Pain to the left under the scapula makes a suspicious person immediately think of a heart attack. Of course, don't forget about this life-threatening condition, but more often back and left pain occurs for less dangerous reasons. It is worth getting acquainted with why it hurts under the left shoulder blade from behind from the back, to find out which doctor to seek help, and in which cases to call an ambulance.
1. Intercostal neuralgia
The disease is accompanied by inflammation of the nervous processes.
Causes
Causes nervous irritation:
- hypothermia;
- herpes infections;
- rib or spinal cord injuries;
- nerve root infringement with thoracic osteochondrosis;
- diseases accompanied by deformation of the chest (spondylosis);
- benign neoplasms of the pleura;
- allergic reactions;
- osteochondrosis.
Under the scapula on the left side, neuralgia pain appears suddenly and frightens the person, making him 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 itself as mild, painful discomfort.
Typical symptoms that indicate inflammation or irritation of nervous processes are:
- Connection with movement and breathing. The pain under the scapula begins to hurt more when you move your left hand, cough, inhale sharply, or laugh.
- The influence of heat. After rewarming, the pain lessens or disappears completely.
- Palpation. When pressed, 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 whether pain under the left scapula is caused by intercostal neuralgia or cardiac pathologies. If the pain syndrome has arisen for the first time, and there is no certainty that it hurts due to irritation of the nervous processes, you should immediately seek medical help.
Treatment
Therapy for intercostal neuralgia depends on the cause of the disease.
Patients are prescribed:
- antiviral medications and ointments (for herpes);
- analgesics;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- ointments with warming effect.
If the disease is accompanied by severe pain under the left shoulder blade, which cannot be stopped with pain relievers, patients are given a novocaine block to alleviate the condition.
In the subacute 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 to relieve back pain under the scapula on the left, but also to treat a provoking disease (osteochondrosis, herpes). If this is not done, the pathology becomes chronic, aggravated 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, you should visit a neurologist.
2. Diseases of the bronchopulmonary system
It may hurt on 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 pathologies of the respiratory system are diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria and viruses:
- bronchitis;
- pneumonia;
- pleuritis.
In addition, back pain may occur on the left side due to neoplasms in the bronchi or lungs.
Symptoms
A person has constant 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 on the left, patients may present the following complaints:
- fever, which sometimes reaches high levels;
- dry cough or a discharge of slimy sputum (there may be streaks of blood or a mixture of pus in the mucous discharge);
- weakness and apathy;
- labored breathing
If the back pain on the left under the scapula causes tumors, then there will be no hyperthermia, cough and respiratory problems will become additional symptoms.
Treatment
If the inflammatory process provokes back pain and signs of inflammation, patients are prescribed:
- antibiotics or antivirals;
- drugs to liquefy and stimulate sputum secretion;
- antipyretic drugs;
- pain relievers (if it starts to hurt a lot)
For neoplasms, treatment depends on the nature and size of the tumor. Patients are eliminated 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 need to visit an oncologist or surgeon.
3. Vegetovascular crisis
The patient complains of a pull on the left side under the scapula and a feeling of fear, but during the initial examination, diseases that cause pain and discomfort cannot be detected.
Causes
Crises can pass on their own, and due to the lack of signs of organic pathology, these people are considered hysterical and unbridled. But in reality, crises cause:
- hormonal imbalance;
- neurological pathology;
- stress;
- psychoemotional overexertion;
- endocrine diseases;
- prolonged use of antidepressants or psychotropic drugs.
Vegetative crises are usually the first sign of neurological disorders. Signs of impaired well-being and painful discomfort under the left scapula begin to appear after strong experiences or shocks. Very often, children and women under the age of 30 suffer from the disease.
Symptoms
With a vegetative-vascular crisis, not only pain occurs on the left under the scapula, in addition, the patient may experience:
- a feeling of suffocation;
- cardiopalmus;
- tremors in the arms and legs;
- causeless anxiety;
- feeling hot or cold;
- perspiration;
- headache;
- loss of consciousness.
Characteristically, patients cannot tell exactly where it hurts. Pain appears not only under the scapula, but also under the ribs, there is often irradiation to the shoulder, arm or abdomen on 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 attack. A person is afraid of unpleasant sensations, tries to observe all sorts of rituals to avoid pain under the scapula and other unpleasant symptoms. Without treatment, the condition turns into a phobia.
