Have you ever felt frustrated from experiencing a sharp or dull ache that lingers behind your shoulders? You might be experiencing pain when reaching for objects, showering, dressing yourself, driving, or cooking. This pain from shoulder blade pain on the left side, upper back, or right scapular pain can make your daily life uncomfortable and unbearable. There are many reasons triggering this discomfort, from muscle strain to posture issues. The good news is that with the right simple home remedies, you can relieve pain near the shoulder blade and find joy from safe shoulder blade pain relief.
In this blog, we’ll explore what causes back shoulder blade pain and how to relieve pain in the shoulder blade.
What is Shoulder Blade Pain?
Shoulder blade pain is the discomfort or ache felt around or between the shoulder blades. The flat bones on your upper back. It’s quite common and can happen for many simple reasons.
How it Feels:
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Dull ache or sharp pain between the shoulder blades
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Stiffness or tightness in the upper back
- Pain that increases with movement or deep breathing
Causes of Back Shoulder Blade Pain
Shoulder blade pain can occur on one or both sides, commonly developing as left shoulder blade pain or right scapular pain. The pain can vary from dull soreness to a sharp, stabbing sensation.
Here are some causes:
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Strained Muscles: You may be spending long hours lifting weights, heavy objects, or doing tasks that cause repetitive motion. This can lead to overuse of your upper back muscles. The heavy objects apply too much weight that can be hard for your shoulder to bear, hence leading to muscle strain. As a result, it leads to back shoulder muscle pain or upper back shoulder pain.
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Slouching and Hunching: Sitting while slouched or hunched over a chair, studying on our desk, or sleeping on one side. These poor postures apply extra weight and pressure on your shoulder muscles and ligaments around your blade. It may lead to left side shoulder pain or left side shoulder blade pain.
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Injury: You might fall on your shoulder or get involved in a vehicle accident that injures your shoulder blade muscles. This can injure your shoulder blade.
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Displaced Pain: Sometimes, shoulder blade pain indicates problems in the heart, lungs, or digestive system.
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Joint or Bone Issues: Shoulder blade discomfort can result from arthritis and a misaligned spine.
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Nerve Compression: Pinched nerves from the neck or upper spine can increase pain in the shoulder blade area.
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Medical Conditions: Conditions like arthritis, a pinched nerve, or a herniated disc can contribute to shoulder blade pain.
How to Relieve Pain in the Shoulder Blade
Relieve shoulder blade discomfort at home by:
- Light stretches, activities, and movement exercises
Stretching helps release tightness around the shoulder blade. Loosen up shoulder blade muscles with these simple stretching exercises:
- shoulder blade squeeze
- cross-body shoulder stretch
- thoracic extension stretch
- shoulder rows
- scapular retractions
- upper trapezius stretch
- cat-cow stretch
- Walking
- Heat application treatment
Use a warm compress or heating pad to loosen stiff muscles. Once initial inflammation goes down, applying heat can ease left shoulder blade and back shoulder pain while boosting blood circulation.
Use cold packs for new shoulder blade pain. Use ice during the first 1- 2 days and wrap it in a cloth to protect your skin.
Press a tennis ball or foam roller against a wall to target sore muscles. This helps to ease muscle knots, increase blood flow, and relieve upper back and shoulder blade pain.
- Maintaining safe body posture
Shoulder blade pain is often triggered by bad posture. Sit upright, keep screens at eye level, and consider using the Leeford Ortho Posture Corrector Belt and Shoulder Support to reduce shoulder strain.
- Sleeping in safe positions
Sleeping on your stomach may increase left shoulder and upper back pain. Sleep on your back or side with proper spinal support. A Leeford Cervical Pillow can assist if keeping the correct position is challenging, even though it targets the neck.
Apply anti-inflammatory creams to ease back shoulder pain and flare-ups.
- Paying attention to your body
While home care often helps, never ignore severe pain, numbness, or tingling; but seek medical help.
Why does the Back Behind Your Shoulder Blade Hurt?
We all have been there, wondering why the back of our shoulder hurts. Since we perform repetitive daily activities, this discomfort or pain results from strained muscles.
It could also result from:
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Pain radiating from other body parts: The upper back nerves branch into other body systems, causing you to experience heart, lungs, or gallbladder problems.
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Muscle knots: Soreness or pain in the shoulder blade may result from tight or tense muscles around your shoulder blade.
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Spinal disorder: Nerve irritation that originates in your cervical spine can trigger pain in the shoulder blade region.
Practical Tips for Daily Comfort
Here are some simple tips you can practise daily to ease or manage pain in your left shoulder blade and upper back:
- Give yourself frequent breaks from your desk or screen.
- Drink enough water to support your muscles’ health and overall performance..
- Sit in supportive or ergonomic chairs. Try using a backrest support or posture corrector belt. You can find these orthopedic gears in stores like Leeford Ortho.
- Try light exercises such as yoga or Pilates to boost back strength and posture.
- Use hot or cold packs and try light self-massage to ease tight knots.
When to Seek Medical Advice
You can indeed use home remedies to relieve shoulder blade pain. However, there are conditions where you need to seek medical attention. This is when you’re experiencing:
- Intense or sharp pain, tightness in the chest, or shortness of breath
- Loss of sensation or muscle weakness
- Continuous pain even after home treatment
Final Thought
Shoulder blade pain might be triggered by muscle strain, injuries, or poor posture. It can disrupt your daily activities and comfort, but it can be treated with home remedies. These include light shoulder stretches or exercises, using heat or cold packs, or pain relief creams. Using orthopedic gears from Leeford Ortho helps to manage safe sitting, standing, and sleeping posture. Above all, consult a healthcare provider, especially if the pain is still lingering or severe, even after trying home remedies.
