What to do if your back hurts from the back below the left shoulder

Pain below the left shoulder in the back from the back is a serious discomfort, in which the ability to move will inevitably decrease, the person experiences severe discomfort. With some pathologies, even at rest, the patient feels discomfort.

But it is worth noting that pain below the left shoulder does not always indicate the presence of a complex pathology. Sometimes it can occur due to a long stay in the same unnatural position.

Overview of the disorder

If you look at the human back, you will notice that the left shoulder is attached to the ribs that make up the rib. The nerves and blood vessels are in the grooves between them. The ribs are connected using ligaments and muscles.

The spine, which contains the spinal cord, is located in the center of the back, with the shoulders on either side. The nerves extend from the spine. Well-developed back muscles surround the scapula.

lung pathology as a cause of pain below the left scapula

The purpose of the bone is to provide protection to the lungs, spleen, stomach and heart, the part of the aorta located in the chest.

Because there is discomfort in the lower back

Left shoulder pain is often caused by the following factors:

  • Gastric ulcer. In this disorder, back pain often escalates. It often occurs after the next meal, but decreases if the patient vomits. To find out if the pain is really due to an ulcer, it is necessary to detect the presence of heartburn, belching. Unpleasant sensations, pains may start in the lower back area on the left side or radiate to the sternum. At the same time, the patient loses the ability not only to move freely, but also to breathe deeply. Inhalation is complicated by the discomfort a person experiences when trying to relax. Due to such difficulties, other functional disorders, dysfunctions of the nervous system may begin. If the pain below the left shoulder is sharp, occurs unexpectedly, it is worth calling a medical team for help.
  • ulcer as a cause of pain under the left back shoulder
  • Acute pancreatitis is a disorder of the body that can cause severe pain below the scapula on the left side. The uncomfortable senses always have a specific character, with this condition the pain appears sudden, circular.
  • Plant crises. The symptoms are intense and complicate the patient's life. In addition to the excruciating pain in the left back of the shoulder, a feeling of tightness in the chest may begin, the patient may have a fever in the same area, and it is not possible to pinpoint the problem area. Due to respiratory problems, the patient often feels fear, anxiety, gradually appears suffocation, a feeling of tumor in the throat. The discomfort can also be felt in other parts of the body.
  • Sometimes it hurts under the left shoulder from behind due to myocardial infarction. This condition is in most cases considered life threatening. The sooner it is recognized, the more effective the treatment will be. The patient feels a burning sensation in the problem area, can not breathe deeply. The pain in the left shoulder is quite high in intensity, there is no reaction to the drug nitroglycerin, this condition can last about 10 minutes. The disease is characterized by numbness of the hand during each attack.
  • angina and pain below the left shoulder in the back from the back
  • Angina pectoris. A pathological condition in which he also often has pain in the left side below the shoulder. The sensations are extremely unpleasant and intense, which seems to compress the chest. The cause of the unpleasant condition is a change in the size of the blood vessel lumens. Attacks can be caused by significant physical exertion, alcoholism, hypothermia of the body. To mitigate the attack, you can use nitroglycerin.
  • Pathological conditions of the respiratory organs. If it often hurts below the left shoulder, the cause may be dry pleurisy or pneumonia. The discomfort will be observed with every attempt at coughing, sneezing, and even deep breathing. The direction of the pain always rushes to the area of the affected lung. The character can change depending on the individual's condition - the sensations of pain are insignificant and, as it were, cut and even pierced.
  • Aortic aneurysm - characterized by increased load on the heart valve. The heart then ceases to fully perform its functions. Because of this, venous blood begins to pool in the lungs and edema develops. When the aneurysm attaches to the vessel, the wall becomes thinner - it can break at any time and cause bleeding in the abdominal cavity.
  • When it hurts below the left shoulder in the back, the cause may be a biphasic rupture of the spleen. Such a case belongs to the category of the rarest. The lesion causes the appearance of abdominal bleeding, which can not be stopped. The disease requires immediate surgery, especially if the pain below the scapula on the left side is severe.

Pathologies of this kind should be recognized as soon as possible. The sooner treatment is prescribed, the more effective the fight against the disease.

a doctor treating pain below the left shoulder

If he does not receive the proper help from the health workers in time, the patient will only succeed in the progression of the disease, the result can be fatal.

