The pain left under the scapula causes a suspicious person to immediately think of a heart attack. Of course, do not forget about this life-threatening condition, but more often back and left back pain occurs for less dangerous reasons. It is worthwhile to understand why it hurts under the left shoulder blade from behind from the back, to know which doctor to seek help and in which cases to call an ambulance.
1. Intercostal neuralgia
The disease is accompanied by inflammation of the nerve processes.
Causes
Causes nerve irritation:
- hypothermia;
- herpes infections;
- damage to the ribs or spine;
- violation of the nerve root with thoracic osteochondrosis;
- diseases accompanied by deformity of the breast (spondylosis);
- benign neoplasms of the pleura;
- allergic reactions;
- osteochondrosis.
Under the scapula on the left side, neuralgic pain suddenly appears and frightens a person, causing him to suspect the worst.
Symptoms
With intercostal neuralgia, the pain will be painful and the intensity will depend on the severity of the pathology. The pain may be severe, almost unbearable, or the disease will manifest as a mild painful discomfort.
Typical symptoms that indicate inflammation or irritation of the nerve processes are:
- Connection with movement and breathing. The pain under the scapula begins to hurt more when you move your left hand, cough, breathe sharply or laugh.
- Impact of heat. After reheating, the pain subsides or disappears completely.
- Palpation. When you press it, it hurts more.
If the cause is a herpes infection, the patient develops characteristic rashes along the nerves.
In addition to pain, a person may experience:
- tachycardia;
- numbness of the skin;
- increased sweating.
It is not always possible to determine if the pain below the left scapula is caused by intercostal neuralgia or heart pathologies. If the pain syndrome has occurred for the first time and there is no guarantee that it hurts due to irritation of the nerve processes, then you should seek medical attention immediately.
Treatment
Therapy for intercostal neuralgia depends on the cause of the disease.
Patients are prescribed:
- antiviral drugs and ointments (for herpes);
- analgesics;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- ointments with a warming effect.
If the disease is accompanied by severe pain under the left shoulder blade, which can not be stopped by taking pain medication, then patients are given novocaine blockade to relieve the condition.
In the subacute stage, to improve tissue strophism and reduce the duration of the recovery period, the following are used:
- physiotherapy procedures;
- massage;
- acupuncture.
The treatment is not only aimed at relieving back pain under the scapula on the left, but also at treating a provocative disease (osteochondrosis, herpes). If this is not done, the pathology becomes chronic, exacerbated by hypothermia or physical exertion.
Who to contact
If it hurts in the area of the left shoulder blade and there is no suspicion of cardiac pathology, visit a neurologist.
2. Diseases of the broncho-pulmonary system
It can hurt the left shoulder blade from behind due to a disease of the lower respiratory tract (bronchi, lungs, pleura).
Causes
The main cause of pain in the pathologies of the respiratory system are diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria and viruses:
- bronchitis;
- pneumonia;
- pleuritis.
Also, back pain on the left side may occur due to the appearance of neoplasms in the bronchi or lungs.
Symptoms
A person has a constant pulling or aching pain under the scapula on the left. When you cough and breathe deeply, the pain intensifies. In addition to painful sensations in the back to the left, patients may present the following complaints:
- fever, sometimes reaching high numbers;
- dry cough or with discharge of viscous sputum (there may be streaks of blood or a mixture of pus in the mucous membrane);
- weakness and apathy;
- difficulty breathing.
If the back pain to the left below the scapula causes tumors, then there will be no hyperthermia, coughing and breathing problems will be additional symptoms.
Treatment
If back pain and signs of inflammation are caused by the inflammatory process, patients are prescribed:
- antibiotics or antivirals;
- medicines to liquefy and stimulate sputum discharge;
- antipyretic drugs;
- pain medication (if it starts to hurt a lot).
For neoplasms, treatment depends on the nature and size of the tumor. Patients are removed for tumor formation or conservative therapy.
Who heals
Inflammatory processes in the bronchi or lungs will be treated by a pulmonologist, and in case of neoplasms you should visit an oncologist or surgeon.
3. Vegetovascular crises
The patient complains of a pulling pain in the left side below the scapula and a feeling of fear, but during the initial examination, diseases that cause pain discomfort can not be detected.
Causes
Crises can pass by themselves, and due to the lack of signs of organic pathology, such people are considered hysterical and uninhibited. But in reality, crises cause:
- hormonal imbalance;
- neurological pathology;
- stress;
- psycho-emotional overload;
- endocrine diseases;
- long-term use of antidepressants or psychotropic drugs.
Vegetative crises are often the first sign of neurological disorders. Signs of deterioration in well-being and painful discomfort under the scapula on the left begin to appear after strong experiences or shocks. Most often, children and women under the age of 30 suffer from the disease.
Symptoms
With a vegetative-vascular crisis, not only does pain occur to the left below the scapula, in addition, the patient may experience:
- a feeling of suffocation;
- cardiopalmus;
- trembling in arms and legs;
- causal anxiety;
- feel warm or cool;
- sweating;
- headache;
- loss of consciousness.
