Pain under the Right Shoulder Blade

What signals pain under the right shoulder blade? There can be several causes.

In some cases these are minor inconveniences, however, this may not always be the case. There are also serious and risky diseases that can manifest themselves with this symptom.

Severe pain under the right shoulder blade can occur with spinal problems. These can be uncomplicated and subside within a few days. Conversely, a popped intervertebral disc may also be the cause of the problem. And this is no longer an insignificant problem.

A similar example is pain in the area originating from ribs, overstretched and pulled muscles or muscle tendons. 

These two examples are characterised by the main feature, which is pain related to movement or change of position.

Another type is difficulties originating from organ diseases. Also in this case, the pain can spread from the area under the rib to the place between the shoulder blades. 

Read also the article pain between the shoulder blades.

Want to know more about this unpleasant symptom?

Read with us and find out what is behind the pain under the right shoulder blade when breathing, moving or in connection with shortness of breath.

Pain between the shoulder blades and musculoskeletal system

If you suffer from pain, which can be severe and intense, it does not have to be a serious problem. It may be pain caused by musculoskeletal strain. 

There are many muscles, muscle attachments or tendons in the chest area. These structures can be overloaded under the influence of awkward movement and for exaggerated physical exertion.

Negatively influences and may be behind the pain in a given location as well:

• incorrect posture
• overweight and obesity, but also malnutrition
• sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity
• overexertion during physical activities
• uneven congestion
• injury
• infection and inflammation
• stress
• pregnancy

The rib cage and ribs can also be damaged in chest trauma, resulting in sharp pain. This does not necessarily indicate broken ribs at all.

Intense and especially sharp pain persists for several weeks even with impacted ribs. 

The accompanying sign of these problems is that the intensity of the pain increases, especially when moving or when changing position. Coughing and sneezing are also a problem. Taking a deep breath or sleeping in the wrong position are also painful.

It happens that you wake up in the morning and your whole person hurts. Chest, spine and even under the right shoulder blade, and this already from the night. Poor sleep, position during sleep and an unsuitable mattress can be to blame, even without previous exertion or injury.

A more serious condition is spinal problems that have not only a functional basis, but an organic cause. There may be several of these.

Examples: sideways curve of the spine (scoliosis), herniated disc and others.

Find more articles: Spinal diseases.

In this case, pain in the shoulder blade area can also cause problems in other parts of the spine, from the cervical, thoracic, cervical, lumbar or sacral spine. Examples of this are a acute pain in the neck, spinal block and other functional conditions.

How are back pain and neck pain treated?

The pain may also be accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms:

• dizziness
• back pain
• numbness in the shoulder, hands, arms
• pain when breathing in
• chest pain
• stomach ache
• groin pain
• flank pain
• right hip pain
• pain when coughing and chronic cough

Pain in the shoulder blade area can also be caused by weakened interscapular muscles. 

And this problem is related to...

A congested spine, the neck neck, is a problem of modern times.
Sedentary lifestyle, sedentary work, work in a monotonous position,
working behind a computer and an office desk,
lack of physical activity. 
In addition, stress and psychological burden is also a negative.

Hours spent with these factors, and a person does not avoid pain in the neck and the entire spine. The pain may radiate to the head, shoulders, the area between the shoulder blades, and the complainant may also experience hand tremors.

Prickling in the chest and difficulty breathing mimic heart disease. 

Psychosomatic difficulties are a separate chapter when the disease has no organic basis. However, prolonged stress, conflicts or traumatic experiences will trigger symptoms as if it were an organ involvement.

Pain under the right shoulder blade for organ diseases

More complex cases are represented by organ diseases. In this case, it may not even be a sharp pain or too intense. Of course, the course of symptoms is individual depends on several characteristics.

Gallstones and kidney

Gallstone... 
Lithiasis = morbid stone formation. 

Pain under the right scapula is often present in gallbladder colic. In this case, the basis of the problem is a gallstone. 

Pain in gallbladder colic is intense, colicky and localized in the upper abdomen and stomach (epigastrium) with spread under the right rib arch. In addition, it spreads to the back and under the right shoulder blade.

