Your shoulder blade, also known as the scapula, is a triangular shaped bone in your upper back on either side of your spine. They are critical for helping you move your shoulders in different directions, but they can also be a source of discomfort if you suffer acute trauma to the area, it is exposed to repetitive stress or you simply sleep on your shoulder in the wrong position. Below, we take a closer look at some of the underlying causes of shoulder blade pain, and we discuss when shoulder blade pain warrants a visit with a shoulder specialist.
Shoulder Blade Pain Causes And Symptoms
Shoulder blade discomfort can have an obvious cause, like if you took a tumble while snowboarding, or it can be less obvious and seem to develop out of nowhere. Some issues that can lead to shoulder blade discomfort include:
- Muscle Conditions – A problem with the muscles that help to control the shoulder blade or the nearby connective tissues is a common cause of shoulder blade pain. If these muscles are strained, tight or spasming as a result of repetitive stress or decreased blood flow, pain can be present along the shoulder blade.
- Rotator Cuff Tears – While a rotator cuff tear will likely present with symptoms in a different area of the shoulder, a rotator cuff tear can put additional strain on the muscles that support the shoulder blade, which can lead to symptom onset in the shoulder blade area.
- Osteoarthritis – Wear and tear on the shoulder blade as a result of years of stress on the shoulder could cause discomfort to develop along the scapula.
- Fracture – Although rare, scapula fractures can occur during contact sports, automobile collisions or during a fall. You may not be aware that you fractured your scapula, but it will be obvious that there is a problem in your shoulder that warrants medical attention if you suffered enough acute trauma to fracture the shoulder blade.
There is also the possibility that your shoulder blade discomfort is caused by an issue in another part of your body. This is known as referred pain, and it can be common in the shoulder area because a number of key nerves pass near the shoulder blade. If these nerves are damaged somewhere along the path, it can send pain sensations that manifest in the form of shoulder blade pain. Problems like spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, lung conditions and even certain cancers can cause discomfort to develop in and around the shoulder blade area.
You should proactively treat shoulder blade discomfort, but you may want to connect with a shoulder specialist if certain severe symptoms are present. If pain is severe, persistent or develops without an obvious cause, you would be wise to connect with a doctor or a shoulder specialist.
Diagnosing And Treating Shoulder Blade Pain
If you present to a shoulder specialist’s office with shoulder blade pain, they’ll ask about your symptoms and conduct a physical assessment of the area. They may put pressure on the shoulder complex or ask you to perform some simple movement exercises to see how your body responds to these actions. They may be able to make a diagnosis using only these techniques, or they may opt to take a closer look with the help of an imaging technique like an X-ray, MRI or CT scan.
As you can probably guess, treatment for shoulder blade issues will depend on the underlying cause of discomfort. For individuals who are bothered by muscle issues or osteoarthritic degeneration, a combination of RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) and physical therapy can help to decrease pain and improve overall function in the shoulder area. Many mild to moderate cases of shoulder blade discomfort can be treated using non-operative treatment.
If non-operative treatment fails, or you are dealing with an issue like severe rotator cuff damage, more hands-on treatment may be required. Surgery can help to artificially strengthen the rotator cuff and take stress off the shoulder blade, or it can be conducted to address a fracture such that it heals as expected. Your shoulder surgeon can walk you through the specifics of the procedure, but most patients find relief with conservative methods.
If you’re dealing with acute shoulder pain following trauma to the area, or you’ve slowly developed nagging discomfort in the shoulder blade without an obvious cause, consider connecting with a specialist like Dr. Holloway. He’ll ensure that the root problem is identified and help set you up with an individualized treatment plan to put an end to your discomfort. For more information, or for help with a different shoulder issue, reach out to Dr. Holloway’s office today at (865) 410-7887.