It is characteristic that patients can not indicate exactly where it hurts. Not only pain appears under the scapula but also under the ribs, often there is radiation to the shoulder, arm or abdomen to the left.
The duration of a crisis varies from a few minutes to an hour and a half. In severe cases, a person has seizures.
An additional danger is the fear of an attack. A person is afraid of unpleasant sensations, trying 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 be an indication for immediate hospitalization, and milder forms of vegetative vascular crises will be treated at home. As therapy they are used:
- sedatives for severe fear;
- herbal remedies to help soothe;
- antidepressants to reduce increased nervousness and anxiety.
If crises are caused by neurological or endocrine diseases, additional therapy is chosen to eliminate the disorders that have occurred.
In addition, when the onset of a seizure is associated with a stressor, patients are trained to respond appropriately to stressful situations and it is recommended to avoid overexertion.
Which doctor to contact
When panic attacks occur, contact a vegetarian, but not all cities have these specialists. If it is not possible to get advice from a vegetarian, then you should visit a neurologist or therapist. In addition, 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 under the scapula and behind the sternum will be strong.
Provocative factors
The causes of such pain under the scapula to the left of the back are in complete cessation of coronary blood flow to a particular part of the myocardium, caused by a blockage of the vessel. The following pathologies can cause a heart attack:
- atherosclerosis;
- thrombosis.
The resulting blood clot or plaque breaks off and the blood flow goes to the heart. Once in the coronary arteries of small diameter, they close the vascular lumen and stop the flow of blood to the tissues. Lack of oxygen leads to the death of myocardial cells.
Symptoms
The pain is acute and throbbing, located to the left behind the sternum. Irradiates:
- in the left hand;
- under the shoulder blade;
- in the lower jaw.
With an atypical course of a heart attack, radiation is possible:
- in the epigastric region;
- in the right back;
- in the lower abdomen.
In a heart attack, the pain behind the scapula is not relieved by taking painkillers and is slightly reduced after taking nitroglycerin.
Treatment
Therapy is aimed at removing obstructions in the blood flow path, reducing the focus on myocardial necrosis and eliminating pain. To do this, use:
- blood-dissolving agents;
- medicines with a blood-thinning effect;
- narcotic analgesics;
- drugs to improve vascular tone.
Other drugs are selected taking into account the violations that have occurred - they can be drugs to lower cholesterol levels, antihypertensives with high blood pressure, etc.
In the first hours, to reduce the focus on necrosis, surgical angioplasty can be performed. Surgical intervention allows you to quickly restore decreased blood flow and reduce post-infarction.
Which doctor treats
In case of heart attack, acute hospitalization is indicated in the cardiology department, where resuscitation staff and cardiologists will choose an effective therapy. If you suspect a heart attack, call an ambulance immediately.
5 more reasons why the back can hurt under the scapula behind
Consider why it may hurt from the back under the scapula on the left:
- Heart attack. Short-term spasm of coronary arteries caused by stress or physical exertion. Sharp pains appear on the left back below the scapula and behind the sternum, which disappears after taking medication with nitroglycerin.
- Osteochondrosis or hernia in the thoracic region. If the nerve root becomes pinched, there will be a diffuse pain in the back to the left below the scapula, which will intensify with movement.
- Gastric ulcer disease. The pain appears not only behind the scapula but also in the epigastric region. It starts to hurt more after eating or by prolonged hunger. In addition, there is heartburn, unpleasant belching, nausea. Pain discomfort is slightly reduced after vomiting.
- Disease of the pancreas or spleen. With these pathologies, the left side hurts in the area of the scapula and ribs. In acute pancreatitis, it will not only hurt the back, but there will be belt pain covering the left and right hypochondria.
- Injuries. Back injuries to the left in the area of the scapula can cause irritation of the nerve processes, and pain syndrome may reappear several weeks after the injury with increased physical exertion or with hypothermia.
If it hurts from behind from the back below the left shoulder blade, then you should not ignore this condition, even if the pain is easily expressed. Painful discomfort can be caused by a life-threatening condition.
What to do if you have back pain left under scapula
When a pain syndrome appears from behind under the shoulder blade on the left, you do not need to panic, but do not ignore the condition that has occurred. Before deciding which doctor to go to, you should try to find out what exactly hurts from the back to the left under the scapula. To do this, determine additional properties of pain:
- Location. If it hurts in the back under the left shoulder blade, and the painful discomfort increases after eating or during 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.
- Grade. Acute pain requires immediate medical attention, and with pulling or aching soreness, visit the clinic.
- Connection with movement and breathing. When it hurts more when coughing, bending forward, or when trying to move the left hand, this indicates a disease of the spine or intercostal neuralgia.
Back pain under the scapula on the left is due to various causes and they are not always safe for life and health. The emerging pain syndrome on the left under the scapula requires special attention - this could be a sign of neuralgia, angina pectoris or even a heart attack. If in doubt about the origin of the pain syndrome, call an ambulance. Seeking medical attention early can help maintain health and sometimes save lives.