Are You experiencing Sharp Pain near your Shoulder Blade, then you are not alone? Do you constantly feel a burning sensation near the Shoulder Blade area?-A Triangular Bone that forms your Shoulder Back. This Pain can not only limit your ADL's Activities of Daily Living but can also limit your arm movements too.  

Pain Under Your Shoulder Blade is a very common condition that is usually associated with the overuse of Shoulder Muscles, or any Nerve Compression near the neck area, a Rotator-Cuff-Muscle-Tendonitis(Pain due to Inflammation of Rotator Cuff Muscle), or many other causes mentioned below.

You Would be Surprised to know that:

Some Stats show that In the year 2000, the direct cost for the treatment of shoulder Blade Dysfunction in the US totaled around $7 billion. A continuous shoulder Blade pain can result from the following Impairments as well:

• Bursitis
• Rotator Cuff tear
• Tendinitis
• Impingement Syndrome
• Adhesive Capsulitis
• Glenohumeral Osteoarthritis(OA)
• Avascular Necrosis, 
• Degenerative Joint dysfunctions
• Traumatic Injuries

To differentiate between the cause of the interscapular and Shoulder Blade Pains, one should be aware of the anatomical structures of the Regions. Following are these anatomical Structures.

• Cervical and Thoracic spine containing vertebral bodies and discs
• Scapular Blade and shoulder girdle.
• Muscles, such as the Para spinal muscles, rhomboids Upper and Lower trapezius.
• Spinal Nerves
• Peripheral nerves.
• Pair of Ribs.
• Thoracic Aorta.
• Some partsofthelungs.
• A Part of heart.
• Esophagus.
• Skin.

Shoulder Blade Pain symptoms:

We use our Shoulders daily as a part of our Activities of Daily Living—getting dressed up, washing & Combing our Hair, Opening the Door, Picking things up from the Ground, grabbing our tea, or even shrugging our Shoulders.

 If You are feeling even a minor Pain, It can create a burden on your every activity. Therefore, You should be aware of the Symptoms of Pain you are suffering from, so that you can make a diagnosis of your problem at home.

• Dull aching pain around shoulder blade area
• Instability of the shoulder Blade due to Pain
• The feeling of a muscle pulled
• Pain in nearby groups of  muscle: i.e. Shoulder or back pain
• Difficulty using  your affected arm(s) in any activity

What causes shoulder blade pain?

There are many causes to concern when you are dealing with any sort of Shoulder Blade Pain Symptoms. Following symptoms? can help you give a better understanding of your problem:

1. Improper Lifting Techniques

When you lift a weight without using a Proper Technique can make you liable to Shoulder Pain or even lead to Injury. Lifting heavy objects away from your body leads to the misalignment of the Spine and creates great pressure on your upper back.

The greater you are going to ignore it, the greater it would impact your body. Lifting from the wrong angle can even lead to rib fracture or other abdominal issues. The exaggerated back pain from improper lifting technique can shift it upwards between your Spine Blades.  This Pain can also be referred to as Shoulder Blade Pain.

2) Poor Posture;

Sitting in a Poor Posture for a Longer Duration of Time can cause your Shoulder Blade Area to Pain. Curving your back, tilting your hips to one side, and sitting in a kyphotic manner can weaken your Shoulder Muscles and create pressure on your spinal Discs. It can also lead to trigger points at some specific areas of your back.

Rounded Shoulders, potbelly, and body aches are also some of the prominent effects of Poor Posture along with Shoulder Blade Pains. If this pain needs to be avoided, you have to focus on your postural angles. A 90% angle should be maintained between your back & hips, Knees and Hips, And feet and Knees, Respectively for a good Postural sitting.

3) Age Factor

With a growing aging population, there is a  high prevalence of shoulder Blade pain which may have a direct impact on public health. It will be more increasingly significant to define the risk factors, etiologies and create new management strategies for Shoulder Blade Pain patients.

Soft Tissue Lesion is one of the most prevalent causes of Shoulder Blade pain in Older age Patients. It mostly includes Rotator Cuff Injuries and Tendonitis, Rupture, Impingement in Sub-acromial Region, Frozen(Contracted) Shoulders or OsteoArthritis.

