UKH

Hello,

Don't know if anyone out there can reassure me?  I am experiencing severe pain between shoulder blades? 

The pain started one evening and was pretty intense by the the following day.  I had done some pretty intense climbing two days previously and then got quite wet and cold the following day which might be significant.  Movement of my arms upper body doesn't produce any sharp twinges but standing and walking brings it on.  I would describe it as a gnawing ache which is only relieved when sitting or better lying down.  There is also pain in my sternum but not as intense and much less persistent.

That was ten days ago and it hasn't changed.  Another worrying thing that happened was a night swet where I woke absolutely drenched in sweat and heart racing.  I'm hoping this is just anxiety due to worrying about my back.

I have a chest x-ray booked for Monday.  

Anyone else had anything similar?

Thank you

I'd hesitate a guess that the shoulder pain, is base of scapula(shoulder blades)? Not the actual spine. 

It's right between the shoulder blades but slightly to the right of the spine.  At the place a bra strap clasp would sit.

Could it be ligament or tendon related?  I'm used to muscle strains and you tend to feel them as you move around.

I don't wear a bra so can't say. 

Google about damaged muscle fibres where Latissimus dorsi attaches to the inferior angle of the scapula... see if it correlates. Less likely to be rhomboid muscle.

BEWARE; of Google diagnosis, find a good sports physio!! 

Thanks I will google that.  Sports physio next week for me...

If the pain grows as you walk, a kind of building tension, getting worse and worse, try swinging you arms (You might just look like a power walker).. the timing correlates with your hips (the other end of the lattimus muscle) and means it pulls less on your shoulder blade. 

If that's what it is, but it's easily tested. 

I'm going to try that...  It's dark now so not too worried about looking like a power walker!

Thanks will try the chin glides and yes I mentioned the night sweat. 

I'm hoping that was down to anxiety.  

Has anyone reading this experienced a night sweat and was it triggered by anxiety?

I would suggest that you would be better seeking medical advice. Yes anxiety can cause rises in body temperature which could lead to sweating. However I have never in 30 years of working in mental health ever heard anxiety being the cause of pain between the shoulder blades.

Yes.  i was just wanted some reassurance until Monday.  

I'm currently planning my own funeral!

Hi, 

How old are you ? 
Any other medical issues? 
 

A

I’ve certainly experienced pain in the shoulder blade area on a number of times. Completely ruined a holiday in Wales once, could barely walk, climbing completely out of the question.

For me it was a muscle strain starting under the shoulder blade. Simple cause but very painful indeed.

it certainly stopped me sleeping properly so maybe this is what you are seeing at night.

I get stuff like this all the time.  It’s likely just a muscular issue and will get better before too long.  I’d recommend a deep tissue sports massage, foam roller and massage (or tennis) ball sessions and NSAIDs to aid recovery. 
I also go for a sports massage once a month as a preventative measure to try and keep reoccurrences to a minimum.

As soon as it starts to feel a bit better (which it will, trust me) the anxiety will lessen too, which will only aid recovery even more.

Youll be fine, just be kind to yourself for a week or two.

Yes, I have for several nights in a row. I won't go into it as it's a long story. As soon as the thing I was most worried about went away, I stopped getting the night sweats.

I would see a physio as others have recommended, or the doctor if you're worried it's more than that.

I suspect you already have but I'd recommend NOT Googling night sweats and other anxiety related symptoms...I did and it only heightened my anxiety!

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

I am reluctant to write this as I don’t want to add to your stress but I had the same symptoms and assumed I had pulled a muscle.  What you describe is exactly the same as the symptoms I had when I had a heart attack. Maybe you should at least call 111 and talk to someone with medical knowledge. It could well be something muscular but why take the chance?

Thanks for the messages.  I went to A and E and had ecg's, bloods and blood pressure checked.  

I'm looking for some pattern such as certain movements or after eating but all seems a little random. 

Googling these symptoms really doesn't reassure...

Terrible advice. 

Sports massage does not fix injury.

Foam rolling does not fix injury.

NSAIDs help symptoms, but do not relieve injury.

If you think you're injured (clearly the OP does) go to A & E/ your GP/ a sports physio as appropriate. If you're tired, stiff, and sore then sports massage is great, and foam rolling (if done right!!) helpful. Neither fix injury.