Treatment
The presence of seizures will be an indication for immediate hospitalization, and milder forms of vegetative vascular crisis are treated at home. As therapy, they are used:
- sedatives for severe fear;
- herbal remedies to help calm you down;
- antidepressants to reduce increased nervousness and anxiety.
If the seizures are 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 stressor, patients are further trained to respond correctly to stressful situations, and it is recommended to avoid overwork.
Which doctor to contact
When panic attacks appear, you should contact a vegetarian, but not all cities have these specialists. If it is not possible to get the advice of a vegetarian, you should visit a neurologist or therapist. Also, you may need to see an endocrinologist.
4. Myocardial infarction
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.
Provoking factors
The reasons for such pain under the scapula on the left from the back lie in the complete cessation of coronary blood flow to a certain 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 blood flow goes to the heart. Once in the small-diameter coronary arteries, they close the vascular lumen and stop the flow of blood to the tissues. The lack of oxygen leads to the death of myocardial cells.
Symptoms
The pain is sharp and stabbing, localized to the left behind the breastbone. Radiates:
- in the left hand;
- below the shoulder blade;
- on the lower jaw.
With an atypical course of a heart attack, irradiation is possible:
- in the epigastric region;
- on the right back;
- in the lower abdomen.
With a heart attack, the pain behind the scapula is not relieved by taking painkillers and is slightly reduced after taking nitroglycerin.
Treatment
The therapy aims to remove obstacles in the path of blood flow, reduce the focus of myocardial necrosis, and eliminate pain. To do this, apply:
- agents that dissolve blood;
- drugs with anticoagulant effect;
- narcotic pain relievers;
- medications to improve vascular tone.
Other drugs are selected taking into account the violations that have arisen; It can be drugs to lower cholesterol levels, antihypertensive drugs with high blood pressure, etc.
In the first hours, to reduce the focus of necrosis, an operative angioplasty can be performed. Surgical intervention allows you to quickly restore impaired blood flow and reduce the post-infarction scar.
Which doctor treats
In the event of a heart attack, urgent hospitalization in the cardiology department is indicated, where rescuers and cardiologists will select an effective therapy. If you suspect a heart attack, you should immediately call an ambulance.
5 more reasons why your back can hurt under the scapula behind
Consider why it can hurt from the back under the scapula on the left:
- Angina pectoris. Short-term spasm of the coronary vessels caused by stress or physical exertion. Sharp pains appear on the left behind under the scapula and behind the sternum, which disappear after taking nitroglycerin drugs.
- Osteochondrosis or hernia of the thoracic region. If the nerve root is pinched, there will be diffuse pain in the back to the left under the scapula, intensifying with movement.
- Peptic ulcer disease. Pain appears not only behind the scapula, but also in the epigastric region. It starts to hurt more after eating or with prolonged hunger. Also, there is heartburn, unpleasant belching, nausea. Pain discomfort is slightly reduced after vomiting.
- Pancreas or spleen disease. With these pathologies, the left side hurts in the area of the scapula and ribs. In acute pancreatitis, it will not only hurt in the back, but there will also be pain in the waist that covers the left and right hypochondria.
- Injuries: Lesions of the back to the left in the area of the scapula can cause irritation of the nervous processes and the pain syndrome can reappear several weeks after the injury with increased physical exertion or with hypothermia.
If it hurts from behind from the back under the left shoulder blade, then you should not ignore this condition, even if the pain is mildly expressed. Painful discomfort may be due to a life-threatening condition.
What to do if you have pain in the back on the left under the scapula
When a pain syndrome appears from behind under the scapula on the left, you should not panic, but you should not ignore the condition that has arisen. 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, you will need to determine the additional characteristics of the pain:
- Location. If your back hurts below the left shoulder blade and the painful discomfort increases after eating or with a prolonged fast, the chance of heart disease is minimal.
- Intensity. Moderate pain syndrome often accompanies chronic diseases, but severe pain indicates a severe pathological process.
- Character. Acute pain requires immediate medical attention, and with pulling or aching pain, you should visit the clinic.
- Connection with movement and breathing. When it hurts more when coughing, leaning forward, or trying to move the left hand, this indicates spinal disease or intercostal neuralgia.
Back pain under the scapula on the left is caused by various reasons and they are not always safe for life and health. New-onset pain syndrome to the left under the scapula requires special attention; This can be a sign of neuralgia, angina, or even a heart attack. If there is any doubt about the origin of the pain syndrome, you should call an ambulance. Seeking medical care early can help you stay healthy and sometimes save lives.