What Causes Pain In The Shoulder Blade?

Posted on Fri, 23 Sep 2016

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

Fri, 23 Sep 2016 Answered on

Thu, 13 Oct 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : I have pain behind right shoulder blade and an area in my next on the left side of my neck. Was at walk in clinic they just prescribed pain killers. It has been going on for 6 weeks and no type of pain killer works....tried Advil, Tylenol, naproxen. What could this be and what tests should I ask for when I go back to the walk in clinic?

Answered by Dr. Kathy Robinson (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
physical therapy

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
This sounds like a musculoskeletal problem and there are many types of treatments that may help. Pain killers however will just mask the problem and will not get rid of it.
First the doctor needs to make sure that there are no serious problems going on like a lump or mass that may be causing the problem. They probably did this on your first visit.
Next is to figure out where the pain is coming from and to develop a plan for treatment. Many times these problems come from muscle, tendon or ligament issues that are overworked or strained.
Physical therapists are very good at figuring this out and provided specific treatments either manually or with other tools like ultrasound to improve blood flow to the tissues and loosen up scar tissues.
I that does not work chiropractors, medical massage therapists or acupuncturists may help relieve your pain.
Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. Also, avoid tobacco, alcohol, sodas and excessive caffeine. These can make muscle problems worse.
I hope you get relief soon,
Dr. Robinson

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