What Causes Pain In Back And Shoulder Blades?

Posted on Mon, 27 Oct 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 27 Oct 2014 Answered on

Thu, 20 Nov 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : The middle of my back and shoulder blades are hurting. Sometimes it is hard to move? I injured my back when I worked at a library!

Answered by Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj (42 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Traumatic Back Pain, I need a bit more information

Detailed Answer:
Hi there, thanks for coming to HealthCareMagic. From what you've told me so far, it looks like your Cervical (neck) spine or upper thoracic (upper back) spine are having trouble here. The most common causes of pain in this region are things like arthritis and the like, but I don't want to make any assumptions.

There are unfortunately many many causes of Back pain. So to try and make our discussion useful to you and narrow down the possibilities I would like you to try and answer the following questions to the best of your knowledge. The more information you can give me the more useful I can be to you.

1. How did the pain start? When did it start? Was it sudden or gradual?

2. Does the pain have a pattern? For instance its it worse in the morning and gets better through the day?

3. Can you describe where in the back the pain starts? Does it move to other places or does it stay in one place?

4. When you bend forward or backward, does the pain change in any way?

5. What brings on or increases your pain and what makes you feel better? This includes whether you feel better with activity or with rest.

6. Do you have any related symptoms, such as leg pain, weakness, or numbness; or problems with your bowels or bladder.

7. Do you know if you have had any spine problems since birth (congenital spine problems).

8. Have you ever been diagnosed with any type of arthritis?

9. Have you ever injured your back?

10. Last but certainly not least, do you smoke?

If you can answer these questions for me, it will go a long way to figuring out what is going on and helping me work with you on a plan to deal with this pain.

Looking forward to your reply,

Vinay

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj (19 hours later)

I injured my back about 10 years ago, I lifted something heavy at my job. I was not able even to put on a bra, it was excrutiating pain, it still bothers me to put on a bra or sports bra. My neck sometimes bothers me. When I ly down it is better, depending on how I move, the same when I sit down a long time. I have had no pain in my spine or back before this occurred. For a while I could not lift anything, like a 5 gallon milk jug? I sometimes get weakness when I walk a lot or stand. I have neuropathy in my feet which I never had.Sometimes a hot pad feels good. Thank you for your time, I hope this helps.

Answered by Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj (35 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
10 year old trauma + degenerative disc and spine

Detailed Answer:
Hi there, Thanks for following up.

The injury to your back a decade ago certainly seems relevant here. But at this point I don't believe that it alone can be the root cause of your pain issues.

At this point i want to ascribe the issue to arthritis. But we are going to have to rule out major injury, vertebral injuries and disc injuries and the like.

To do that, the basic first step is to get x-rays of the c-spine (AP and Lateral) in flexion and extension (neck bent tword your chest and neck bent looking up). X-rays of the thoracic spine will also be useful.

If those x-rays are NEGATIVE for anything.. then we will have to finish off with MRI's of the cervical and thoracic spine.

That imaging will rule out any major injuries. Once we do that, we will have to start you in Physical therapy to manage the assumptive diagnosis of arthritis of the spine.

Hope this helps.

Vinay

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj