What Causes Pain between Shoulder Blades?

The shoulder blade, otherwise known as the scapula is the bone structure in the upper back part of the body connecting the arm to the thorax (chest wall). The shoulder blade also forms part of the socket, which connects the upper arm to the socket. It is surrounded by muscles and tissues which upholstery the bone structure allowing the shoulders to move smoothly. Thus, the shoulder blade is largely complicated in the distinct movements of the human arms. Like any other parts of the body however, the shoulder blade may suffer swelling and inflammation, which lead to what is generally referred to as shoulder blade pain.

However, pain in the middle of shoulder blades may be caused by a amount of factors. The pain may be sourced from inflammation of the tissues or tendons surrounding the scapula or the shoulder blade. Muscles surrounding the shoulder blade may have been torn or strained due to some strenuous activities. The same case may also apply as regards the tendons and ligaments in the scapula region. Joint dislocations may also lead to shoulder blade pain as a consequent of a strong trauma after an accident or during a play of a sport. Shoulder blade pain may also involve infection or bone tumor in the region of the scapula; but cases of this type are very infrequent.

Although pain in the middle of shoulder blades may signal that there is something wrong with the tissues, joints, ligaments or muscles colse to and within the shoulder region, it is not any way all the time the case. Not all types of pain in the middle of shoulder blades are indicative of infection, inflammation, or problems within the scapula region. Pain in the middle of the shoulder blades may be an indicator of a disease other than that which is directly connected to infection in the scapula; such pain may be a signal warning from one of the organs of the body. This type of pain is considered as "referred pain".

Shoulder blade pain may signal any pain from another part of the body the severity of which may range from mild to severe. Thus, the pain may be a referred pain from the lower part of the neck, or from the lower part of the back. This may be caused by too much stress or too much time spent in front of the computer. This may also indicate a posture problem. If the person has a bad posture, the spine may be affected and therefore it refers the stress and pressure to the shoulder blade area.

On the other hand, pain in the middle of shoulder blades may indicate severe healing problems or conditions in the other organs of the body. It may mean an impending heart attack; it has been documented that prior to a heart attack, most are experiencing pain in the middle of their shoulder blades. Gallbladder disease may also manifest in the form of pain in the middle of shoulder blades. This may frequently be accompanied by vomiting. It may also be caused by liver cancer and esophageal cancer or cancer in the esophagus due to an abnormal increase of cells and tumors in a person's esophagus.

Doc... I've Got Severe Pain between My Shoulder Blades - What's Causing It?

There are many causes of pain in the shoulder blades. Pain in the middle of the shoulder blades can occur as a supervene of mundane problems such as working at the computer too long without a break. Some causes though are serious and must be addressed immediately.

Here are some them:

Gall Bladder Pain

Sporadic pains in the middle of the upper abdomen, or just below the ribs on the right side are felt. The pain may spread to the right shoulder or in the middle of the shoulder blades. The pain can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting and sometimes excessive gas. The charge can last from a few minutes to two to three hours before getting better. The frequency and severity of attacks is very variable. Attacks can be triggered by eating fatty foods such as chocolate, cheese or pastry. It can be difficult to distinguish the pain from other diseases, such as: gastric ulcer, back problems, heart pains, pneumonia and kidney stones.

Neck source from arthritis or disc disease

This is a general pain located in the neck area and may be associated with stiffness in the neck muscles. The pain may radiate down to the shoulder or in the middle of the shoulder blades. It may also radiate out into the arm, the hand, or up into the head, causing a one-sided or double-sided headache. The muscles in the neck are tense, sore and feel hard to the touch. Acute pain can give rise to abnormal neck posture in which the head is forced to turn to one side; this health is known as torticollis.
The pain at the base of the skull may be accompanied by a feeling of infirmity in the shoulders and arms. There may be a prickly or tingling sensation in the arms and fingers.

Angina Pectoris

Angina pectoris derives from Latin and translates as 'tight chest'. It feels like a heavy, crushing pain or a constricting feeling in the center of the chest behind the breast bone (sternum) or on the left side of the front of the chest. The pain can radiate out to either one or both arms, more often the left. It can be experienced in the throat, jaw, the stomach and, more rarely, in the middle of the shoulder blades.

Angina is often brought on by:

o bodily exercise

o psychological stress

o greatest cold

o a heavy meal.

Once these trigger factors stop, the pain commonly ends quickly, ordinarily within 2 to 10 minutes.

Liver Cancer

Liver cancer, an abnormal cell growth in the liver presents in two ways:

o primary cancer means that the cancer started in the liver

o Secondary cancer of the liver occurs when a cancer starts someplace else and spreads to the liver.

The early warning signs of liver cancer:

A hard lump in the abdomen, below the rib cage on the right side.

Discomfort in the upper abdomen on the right side.

Pain around the right shoulder blade, or pain in the middle of the shoulder blades.

Yellowish skin color (jaundice)

Abdominal swelling causing a feeling of fullness

Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal cancer appears as a tumor, or an abnormal growth of cells in the esophagus. The esophagus is the food passageway that connects the throat to the stomach.

Esophageal cancer ordinarily does not cause any symptoms until the cancer has advanced to a stage that is too late for effective treatment. The main symptom is mystery in swallowing food. There is a frequent sensation of food getting stuck in the throat or chest.

Signs of advanced esophageal cancer include:

Pain when swallowing.

Pain in the throat or back, behind the breastbone or pain in the middle of the shoulder blades.

Decreased appetite and weight loss.

Hiccups with the feeling of food getting stuck in the throat or chest.

Vomiting and coughing up blood.

Aortic dissection

When the aorta, the major artery foremost from the heart, tears, there can be sudden sharp pain in the spine in the middle of the shoulder blades. This is an certain surgical emergency.