Hi,I am Dr. Gopal Goel (Orthopaedic Surgeon). I will be looking into your question and guiding you through the process. Please write your question below.
What Causes Sharp Stabbing Pain In The Upper Back Between The Shoulder Blades?
I woke up with a sharp stabbing pain in my upper back between my shoulder blades, felt short of breathe and haven t felt the best today. my blood pressure is good and oxygen level is good. ive seemed to have heart burn the past few days and diarrhea, was wondering if I should be concerned about it being my heart. the pain in my back by my spine seems to hurt more when I breathe in. thank you
As you mentioned the sharp stabbing pain in the upper back and in between the shoulder blades, this could be due to two factors.
One - the cervical spine disc degenerative changes Two - inter-scapular muscle spam.
The cervical spine disc degenerative changes can be assessed by an MRI scan and some special orthopedic tests. Post which a physical therapy is advised and 99% of cases recover with the same. Correction of the posture is also important.
The inter-scapular muscle spasm is related to the poor posture. Due to the poor posture the muscles of the thoracic region becomes weak and then leads to inflammation and pain. For which a physical therapist will help with the therapeutic ultrasound therapy and TENS therapy for pain relief and inflammation reduction. Post which an exercise regimen will be implemented to strengthen the muscles. Correction of the posture is of due importance. 99% cases recover soon.
As by reading your history i feel the pain is not because of the heart, but more because of the interscapular muscle spasm. Which is common in most cases as we do not use our anti gravity muscles which lead to spasm of the muscles in between the shoulder blades bone and lead to difficulty in breathing.
Also, by physical therapy you should respond well. The therapist may assist you with Therapeutic ultrasound therapy, TENS therapy, Exercises to strengthen the muscle and in max about 2-3 weeks of time you should be back to action.
Regards Jay Indravadan Patel
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What Causes Sharp Stabbing Pain In The Upper Back Between The Shoulder Blades?
hi, thank you for briefing the history of you. As you mentioned the sharp stabbing pain in the upper back and in between the shoulder blades, this could be due to two factors. One - the cervical spine disc degenerative changes Two - inter-scapular muscle spam. The cervical spine disc degenerative changes can be assessed by an MRI scan and some special orthopedic tests. Post which a physical therapy is advised and 99% of cases recover with the same. Correction of the posture is also important. The inter-scapular muscle spasm is related to the poor posture. Due to the poor posture the muscles of the thoracic region becomes weak and then leads to inflammation and pain. For which a physical therapist will help with the therapeutic ultrasound therapy and TENS therapy for pain relief and inflammation reduction. Post which an exercise regimen will be implemented to strengthen the muscles. Correction of the posture is of due importance. 99% cases recover soon. With the grace of God i wish you a Good health. Regards Jay Indravadan Patel