Shoulder blade pain - General Health Message Board

Kistome · 01-30-2009, 04:15 PM

Hi there...this is a question for Fruitloop1024 but anyone can answer too if you have had similar problems.

Anyway...Fruitloop...I have had the same LEFT shoulder blade pain as you. I know yours started in Oct. 2005 and then you said that you had had it for 4 months with no relief.

Ironically, mine had started in Sept. of 2008 and I still have it, going into the 6 month mark now. I am a hairstylist, and I thought maybe I had pulled a muscle in the trap area or something. It's a pretty DULL ache going on, and I feel it clear up into my neck on that left side. I also get more pain upon swallowing food as it travels past that shoulder blade area. I have seen several different doctors and had all kinds of tests. Chest X-ray, EKG, Blood Work, Barium swallow (Upper GI), Endoscopy and all have come back normal. Sometimes I feel it more just below where your neck curves in, but for some reason it travels way down into the shoulder blade. I have tried PT too, and it seems like it helps some but I don't keep up with it, so I go right back to being in pain all the time.

Nothing else helps. I have also tried Chiropractors, massage, acupuncture, myopractors, stretching, oral steroids, painkillers and muscle relaxers and nada helps.

So...I am curious....how long did you have your shoulder blade pain?
Is it gone now?
DId you end up having MRI or other x-rays and what was your diagnosis?? What finally worked for you?

Some days I feel like I have torn something and keep aggravating it, but I can't stop working because I run a business pretty much by myself and have a huge lease to pay every month, so resting is out of the question.

I do not have any arm pain, or hand/finger pain....I do have some arm weakness but nothing major. I am tired of being in pain all the time. Can you relate? I know that was a long time ago, but maybe there is light at the end of that tunnel!
I am curious to hear your story.

Thank you! JB

fruitloop1024 · 01-31-2009, 09:30 AM

My pain comes and goes, but it has never come back as bad as it was. My primary told me she thought I had a small tear in the muscle, but no test ever showed it. The time when the pain is the worst now is when I sleep with my left arm up. I started excersining a lot after I posted that, and that is when the pain went away. I think I strengthened the other mnuscles in my back to compensate for the one that was hurting. I guess it helped as I have not had any bad pain since. Sometimes, I think it is just a pinched nerve. I am using my left arm and muscle in my back more than ever now because I just had a baby, so I lift a lot and I rest his head on my left arm. I am surprised that the pain has not come back, but like I said, I think working it more might be helping the other muscles around it. If PT helps you, I would keep at it. Maybe even get some tips from them for while you are at home and stop going. They may suggest using a small weight or rubber band to help keep up with your exersices. Hope this helps and I hope you feel better soon

MountainReader · 01-31-2009, 11:55 AM

Have you had your rotator cuff checked?

Kistome · 01-31-2009, 04:42 PM

no, only because I don't know where your rotator cuff is. If it's in the upper shoulder area, then I would say it's not that....I have no pain in my shoulder at all, it's all in my shoulder blade, and radiates up (straight up) into trapezius area.

Kistome · 01-31-2009, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fruitloop1024

My pain comes and goes, but it has never come back as bad as it was. My primary told me she thought I had a small tear in the muscle, but no test ever showed it. The time when the pain is the worst now is when I sleep with my left arm up. I started excersining a lot after I posted that, and that is when the pain went away. I think I strengthened the other mnuscles in my back to compensate for the one that was hurting. I guess it helped as I have not had any bad pain since. Sometimes, I think it is just a pinched nerve. I am using my left arm and muscle in my back more than ever now because I just had a baby, so I lift a lot and I rest his head on my left arm. I am surprised that the pain has not come back, but like I said, I think working it more might be helping the other muscles around it. If PT helps you, I would keep at it. Maybe even get some tips from them for while you are at home and stop going. They may suggest using a small weight or rubber band to help keep up with your exersices. Hope this helps and I hope you feel better soon

Thank you for your reply. Well I am beginning to think that I need to do the same thing. I have seen so many drs. and they all say "Muscular related" and send me to PT. The only other thing I think it could possibly be is a herniated disc in my neck. But then if it was, they would only recommend PT also.