It’s not really terrible advice though Is it...painkillers and massage certainly helped me get through one episode of shoulder blade pain...I’m sure they helped me recover from the injury quicker by relaxing the tension surrounding the stressed muscle.

I have had it for ten days now so that probably means it isn't a heart problem?

Had the A and E trip on the third day.

Any other symptoms Mark?

Sub Scapularis muscle strain or gall bladder disease. (Gallstones). Unlikely, unless you are fair fat and forty!

I personally suspect it's the soft tissue/ muscle fibre connection from lat muscle as it passes over the base of the scapula. 

A hard ball(tennis ball size) on the floor or against the wall works as a good self massage. Massage will help pain and reduce tension in the muscle, improve circulation..

I'd avoid any anti inflammatory medicine as what most injuries like this need is as much blood as possible to heel; deep heat type creams, hot shower blasting on the back, lie in a sauna.. etc. 

Anti inflammatories are good immediately after injury if swelling might increase soft tissue damage, but after 24hrs that window of opportunity has passed. 

Thank you.  Having a bath or lying down eases it so that would make sense.  As soon as I start walking the pain returns very quickly.  

That is very encouraging. Your head weighs about twenty pounds (more so if you are one of the appendages that’s posted up above) and when you’re upright it relies on your spinal musculature to keep you in a vertical posture, hence if you’ve got a thoracic spinal problem you will experience pain.

Brought on by looking down at their phone endlessly googling other injuries!! 

Yes and my posture isn't so great massage, and stretching should help...

I think you're spot on there Summo!

Indeed

I once had this, 10 sessions with physio, no result. Studies wiki anatomy then brutally stretched my lats for half an hour and have never had the pain return.

I put my arm up, put my elbow against a door jamb and really leaned into it, trying to get my hand to go as far down my back as possible. 

Worth a go. 

Alternatively if your shoulder blade is lifting off your back as you swing your arm forwards you have a neurological problem. Brachial plexus neuropathy type stuff. 

Or the tennis ball routine. On floor or against wall, self sports massage. 

You suspect. Have you seen the injury and are you a physio? Massage may well be the solution; and I agree with you that a tennis ball is a good mechanism for self massage. However, blindly poking around without knowing what the problem is has potential for disaster. Go to a physio, find out what’s actually wrong then treat from there (which may well involve massage). 
 

To be clear: I’m not hating on massage as a treatment when it’s appropriate. If you don’t know what the injury is, it’s not appropriate- diagnose first, treat second.

Mate, it’s probably nothing sinister, likely muscular or anxiety, the differential diagnosis list is very long and some of the advice mentioned will help in which case  

However, you do need to see a medical professional as there are some significant pathologies such as  pericarditis, infarction/coronary syndromes etc that need to be excluded and probably would be easily brushed off with a simple history and examination/simple tests such as an ecg etc.  If it gets worse then you should definitely speak to the NHS 111 service for obvious reasons as they are significant if slightly rarer. 

Hope it clears up and you get back out there soon. 

I've had this injury that matched what they explained and the activities that likely caused it correlate. No I'm not a physio, but I've done some sport therapist courses, more as means to avoid injuries or treat myself. I still go to my own physio though, as there is no substitute for a person who treats sport injuries on a regular basis. 

Massaging is hardly blindly poking around, what disasters are you envisaging if you massage one of the strongest muscle we have with a tennis ball?

If you go up thread I said go to a good sports physio and beware of Google diagnosis, I even put this in capital letters. It's likely the 4th or 5th post on this thread.  

Of course and I've not suggested otherwise. 

From 13 to about 35, I experienced various problems with pains in my upper and middle back, including pains as you describe. This led to a few episodes of time off work, most of which employers were intensely suspicious of. On one occasion, aged 20, the pain at the shoulder blade and through to the sternum (after single-handedly push-starting a 1943 Willys Jeep along Lauriston Place), led me to A&E where for 5 hours of investigation they obsessed about my heart and found nothing. 

When I was 36 I had a neck injury and the brief anatomy lesson from the physio made clear what had been going on. The shape of my spine, postural habits and ambitious physical activities had conspired to bring me these pains through the trapping of nerves at the spine. 

Chest x-ray may end up more useful if you mention to the radiographer beforehand that trapped nerves are one of the things that might be involved.

Probably a good idea to get yourself off to a chartered physiotherapist.
https://www.csp.org.uk/public-patient/find-physiotherapist/find-physio