4) Musculoskeletal Causes;

The Shoulder Blade Pain associated with the Muscular and skeletal System represents the following symptoms;

1. Snapping,Clicking, Grinding, Popping or the Crunching sensations in the shoulder area

• Numbness  or Weakness in the arm

• Shoulder forward tilting or Drooping.

• Instability of the joint, you would feel like having a loosen Shoulder
• Stiffness, Pain or swelling is observed in other joints in the Shoulder area,even including some spinal joints
• Reduced Ranges of motion or Stifness, which can be prevented with the overhead movement of Shoulder and Arm.
• Scapular Winging

Some other associated impairments which need immediate treatments include following shoulder Blade Pain caused due to musculoskeletal System;

Muscle Strains: It's considered as one of the most common causes of pain in the shoulder blade including muscle strains from heavy weight lifting, intense workouts or even sleeping in a bad Posture.

Snapping Scapula Syndrome: The Discomfort associated with Popping and cracking Sounds, the MSK causes could be the diagnosis.

5) Cardiovascular Causes;

Shoulder Blade Pains mostly include the pains related to MSK, but other perspectives of this pain could be life-threatening as well, which requires immediate medical attention. It may be due to associations with heart and cardiovascular causes;

• Chest pains, radiating down towards the arms and up to the jaws.
• Coughing with the Blood and discomforts while taking deep breaths.
• Heart palpitation, chest discomforts, or fast racing heart, pressure or tightness.
• Severe Pain, continious vomitingand  nausea.
• Shortness of breaths, rapidity in breathing,or difficulty in gasping breaths
• Vomiting the blood.

Heart Attack: The shoulder Blade might be a leading sign of a heart attack. It could also be a symptom of aortic dissection or Pericarditis Collapsed lungs, Aortic aneurysms, or PE(Pulmonary embolism).

6) Abdominal Causes;

Pancreatitis: Left Shoulder Blade Pain can be caused by a digestive disorder.

Gall Stones: The presence of the Gall Stones is an Indication of feeling Pain in the Right Shoulder Blade. It is termed as a referred pain.

Peptic Ulcers, Fluids, Blood or Gas in the Abdominal Cavities.

Some referred problems might also be the cause of Shoulder Blade Pain, which is felt in the abdominal Region but the associated area is somewhere else. Likewise, Lung problems, including cancer of lungs, pneumonia, collapsed lungs or PE (pulmonary-embolisms)-A condition in which one of the Pulmonary arteries is Blocked.

7) Dislocated Rib Cage;

It is not much Common but a misalignment or rib displacement can be observed as a reason for any repeated stress on the Rib. It would indicate the pain in a Sharp Shooting manner making it difficult to breathe.

 Mostly the Patients who visit hospitals or clinics, complain about shooting and stabbing Pain like a Knife Stuck in their shoulder whenever they take a deep breath. It might be a possibility that the rib had struck in a Flexed Position.

8) Muscle Overuse OR Repetitive strain of the Shoulder Blade ("swimmer's shoulder")

Repetitive strain of the shoulder Blade is commonly caused by continuous repetitive use of the Muscle and leads to muscle spasming and is mostly observed in professional Swimmers.

It is also observed in people with heavy work tasks at their jobs like laborers, or the people habitual of tough working. i.e. Painting your ceiling, moving heavy furniture, or arm sprintings. It can also lead s to form inflammatory bursas under your shoulder Blades known as Snapping-Scapula-Syndromes.

9) Other Related Problems;

Frozen Shoulder; which is also termed as AdhesiveCapsulitis or Contracted(Frozen) Shoulder CFS. In other words, we can say that it is an unknown etiology of Primary (Idiopathic) or Secondary nature mostly comprising of limitation of active and passive Ranges of Motion(ROM), pain, disuse Muscle weakness of the Shoulder Girdle. The compromised shoulder mobility causes difficulty and restriction in performing daily ADLs (Activities of Daily Living).

