Because our main nervous system runs along the spine, back pain is very common and according to various studies, is suffered by over 60 million Americans. Back pain may be temporary, but may also be a sign of other health issues that require prompt treatment. The pain potentially occurs in lower and upper part of the back, and each might stem in different main cases.
Compared to upper back pain, lower back pain is more common. Minor pain in your lower back is commonly triggered by excessive muscle strain. Hence, the pain normally occurs following heavy lifting or too hard exercises. More severe lower back pain can be caused by the injury to the muscles, ligaments, or joints that may also cause the injury to nerve system in the lower back section.
Causes of burning pain between or under shoulder blades
Complaints about pain concerning the upper back is less common compared to the lower one. The most common type of upper back pain usually affects the shoulder blades. This is the bone that connects the upper arm bone with the collar bone. Thus, when you are suffering from shoulder blade pain, the effect can be felt when you are moving your arm or making movements around the neck muscles.
Identifying your upper back pain symptoms is crucial, as continual pain in the area may suggest some problems concerning your internal organs, although further medical examination will be required. As back pain is mainly associated to muscle spasm, ask yourself about the possibility of putting your muscles into overly intense activities recently. If you are doing exercise routine—especially the heavy one recently, the pain between your shoulders may be rooted in merely stretching muscles that have not been used for long period of time.
If you are not related to any exercise routine, occurring pain between your shoulder blades might be your body signal of something serious about your health.
- Severe, continual upper back pain might be associated with gallstone symptoms. Pain that is rooted in the development of this issue commonly occurs in the upper right abdomen. It is constant and may last for a few days. Severe pain can even last for months, causing impairment to your ability of doing daily chores. Gradually, discomfort radiates to the upper back and under the shoulder blades. Other symptoms following the shoulder pain are acute nausea, bloating, and severe heartburn.
- Herniated discs is another health disorder associated with pain occurring between your shoulder blades. This occurs when the disc, which is a pad-like structure between the vertebrae breaks down or ruptured. The pain caused by herniated disc occurs under the shoulder blades, causing motions in the arms and upper back to be painful and difficult.
- Heart attack may also be signed by an upper back pain between your shoulder blades. When a person is suffering from a heart attack, he will likely feel severe discomfort in the chest. This discomfort radiates to the shoulder, down one arm, or to the upper portion of the back. Other symptoms related to a heart attack include shortness of breath, excessive sweating, vomiting, rapid or uneven heartbeat, and pressure on your shoulder blades.
- Narrowing of the spinal canal may also result in upper back pain between the shoulder blades. The pain usually radiated to the neck and may even go down to the arms and legs. This condition is also cited as a spinal stenosis, which may lead to walking difficulty.
- Cervical stenosis, a condition wherein the discs in between the neck vertebrae begin to degenerate and thus, cause malfunctions. This degeneration may cause the nerves to be pinched, radiating pain from the neck to the upper back and the shoulder blades. This disorder is commonly also accompanied by pain, weakness, or numbness extending into the arms or legs. In more severe cases, loss coordination and thus, bowel or bladder incontinence may occur.
Treatments for pain between and under shoulder blades
If the upper back pain is not associated to other malfunctions and thus, does not require any medical treatments and medications, it can be gotten rid of using home remedies and exercises that can be done at home. Upper back pain relief stretches can be done right after waking up and before getting to bed.
As with other spasms and pain, alternating between hot and cold compresses will also be helpful for relieving shoulder pain. A hot and cold bath will be very helpful. You may also put warm compress on the affected area before changing it with cold packs covered with a clean towel.
Your sleep position also plays a significant role in reducing shoulder pain that is not associated with other health problem. Try not to sleep in similar position every night as this may put too much pressure on certain muscles, causing strain and spasms that may extend to your shoulders. Instead, change your sleeping position regularly. You also need to make sure that your pillows give sufficient support to your back and neck, so that strained muscles can be avoided.
Should you experience upper back pain from muscle or joint injury during exercising, you should enroll yourself into a physiotherapy, which will be very useful in reducing the caused pain. Regular stretching at home after some physiotherapy sessions will also be helpful. Make sure you do not push yourself too hard when exercising to prevent any spinal accidents.