deficiency kills myocardial cells.
Symptom
The pain is sharp and throbbing, localized on the left side behind the sternum. radiates:
- in the left hand;
- under the shoulder blades;
- in the lower jaw.
With an abnormal course of a heart attack, radiation is possible:
- in the epigastric region;
- in the right back;
- in the lower abdomen.
In a heart attack, pain in the back of the shoulder bone is not relieved by taking analgesics, and it subsides slightly after taking nitroglycerin.
Treatment
Therapy is aimed at removing obstacles to the path of blood flow, reducing the focus of myocardial necrosis and eliminating pain. To do this, apply:
- agents that dissolve blood;
- blood thinning drugs;
- narcotic analgesics;
- Medicines to improve vascular tone.
Other drugs are selected taking into account the violations that have arisen - these can be drugs to lower cholesterol levels, antihypertensive drugs for hypertension, etc.
In the first hours, to reduce the focus of necrosis, operative angioplasty can be performed. Surgical intervention allows you to quickly restore impaired blood flow and reduce postinfarction scars.
which doctor treats
In the event of a heart attack, emergency hospitalization in the cardiology department is indicated, where the resuscitator and cardiologist will select an effective therapy. If you suspect a heart attack, you should immediately call an ambulance. should call.
5 more reasons why the back can hurt under the scapula
Consider why the back can hurt under the scapula on the left:
- Angina pectoris. Short-term spasm of the coronary vessels due to stress or physical exertion. A sharp pain appears in the left side under the scapula and behind the sternum, which disappears after taking the drug with nitroglycerin.
- Osteochondrosis or hernia of the thoracic region. If the nerve root is pinched, there will be pain extending into the back on the left side under the scapula, which will intensify with movement.
- Peptic ulcer disease. The pain is manifested not only behind the scapula, but also in the epigastric region. The pain begins to worsen after eating or with prolonged hunger. In addition, there is heartburn, unpleasant belching, nausea. vomitingAfter that the pain subsides a bit.
- Diseases of the pancreas or spleen. With these pathologies, pain occurs in the region of the scapula and ribs on the left. In acute pancreatitis, it will hurt not only from the back, but also back pain covering the left and right hypochondria.
- Injuries. Injuries to the left in the region of the scapula can cause irritation of the nerve processes and the pain syndrome can reappear several weeks after the injury when accompanied by physical exertion or hypothermia.
If it hurts under the left shoulder blade from behind, you should not ignore this condition, even if the pain is slightly expressed. Painful discomfort can be caused by a life-threatening condition.
What to do if there is pain in the back on the left side under the scapula?
When a pain syndrome appears from under the scapula on the left, you do not need to panic, but you should not ignore the situation that has arisen. Before deciding which doctor to go to, you shouldIt should be tried to find out what exactly hurts the back from the left side under the scapula. To do this, you will need to determine additional characteristics of the pain:
- Localization. If there is pain in the back under the left shoulder blade and the pain increases after eating or with prolonged fasting, then the likelihood of heart disease is minimal.
- Intensity. Moderate pain syndrome often accompanies chronic diseases, but severe pain indicates a serious pathological process.
- Character. Acute pain requires immediate medical attention, and with pulling or aching pain, you need to visit the clinic.
- Relationship with movement and breathing. More pain when coughing, leaning forward, or trying to move the left arm, may indicate spinal disease or intercostal neuralgia.
Back pain under the scapula on the left side occurs for various reasons and they are not always safe for life and health. New-onset pain syndrome on the left side under the scapula requires special attention - this neuralgia, Can be a sign of angina pectoris or even a heart attack. If there is any doubt about the origin of the pain syndrome, you need to call an ambulance. Seek early medical help to maintain health and sometimes-Sometimes it can help in saving lives.