upper back pain under left shoulder blade
The shoulder joint is comprised of three seperate bones, the humerus or upper arm bone, collar bone or clavicle and the scapula or shoulder blade. All of these bones make up the shoulder. Until I got a shoulder injury, I thought of my shoulder blade as a simple triangle of bone that sat on my back and stuck out if I pushed my elbows forward. I had not really given any thought to its design or purpose.
It is actually quite a complex piece of human architecture. At the top outer corner it has a cup of bone called the glenoid which forms the ball of the shoulder ball and socket joint. It also attaches to the collar bone at the top. This part of the shoulder blade is a piece of bone that curves over at the top called the Acromion.
As well as the bones of the joint there are seventeen different muscles which work the shoulder as well as cartilage and ligaments that all make up and hold together the shoulder joint.
The cuff is a group of four muscles that all fix to the scapula at one end and the humerus at the other, surrounding the joint in a cuff of muscle . They all pull the ball at the head of the upper arm bone into the socket of the glenoid. Because the socket of this joint is very shallow these muscles are essential to hold the arm in place and stabilize the joint. Without them it would be very easy to dislocate the shoulder joint.
One of these muscles, the supraspinatus runs through a channel of bone in the hook of the acromion before attaching to the upper arm bone. Imagine a thin tendon running through a channel of bone. If the channel narrows or the tendon gets inflamed it can start to rub on the bone damaging the tendon leaving it vulnerable to tearing or fraying. You could compare it to an old rope being rubbed against a sharp edge, after time the rope would begin to fray and if left long enough could actually snap.
The causes of rotator cuff impingement are similar to other injuries. Any injury or trauma to this particular tendon, that causes swelling, can set off a rotator cuff impingement. Arthritis can cause the tunnel of bone to narrow and as we age some of us actually grow bony spurs on the acromion that narrow the channel and cause problems.
The symptoms of an impingement are shoulder pain especially when lifting the arm above shoulder height or reaching out for something coupled with trouble sleeping at night. A simple test that your doctor might do for an impingement is to ask you to straighten your arm with the palm facing out and then to raise it up. If this causes pain then you probably have a rotator cuff impingement.
Don’t ignore an impingement as this can bring on more serious problems. Treatment is rest and anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the swelling. Do Make sure that you avoid any overhead movements. If you work at something like painting or plastering you may need to change how you work to avoid these movements. When the muscles are rested and have started to repair you can begin physical therapy to build up the muscles of the rotator cuff to prevent future injuries.
If symptoms persist or if the bone has changed shape then you are probably looking at surgery to repair it. This will involve keyhole surgery called a sub-acromial decompression where the surgeon cuts away a small piece of bone to free up the tendon.
The vast majority of rotator cuff impingements are solved without surgery but it is vital to take this injury seriously and let it rest, avoiding overhead movements. The pain you feel is telling you that more damage is being done so listen to your body and let it heal.
About the Author:
Nick Bryant is an older dad to a young family who suffered a rotator”>http://www.myrotatorcuffcure.blogspot.com”>rotator cuff injury which he was told would require corrective surgery. After reading up on the condition he managed a full recovery with just rest and the right sort of exercise. Read his full story at his blog www..myrotatorcuffcure.blogspot.com
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – If You Want To Understand A Rotator Cuff Impingement It Is Best To Find Out More About How The Shoulder Joint Is Made Up And Problems That Can Occur
Before the Storm – Chapter 37
