Pain under the left shoulder blade: causes and when it is dangerous

Pain under the left shoulder blade is rarely accidental. There is a flat bone, muscles, ribs, and nerves there, and each layer can make itself felt in its own way. We discuss where it comes from and at what point a visit to the doctor cannot be postponed.

What is located under the left shoulder blade

The shoulder blade is a flat, triangular bone. It lies against the posterior surface of the chest from the II to the VII rib, meaning the area under it is a section of the chest wall on the left, not "just the back." The posterior surface of the bone is divided into two fossae, the supraspinous and infraspinous, and a bony prominence, the spine of the scapula. A whole set of muscles attaches to the shoulder blade: the trapezius, the major and minor rhomboids, the levator scapulae, the supraspinatus, the infraspinatus, the teres minor and major, the subscapularis, the serratus anterior, and the latissimus dorsi.

Causes of pain from the back and muscles

Back pain is one of the most common medical problems: 8 out of 10 people encounter it at least once in their lives. A common cause is an injury such as a muscle strain; less common are a disc herniation, nerve entrapment, and ankylosing spondylitis; very rarely back pain turns out to be a sign of a fracture, tumor, or infection.

When pain under the shoulder blade is a reason to see a doctor

Pain that comes from the upper back, from the area between the shoulder blades rather than from the lower back, is one of the reasons to make an appointment with a doctor. Pay separate attention to your general condition: if fever, chills, or general malaise accompany the pain, an urgent doctor's appointment is needed. In such cases a specialist determines the specific cause — it cannot be distinguished by eye.

Aching, acute, and sharp pain: what it may mean

The nature of the pain does not make a diagnosis, but it helps describe it to a doctor. Back pain ranges from dull and constant to sudden and acute. Acute pain is pain that arises suddenly and usually lasts from several days to several weeks; chronic pain is pain that persists for more than three months.

Sudden severe pain, or pain that rapidly increases, is a separate reason not to wait and to see a doctor urgently.

How a doctor determines the cause of the pain

First, a conversation: where exactly it hurts, where the pain radiates, what makes it worse and better, how long ago it started, whether there was an injury. Then an examination. After that, tests as indicated: radiography, MRI, and if necessary myelography and discography.

When pain under the shoulder blade requires a visit to the doctor

Some situations do not require haste but do require a scheduled visit. It is a reason to make an appointment with a doctor if the pain under the shoulder blade:

• does not go away within several weeks;
• interferes with everyday tasks — work, sleep, household duties;
• is accompanied by effortless weight loss, swelling on the back, or a change in its shape;
• does not go away after rest, is worse at night, or intensifies with coughing, sneezing, and defecation;
• comes from the upper back, from the area between the shoulder blades rather than from the lower back.

See a doctor immediately

Pain under the shoulder blade by itself is not a reason to call an ambulance. Call 103 or 112 if it is accompanied by chest pain, if the pain began after a serious accident such as a car crash, if both legs become numb and weak, if sensation is lost in the genital and anal area, or if urination and bowel movements change.

This material is for reference: it does not replace a doctor's consultation, and the decision about testing is made by a specialist after an examination.

This content is for reference and does not replace a doctor's consultation. Medical disclaimer