Possible Causes of Shoulder Blade Pain
Patients seeking help for scapula pain— shoulder blade pain— may have suffered an obvious injury or may be experiencing pain that’s steadily worsened over time. Pain underneath the shoulder blade or anywhere in the shoulder area can inhibit mobility, lead to discomfort and become stressful. Fortunately, there are solutions available.
What Causes Shoulder Blade Pain?
Many factors can cause pain in the area around your shoulder blade:
- Injury: Overuse or injury can happen to your shoulders if you carry heavy objects, play sports or lift weights incorrectly, placing more pressure on your shoulders than they can handle. Injuries can include scapulothoracic bursitis, sprained ligaments and strained muscles. Overuse and sports injuries can cause pain between the shoulder blades.
- Herniated disc: A herniated disc in the spinal area can cause the inner layer of the disc to leak, affecting nearby nerve roots and causing pain. Disc hernias in the lower spine often cause pain near the shoulder blades.
- Poor posture: When you sit in an awkward position for long periods, you put extra pressure on ligaments, muscles and your upper back, eventually causing structural changes to the area. These changes can result in pain under the shoulder blades.
- Heart conditions: Heart attacks and other heart-related conditions can cause radiating pain in the shoulder blade area rather than your chest. If you notice radiating pain in the right shoulder blade, crushing pain or significant pain near or under your shoulder blade, it’s crucial to rule out heart disease.
- Compression fracture: This type of fracture is often found in adults with osteoporosis, and it happens when vertebral bones in the back get weak and break.
Ways to Relieve Shoulder Blade Pain
If you have mild shoulder blade pain or you know the pain is from an injury or overuse, you can do several things to ease the soreness:
- Use over-the-counter pain medication.
- Rest your shoulders by taking a break from physical activity or exercise.
- Apply a hot or cool compress to your shoulder blades for up to 20 minutes, leaving 45 minutes before application.
- Get a massage with a massage therapist.
If you experience shoulder blade pain and don’t know what has caused it, it’s important to seek medical advice. A doctor can tell you whether you have a condition causing the pain and suggest treatment options. Some types of shoulder blade pain will not go away on their own and require intervention. Depending on their condition, patients may have a few options for treatment, including:
- Joint Injections
- Neuromodulation
- Viscosupplementation
- PRP/Stem Cells Treatment
Still Looking for Shoulder Blade Pain Relief?
If your life is impacted by shoulder blade pain, it’s time to seek medical attention. Spine INA has three locations in New Jersey, and our team of leading practitioners has years of experience treating pain. We use today’s cutting-edge technology to secure an accurate diagnosis and create effective, personalized treatment plans based on your needs.
We focus on minimally-invasive treatments when possible to help you get back to your active lifestyle faster. If you are experiencing pain, schedule an appointment with our caring practitioners today.
