7 Reasons You Might Be Experiencing Pain Under Your Shoulder Blade

 Pain under or around your shoulder blade—the triangular bone that forms the rear of your shoulder—can restrict arm movements and make daily activities more difficult. Sharp or searing pain between the spine and shoulder blade, for example, might range from painful or achy over the shoulder or upper back. The next sections go through some of the possible causes of this pain.

7 Reasons You Might Be Experiencing Pain Under Your Shoulder Blade

• Poor posture

Long periods of sitting with bad posture can cause structural changes in your spine, resulting in soreness beneath the shoulder blade. Working behind a desk or reading from a cell phone, for example, can weaken your muscles and put strain on your spinal discs, muscles, and ligaments by hunching your back, tilting your head down, or seating to one side. Upper back pain can be exacerbated by this habitual imbalance.

• Improper lifting technique

Lifting weight above your head without adequate technique might cause harm to your upper back and shoulders. You can put unnecessary pressure on your upper back if you lift an object that is overly heavy, or if the object is held out from the body with the spine misaligned. Lifting objects that are too heavy overhead can strain muscles, damage ligaments, or hurt the shoulder joint or spine, causing pain under or near the shoulder blade.

• Overuse

Painting a ceiling, assisting a buddy with moving furniture, or joining a softball team are all activities that put your upper back and shoulders through more labor than they're used to. Overuse can cause muscle strains and ligament sprains in the upper back, causing pain between the shoulder blade and the spine. Scapulothoracic bursitis, also known as snapping scapula syndrome, occurs when the bursa that connects the shoulder blade (scapula) to the thoracic spine becomes inflamed and painful as a result of overuse or injury.

• Cervical herniated disc

When the outer layer (annulus fibrosus) of a disc tears and the inner layer (nucleus pulposus) begins to seep outward, it is called a herniated disc in the cervical spine (neck). A herniated disc can cause pain and inflame a surrounding nerve root, causing pain to radiate down the shoulder, arm, and/or hand. A lower cervical spine disc herniation is more prone to radiate discomfort into or near the shoulder blade area.  A disc herniation in the thoracic spine (upper back) can also induce pain near the shoulder blade, however this is less common.

• Dislocated rib

After repetitive effort or reaching for an item overhead, a rib may pop out of place or become misaligned. This action might cause sharp pain near your shoulder blade, which can make it difficult to take a deep breath.

• Heart condition

Pain in the shoulder blade region is a symptom of some cardiac diseases. Aortic dissection, for example, is a dangerous, life-threatening illness that happens when the heart's main artery tears, causing acute discomfort behind or near the shoulder blade. 2 Pain in the upper back and/or shoulder, especially in women, can be a sign of a heart attack.

• Compression fracture

Compression fractures occur when a vertebral bone (usually in the upper back) weakens and compresses, resulting in back pain that improves with rest or is sensitive to touch. In elderly adults, osteoporosis is the most common cause of compression fractures.

This list of possible causes for pain beneath your shoulder blade is not exhaustive, but it should provide you with a good starting point on your road to recovery. A doctor should be consulted if back or shoulder pain lasts more than a few weeks or interferes with daily activities. Seek medical help right away if your pain is severe or accompanied by other warning signs including headache, tingling, weakness, or nausea.

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References

• 1.Mizutamari M. et al. Corresponding scapular pain with the nerve root involved in cervical radiculopathy. J Orthop Surg. 2010; 18(3): 356–60.
• 2.Aortic dissection. US National Library of Medicine, Medline Plus website. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000181.htm. Updated June 10, 2018. Accessed June 4, 2019.