Gallstones stones also occur in young people, but mostly in women. They are formed due to an increased concentration of substances in the bile. Accordingly, they can be, for example, pigment or cholesterol stones. 

Cholelithiasis = gallstones. 
Cholecystolithiasis = gallstone in the gallbladder. 
Choledocholithiasis = gallstone in the bile ducts in or outside the liver. 

The risk factor for gallstones is:

• diet high in cholesterol and bad fats (saturated fatty acids)
• metabolic disorders
• obesity and overweight
• overeating
• diets and irregular eating habits
• liver disease or diabetes
• pregnancy

Pregnancy is a time when women may experience gallbladder colic and therefore pain under the right shoulder blade, even if they have not had gallbladder problems before.

The manifestation is colicky pain that spreads from the stomach and upper abdominal area under the right rib arch to below the right shoulder blade.

The pain is intense, sudden, forcing the person to walk around and look for a position of relief.

It is associated with stomach heaviness, a feeling of nausea orvomiting. Nausea is accompanied by belching, bloating (flatulence), feeling of a heavy stomach, tension after eating.

A gallstone clogs the bile ducts or the outlet of the gallbladder, and this produces the typical course. Restriction of the outflow of bile into the intestine can also cause yellow discoloration of the skin.

Attacks may recur regularly or not occur for years. The provoking factors are numerous, however, the highest risk is a bad diet and heavy fatty food. 

Often, nocturnal seizures occur when the lying position provokes blockage of the bile ducts.

In the second order, inflammation of the gallbladder and biliary tract...

A disease that is directly related to gallbladder stones is gallbladder inflammation. About 90% of cases of inflammation have a basis in stones.

It is an inflammation that arises as a result of the accumulation of bile.

Inflammation of the gallbladder = cholecystitis.
Inflammation of the bile ducts = choangitis. 

Pain in the abdomen and under the right rib arch, which may move under the right shoulder blade, is accompanied by a rise in body temperature or fever, chills, upset stomach, vomiting or icterus.

Gallstones are also closely related to inflammation of the pancreas, which can arise as a complication. In this case, however, it is typical if the pain occurs under the left rib arch, radiating up to the back.

Learn more:

• Gallbladder and its most common diseases
• When gallstones get in the way
• Basics and principles of the gallbladder diet
• Tasty recipes suitable for the gallbladder diet 

Pain due to urinary stones?

Similarly, urinary stones cause a sharp colicky abdominal pain, which may radiate to the back. It is most often localized in the lumbar (lower back) region, and can radiate higher up into the shoulder blades.

The man is pale, sweaty, does not sit up, seeks a position of relief, may strain to vomit until he vomits. Pain may radiate to the abdomen and to the groin or genital area. Depending on the side where the urinary or kidney stone is located, the pain is also localized.

Urolithiasis = diseased formation of urinary stones in the kidneys or urinary tract.

It affects men more frequently, up to 5 times more often.

The underlying cause is impaired urine output, associated with sediment accumulation of salts, minerals or other stone-forming substances. 

In addition, a number of risk factors are involved in their occurrence:

• unhealthy lifestyle
• lack of physical activity
• poor diet
• reduced fluid intake
• psychological burden and stress

Learn more: How to treat kidney stones

Other ailments and pain in the shoulder blade area

Pain between the shoulder blades is a symptom of various diseases associated with the musculoskeletal, neurological, respiratory, cardiovascular or digestive systems.

In this case, associated symptoms also occur with the particular disease. Examples include difficulty breathing (shortness of breath, dyspnoea), pallor, sweating, fever to fever, nausea, upset stomach, feeling sick to vomiting, lack of appetite, gastrointestinal bleeding and others.

In this case, the change in position does not have a significant effect, as is the case with musculoskeletal problems.

The cause of pain between the shoulder blades also includes:

• osteoporosis and rheumatism
• acute inflammation of the respiratory tract, pneumonia, chronic diseases (COPD), pulmonary embolism
• angina pectoris, ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction, aortic dissection
• pinched nerve - radiculopathy, cervicocranial (CC) and cervicobrachial (CB) syndrome, pseudoradiculopathy
• gastroesophageal reflux - passage of acids from the stomach to the oesophagus, ulcer disease
• shingles
• oncological disease
• and so on