Possible Causes of Shoulder Blade Pain

Having pain under or near your shoulder blade-- the triangular bone that forms the back of your shoulder-- may limit arm motions and hinder day-to-day activities. This discomfort can vary from being sharp or burning, such as in between the spinal column and shoulder blade, to tender or achy across the shoulder or upper back. Some possible reasons for this discomfort might be:

Poor Posture
Extended sitting with poor posture may trigger your spinal column to go through structural changes that eventually trigger discomfort below the shoulder blade. Stooping your back, tilting your head down, or sitting to one side-- while working behind a desk or reading from a mobile phone, for instance-- can deteriorate your muscles and place pressure on spine discs, muscles, and ligaments. This routine imbalance can contribute to upper pain in the back.

Inappropriate Lifting
Lifting weight above your head without appropriate method can leave your upper back and shoulders vulnerable to injury. If you lift an object that is too heavy, or if the object is held far from the body with the spinal column misaligned, you can put undue pressure on your upper back. Lifting objects overhead that are too heavy can strain muscles or sprain ligaments, or possibly injure the shoulder joint or spine, which might refer discomfort under or near the shoulder blade.

Overuse
Painting a ceiling, helping a pal move furnishings, or participating in a softball league are all examples of activities that can put your upper back and shoulders through more work than they're utilized to doing. Overuse can cause muscle pressures and ligament sprains, which can trigger pain in the upper back, such as in between your shoulder blade and spinal column. Another example is scapulothoracic bursitis, also called snapping scapula syndrome, in which the bursa in between the shoulder blade (scapula) and thoracic spine ends up being irritated and agonizing from overuse or injury.

Cervical herniated disc
A herniated disc in the cervical spinal column (neck) occurs when a disc's external layer (annulus fibrosus) tears and the inner layer (nucleus pulposus) begins to leak external. A disc herniation can cause pain and might inflame a close-by nerve root that radiates discomfort down into the arm, shoulder, and/or hand. A disc herniation in the lower cervical spine is most likely to radiate discomfort into or near the shoulder blade location. While less common, it's also possible for a disc herniation in the thoracic spine (upper back) to trigger discomfort near the shoulder blade.

Having pain under or near your shoulder blade-- the triangular bone that forms the back of your shoulder-- may limit arm motions and interfere with day-to-day activities. Lifting things overhead that are too heavy can strain muscles or sprain ligaments, or potentially hurt the shoulder joint or spinal column, which might refer pain under or near the shoulder blade.

A disc herniation can cause discomfort and might irritate a nearby nerve root that radiates discomfort down into the shoulder, hand, and/or arm.

At Modern Concepts we are specialists in pain management. Contact us today to see how we can help you.