What Could be Causing Pain Between Shoulder Blades?

What Causes Pain Between Shoulder Blades?

Pain between shoulder blades can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'generally fatal'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose pain between shoulder blades, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "pain between shoulder blades" as a symptom. Here are eight of many possibilities (more below):

Esophageal Cancer
Torticollis
Cervical Arthritis
Liver Cancer
Heart Disease
Gallbladder Disease
Angina
Stomach Ulcers

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

regular aspirin use

acute abdominal pain

moderate recent weight loss

very low HDL cholesterol level

gallbladder attacks

long-term low-carb dieting

moderate epigastric pain

heaviness of the legs

frequent episodes of diarrhea

having excess body fat

significant epigastric pain

abdominal pain reduced by eating

... and more than 90 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of pain between shoulder blades:

Cause	Probability	Status
Gallbladder Disease	99%	Confirm
Stomach Ulcers	21%	Unlikely
Angina	17%	Unlikely
Heart Disease	1%	Ruled out
Cervical Arthritis	1%	Ruled out
Torticollis	0%	Ruled out
Esophageal Cancer	0%	Ruled out
Liver Cancer	0%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate spinal problems, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

Do you have pain between your shoulder blades?

Possible responses:

→ No / don't know
→ Yes, some
→ Yes, significant

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate pain between shoulder blades, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Angina

The constriction caused by Angina Pectoris induces pain between the shoulder blades.

Coronary Disease / Heart Attack

In cases of heart disease, pain will usually be felt in the left or middle of the chest, but it can also be felt in the inner sides of the left arm, neck, jaw, or between the shoulder blades. This pain, also known as 'referred pain', should not be ignored. The pain that you experience is a manifestation of something going wrong in your body.

Esophageal Cancer

Pain between the shoulder blades is a sign of advanced disease when related to cancer of the esophagus. Other symptoms such as progressive swallowing difficulty, weight loss, and loss of appetite would normally be present also.

Gallbladder Disease

The pain is usually felt in the upper abdomen but sometimes the pain may spread to the right shoulder or between the shoulder blades. The pain often occurs following a heavy or fatty meal and is sometimes one of the main symptoms of a more advanced disease state.

Gastric/Peptic/Duodenal Ulcers

'Ruptured' gastric ulcers which have gone through the stomach wall can cause a sharp pain which sometimes can be described as a pain felt in the region between the shoulder blades.

Herniated Disc In Neck

Liver Cancer

Pain between the shoulder blades is an initial symptom of liver cancer, but would normally be accompanied by other symptoms such as weight loss, loss of appetite, yellowish skin color.

Liver Detoxification / Support Requirement

Neck Arthritis

Torticollis (Loxia, "Wryneck")

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