What should I do if I have pain in the shoulder blade area?

Pain in the shoulder blade area is not uncommon. In fact, many people experience this at some point in their adult life, typically from poor posture or sleeping in a strange position. More often than not, the pain goes away on its own, but there are a few things to consider when deciding what to do about your shoulder pain, such as:

• How long have you been experiencing pain?
• Does it get worse in the morning or at night?
• Do certain activities make your symptoms worse?
• Have you had to stop certain activities due to the pain?

The most important thing to understand is that most mild pain in the shoulder blade area will last less than a week or two and go away on its own. The only thing to do is gently stretch your shoulders every day and wait for the pain to subside. You can also take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication for a few days to help relieve your symptoms. 

If the pain doesn’t subside after a week or two and is no longer mild, or you find that you are taking the pain medication daily to cope with the symptoms, then it’s time to seek treatment. 

Common causes of pain in the shoulder blade area

Pain in the shoulder blade area, also called interscapular pain, can be caused by a number of factors, including:

• Poor posture for sustained hours
• Bad sleeping position
• Muscle tension from stress
• Injured muscles or ligaments from improper lifting or overexercising
• Neck stiffness
• Torn rotator cuff
• Spinal fracture (rare and typically occurs after a traumatic injury)

Most of these causes can be treated with consistent physical therapy sessions. Physical therapy for shoulder pain helps to improve muscle strength and joint mobility, while reducing pain and inflammation in the damaged area of the body. 

To learn more about the shoulder pain treatment we offer, contact our team at Armor Physical Therapy today.