Myofascial pain syndrome; also as ''chronic myofascial pain'' (CMP.) Pressure points on certain points of the muscles are created which causes the referred pain-the pain be felt anywhere else in the body.

The cause is meant to be muscle injury through overuse along with repetitive motions. Tension, poor posture, and stress can create these strains too in the Shoulder Blade.

10) Non-Specific Shoulder Blade Pain

Non-specific shoulder pain, also termed as NSSP, meaning the cause of pain in the Shoulder is idiopathic or Unknown.

Treatment of Shoulder Blade Pain at HOME;

A Shoulder Blade( scapular) stabilizer and a rotator cuff strengthening Training program which uses rehabilitation promises for the shoulder Blade pain-relieving treatment. Additional Exercises are needed to determine the effectiveness compared with the interventions.

• Stretching and Exercises: Strengthening up back Muscles could help to reduce the pain. Try doing pushups, pull-ups, and sit-ups. Remember to start with slow exercises if you don't exercise on the regular basis.

 Light stretches and Flexibility exercises can also help to loosen up your tensed muscles. Other Exercises also include Yoga,  Meditation, and Massage Therapies.

Some Home bases Exercises Plans are Mentioned;

1. Wall Angles; Mention 5 Contact Points at the wall and Move your hands and Arms gradually upward towards those rising points. Perform 5 sets of this exercise with 10 Reps.

2. Single OR Double Arm Row; Use Band Press and perform this exercise using Double Arm row, bringing your elbows towards your side. 3 Sets with 15 Reps.

3. Foam Roller on Wall; Use a Foam Roller under your Forearm and Elbow, starting from the Level of Face, gradually moving it down to the Chest Level. Hold it for 3 seconds. 3 Sets of 15 Reps.

4. Plank to Downward Dog; Make a Plank Position and gradually drop it in a Downward Dog Position. Hold it for 5 Seconds with 10 Reps each. Perform the Sets according to your ease.

5. External Rotation: Put a folded towel under your affected side Elbow, use a Band and Pull it against your body. Do not exceed your limits of pull at once. Work Slow and Steadily. 10 Sets with 15 Reps.

• Therapy: Both physical therapy and massage can help, especially if it is due to any injury or any compressed nerve. TENS and Ultrasounds are interventional Physical Therapy Treatments which greatly impacts the Shoulder Blade Pains in a Postive Way.
• Medications: Counter Anti-Inflammatory medications or NSAIDS can temporarily relieve shoulder blade pains. Steroids might also be prescribed according to the severity.
• Surgery: Shoulder blade surgery is not mostly recommended but it'sthelast option for those who are suffering from extreme pains.

Shoulder blade pain Treatment:

The Treatment of Shoulder Blade Pain typically starts with a conservative care Plan of Exercises plus an additional treatment is run through physical therapy interventions. Mostly mechanical traction or manual therapy MT, are indicated which are further accompanied by therapeutic exercises to address mobility and strength deficits.

If the conservative care plan fails to restore function, then the physician may refer to Interventions including TENS and Ultrasound.

Ultrasounds; Ultrasounds are believed to produce two main types of benefits: Some thermal effects and some non-thermal effects. Both of them are useful for Shoulder Blade Pain.

The main role of Ultrasound in treating Shoulder Blade Pains initiates from Tissue Healing Process. The Sound waves of the ultrasounds penetrate through the Muscle, increasing the Blood Flow, Reducing Pain, and Relaxing the affected Muscle. It encourages Repair and Healing Process Fast.

TENS; TENS is a very commonly used modality for pain and sensational modulation. Researchers have shown that it is very difficult because measuring pain is challenging.

 Every patient perceives the pain differently at a different Scale. Some may have high pain tolerance ratio while others have a low, and this difference in perception can make it comparing the patients to one another problematic.

When to see a doctor:

If your pain is sudden and severe and you cannot  think of any logical explanations for it, kindly seek immediate medical attention if you are experiencing it:

• Difficulty speaking
• Dizziness
• Chest tightness
• Pain in the neck or jaw
• Excessive sweating
• Difficulty breathing