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What Causes Intermittent Pain In Upper Left Back Area?
Question: Hi, I have had intermittent pain/discomfort in my left upper back (shoulder blade are)that sometimes radiates to the front just below my left breast. This has been going on for several weeks. Just had heart testing and it's not cardiac (EKG, X-ray, cardiac enzyme test and stress test). now the pain is felt in my lowest left rib and I felt what seemd like a swollen lymph node (about 4 inches to the left of my sternum). All my blood work has been normal. My daughter is recovering from Hodgkins lymphoma and this concerns me but could it be GI related?
Brief Answer:
Most likely back related/ contracture through tense muscles
Detailed Answer:
Dear patient,
your left upper back pain in shoulder blade area is very likely related to tense muscles/ contracture (through pinged nerve in spine/ rib connected area). I am sure you have gone through a lot of stress with your daughter. Mostly it helps to apply lokal warmth and take pain medication like ibuprofen.
If you think you can feel a swollen lymphnode in that desribed area you should show that to your local doc to get it checked since that can't be 100% evaluated online. But a lymph gland does't usually cause the kind of pain you are describing.
Can you please give me an explanation what you mean with "Gl-related"?, then i can gladly get back to you on that question also.
Hope this is helping you , if you have any clarificatons you can get back to me, if this was helpful please kindly rate my answer. Best regards
Most likely back related/ contracture through tense muscles
Detailed Answer:
Dear patient,
your left upper back pain in shoulder blade area is very likely related to tense muscles/ contracture (through pinged nerve in spine/ rib connected area). I am sure you have gone through a lot of stress with your daughter. Mostly it helps to apply lokal warmth and take pain medication like ibuprofen.
If you think you can feel a swollen lymphnode in that desribed area you should show that to your local doc to get it checked since that can't be 100% evaluated online. But a lymph gland does't usually cause the kind of pain you are describing.
Can you please give me an explanation what you mean with "Gl-related"?, then i can gladly get back to you on that question also.
Hope this is helping you , if you have any clarificatons you can get back to me, if this was helpful please kindly rate my answer. Best regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Thank you for your answer. I'm hoping it is just tense muscles, but I know the spleen is in that area under my ribs and also pancreas. GI = Gastro-intestinal, such as an ulcer? The pain/discomfort is an inch or so beneath my left breast where I think my stomach is located? The swollen "lymph node" is further left closer to the bottom of my ribs. Are there even lymph nodes located there? It's not painful.
Brief Answer:
GI cause stomach or pankreas possible, less likely from description
Detailed Answer:
Dear patient,
the stomach is more directly in the middle upper abdomen, thats where typical pain from for ex. gastritis is located, the pancreas is in the same area. So it is in theory possible the pain you are describing comes from gastritis or pancreatitis, but the aspect of the left rib/ shoulderblade makes me think more of a musculosceletal cause. It does make sense to have ultrasound abdomen, blood work for inflammation and even gastroskopy done to rule out any gi condition. Also an x ray of the lung is advisable in case nothing else is found to rule out for ex. pleurisy, The spleen usually doesnt hurt, and it is not a typical location for a lymph node also as far as i can tell from far.
Hope this is helping you , if you have any clarificatons you can get back to me, if this was helpful please kindly rate my answer. Best regards
GI cause stomach or pankreas possible, less likely from description
Detailed Answer:
Dear patient,
the stomach is more directly in the middle upper abdomen, thats where typical pain from for ex. gastritis is located, the pancreas is in the same area. So it is in theory possible the pain you are describing comes from gastritis or pancreatitis, but the aspect of the left rib/ shoulderblade makes me think more of a musculosceletal cause. It does make sense to have ultrasound abdomen, blood work for inflammation and even gastroskopy done to rule out any gi condition. Also an x ray of the lung is advisable in case nothing else is found to rule out for ex. pleurisy, The spleen usually doesnt hurt, and it is not a typical location for a lymph node also as far as i can tell from far.
Hope this is helping you , if you have any clarificatons you can get back to me, if this was helpful please kindly rate my answer. Best regards
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
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