Localization of shoulder blade pain | Pain in the shoulder blade

Localization of shoulder blade pain

Pain that affects the shoulder blade can be localized at different ends of the shoulder blade. This extends from the arms to the ribs and usually has a different underlying cause. Very rare, but nevertheless not to be excluded, are diseases of the internal organs.

Lung diseases can also cause pain in the area of the left shoulder blade. An extremely rare cause of complaints in the region of the left shoulder blade is circulatory disorders of the rear heart muscles. However, the pain associated with this is characterized by the fact that it occurs mainly under stress and cannot be influenced by breathing or arm movement.

Right-sided pain in the area of the shoulder blade is typical of a musculoskeletal cause. Here, the pain increases when the right arm is moved and often also when breathing. Postural muscular tension and blockages of the rib-vertebral joints are the main causes of pain.

These are often accompanied by the pinching of nerves. In rather rare cases, however, internal diseases can also be responsible for right shoulder pain. In this case, for example, lung diseases or diseases of the liver and gallbladder are conceivable, which can radiate into the area below the shoulder blade, since connections between these areas exist via nerves.

Complaints of the neck-shoulder-arm region with pain, tingling and numbness are often summarized under the term shoulder-arm syndrome. In this syndrome, nerve pathways are affected in various ways, resulting in the classic symptoms. The most common reason for these latent disorders of nerve function is one-sided overloading and tension, especially in the neck, but also in the shoulder.

The symptoms are additionally promoted by underlying diseases of the body region or nerve-damaging diseases such as diabetes mellitus. The therapy of shoulder-arm syndrome depends on the severity of the symptoms. In almost all cases, painkillers form the basis from which further steps, such as physiotherapy, can be planned.

Nevertheless, effective treatment should be based on the underlying cause. This is the only way to achieve lasting relief of the symptoms. A common cause of chest pain is the so-called intercostal neuralgia.

Pain syndromes in the intercostal area are called intercostal neuralgia and are usually caused by damage to nerves. They can therefore generally occur anywhere in the thorax, be it on its front side or in the area of the shoulder blades. Intercostal neuralgia is typically characterized by a belt-like, pulling and persistent pain.

This pain can be aggravated by movements in the ribcage or shoulder and also by breathing movements. Within the syndrome, sensory disturbances such as tingling or numbness may also occur. The list of possible causes of intercostal neuralgia is long.

The most common triggers of neuralgia include muscle hardening (myelgelosis) of the intercostal muscles or the subscapularis muscle in the case of pain in the shoulder blade area. Other possible triggers are lung diseases, herpes zoster (shingles) or degenerative changes in the spine. The term intercostal neuralgia should therefore be understood as a description of the symptoms rather than an actual diagnosis.

A treatment of the symptoms is, if possible, based on the cause, i.e. causal.However, since often no exact cause can be named, a therapy is often difficult and is then symptomatic. In this case, drugs with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties are mainly used. These are primarily drugs such as ibuprofen or diclofenac.

For severe pain, weak opioids and local anesthetics as well as muscle relaxants can also be used. In addition, physiotherapeutic and manual procedures are often useful. Pain in the shoulder blade and neck area is usually due to problems of the musculoskeletal system, i.e. the muscles and joints.

Unnatural posture and incorrect strain in everyday life often lead to tension and blockages of the rib-vertebral joints. In the area between the shoulder blade and neck, the trapezius muscle plays a particularly important role. In severe cases, muscle hardening (myelgelosis) can lead to nerve entrapment with resulting severe pain. Treatment is usually carried out by physiotherapy and the use of painkilling and anti-inflammatory drugs, which classically include ibuprofen and diclofenac.