Diseases of the supporting apparatus, causing discomfort

Pain below the left shoulder from the back to the back can be caused by problems with the spine and other skeletal areas. Treatment will be determined after diagnosis. Annoyance sometimes occurs for the following reasons:

  • Cervical osteochondrosis. In the early stages of the disease, the sensations of discomfort are suffocated, the patient is not always able to clearly explain exactly where he is worried. In this case, the most intense sensations are in the area of the damaged nerve roots. Painful seizures can start suddenly, pull and lose intensity if the patient spends some time in a hot bath. In the area of the cervical spine, blood vessels and nerves can then pinch, which is quite painful. The course of the disease is complemented by pain radiating to the hand. Cervical osteochondrosis develops mainly in people with a sedentary lifestyle. Shoulder pain in the left shoulder may stab or ache.
  • The intercostal nerves can be affected. This condition is called the main cause of back pain in the lower left shoulder. They can be aggravated by coughing, deep breathing, and even torso flexion to the left. They are very loud, sharp, often - shoot. As the disease progresses, the pain in the area of the left scapula may become burning.
  • Shoulder-to-shoulder syndrome is characterized by sensations of pain or traction. The location of the discomfort is usually below the shoulders, above and below the shoulders. The main feature of pathology is that when you move your shoulders and arms, you hear a trauma. The cause of the disease is severe physical stress or injury to the hand and sometimes severe hypothermia.
  • The skeleton can be affected by a malignant tumor, which causes discomfort. In the scapula, in such cases, a tumor or the resulting metastases are located.
  • Shoulder crunch. Such a disease belongs to the category of rare cases. The pain below the left shoulder in this case is not strong, but when you move in the area of the upper back there is a noticeable crease.
  • Sometimes the left scapula hurts due to osteomyelitis after a specific injury. For example, a gunshot wound may be the cause.
  • Periarthritis of the shoulder blade. With a simple form of development, the senses are not very bright - usually the manifestations of the disease appear as a result of movements. A pathology that takes an acute stage of development can manifest itself as an increase in symptoms, which tend to worsen at night. In the shoulder for this period, mobility is limited, the basal temperature rises, muscle spasms occur.

Pain below the left shoulder from the back can indicate serious pathological conditions, special suspicion arises in cases where their character burns, stabs.

pregnancy and pain under the left shoulder

Even as a result of pregnancy, this condition can occur due to increased stress.

Attacks, when the scapula hurts in the left back, can be caused by injuries such as fractures or cracks. The discomfort in this case is expressed as pain under the left shoulder, any uncomfortable movement can intensify it.

Significant pressures of an emotional, psychological nature, which the body could not cope with, are capable of causing sensations. If the sick person treats the symptoms with contempt, the severity of the condition may worsen.

Before proceeding with the treatment of the pathology, you should determine the reason for the painful condition. It is important for the correct diagnosis to clarify the nature of the pain syndrome.

The options are:

  1. Zone pain, in which the localization of discomfort in a single point. A person can feel it all the time, the pain may intensify on inhalation. The patient's condition is aggravated by sudden movements and coughing. The reason is the passage of a nervous impulse between the ribs.
  2. Burning sensation under the left shoulder from behind the back, tingling, numbness in certain areas.
  3. The pain caused by the increased tone of the shoulder and back muscles can take on an increasing character.
  4. Acute pain - can lead to the fact that the patient is unable to inhale, movement is difficult, it becomes impossible to lie on the left side.
  5. The cutting pain can be located on the left and then goes to the center.
  6. Pain, dull pain below the left shoulder in the back from the back usually occurs when you raise your arms.
  7. Sharp, sharp pain under the left shoulder.
  8. Senses of attraction extending from the shoulder to the lumbar region.
  9. The pain may be constant, preventing you from lying down, moving, breathing.

Since the types of senses in different diseases may differ, it is unlikely that we will be able to pinpoint the cause on our own.

examination of the back for pain below the left shoulder

In case of severe pain syndrome, it is necessary to consult a doctor for examination.

Diagnostic methods

When the back hurts on the left below the shoulder, pain sensations appear, you should start the treatment with a full examination of the body. The following procedures are used for diagnosis:

  • Spine x-ray in different views. The snapshot can also help identify lung problems.
  • MRI, CT;
  • ECG study - if there are suitable symptoms.
  • Ultrasound examination of organs?
  • Blood test - general, biochemistry?
  • Assessment of blood pressure, pulse.

When the patient is examined and the cause of the pathology is determined, the choice of therapeutic measures is made. Additional close expert consultation may be required.

How the disease is treated

When it has already been determined exactly why it hurts below the left shoulder from the back and the patient can not take a deep breath, it is time to start treatment. Ways to eliminate the discomfort are determined by the factors that caused the development of the pathology. Simply eliminating the symptoms is not enough - they will reappear soon.

Each disease is characterized by separate symptoms, depending on which a treatment regimen is chosen. Each one includes recommendations for choosing a diet and adhering to the daily regimen, if the pain is dull, the treatment is carried out with the help of medication.

The use of conservative treatment may not bring positive dynamics - in this case, the patient needs surgery. With the help of surgery, it is possible to treat a fairly large hernia, correct the condition with a ruptured spleen and treat a stomach ulcer.

You should go to the hospital immediately if the patient notices severe pain and burning under the left shoulder, constant discomfort, which increases with deep breathing. First, you should contact a therapist - he will decide which specialist to refer the patient to, depending on the existing symptoms.

You can not completely protect yourself from all existing diseases, but you can try to take some precautions. Pay more attention to the choice of diet, do warm-up exercises daily.

If it becomes known why it hurts in the back on the left below the shoulder, it is time to start treatment. Not all pathologies can be completely conquered, but in this case it is possible to act on them to slow down the course of the disease.