Symptoms of mastopathy
Most women consider moderate tenderness of the mammary glands before menstruation to be normal and do not consult a doctor with complaints. The mammologist is visited only by those whose breasts cause pain even when wearing a bra; they can only sleep on their backs, and if they have to travel in public transport, the slightest shock causes severe pain. A woman experiences pain when touching her breasts during sex. Only in this case do patients come to their senses and make an appointment with a mammologist.
In addition to pain, the woman feels an enlargement of the mammary glands, sometimes clear liquid is released from the nipple. The breast may feel heterogeneous to the touch, and sometimes lumps can be felt.
Types of pain under the shoulder blade on the right
Pain varies in severity and nature. Depending on the characteristics of the pain syndrome, it can be assumed what the underlying cause is. Thus, with intercostal neuralgia, the pain is almost always acute, intensifies with movement and coughing, turning into sharp shooting pains. Myositis is characterized by aching pain that can intensify with movement. Knowledge of the characteristics of pain syndrome in a particular pathology simplifies diagnosis.
Shpidonov Gennady Stanislavovich
Neurologist
Rostov State Medical University (neurology)
10 years of experience
Aching pain in the right shoulder blade
Aching pain in the area of the shoulder blades is characteristic of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, osteochondrosis, hernias and protrusions of intervertebral discs, myositis, and glenohumeral periarthritis in the initial stage. Similar pain can occur with diseases of the abdominal and thoracic organs, with neurological pathologies and pathologies of the spinal cord.
Acute pain under the shoulder blade on the right
Acute pain under the scapula on the right or left is a symptom characteristic of injuries, fractures, muscle strains, and tumors of the scapula. The cause of acute pain may be a hernia or protrusion of the intervertebral disc with radicular syndrome.
Sharp pain in the area of the right shoulder blade
Sharp pain in the area of the right shoulder blade is possible with intercostal neuralgia, diseases of the lungs, bronchi and pleura. Similar symptoms are observed with advanced glenohumeral periarthritis, severe myositis, and injuries.
Stitching pain behind the right shoulder blade
Stitching pain behind the right or left shoulder blade can be a symptom of diseases of the lungs and pleura (with pleurisy), myositis. Volatile stabbing pains are characteristic of radicular syndrome, when pain occurs due to pinching of the spinal cord roots, intercostal neuralgia.
Nagging pain in the right side of the back under the shoulder blade
A nagging pain in the right side of the back under the scapula is a symptom characteristic of acute or chronic cholecystitis, pancreatitis, and cholelithiasis. Similar symptoms can occur with kidney pathologies. Nagging pain in the right shoulder blade with a feeling of heaviness in the right hypochondrium may be a sign of subdiaphragmatic abscess, cirrhosis of the liver, or urolithiasis
Shpidonov Gennady Stanislavovich
Neurologist
Rostov State Medical University (neurology)
10 years of experience
Constant pain on the right side under the shoulder blade
Constant pain on the right or left under the scapula is a possible sign of a benign or malignant tumor of the scapula. Constant pain can also occur with chronic diseases of the spine, such as spondyloarthritis, spondyloarthrosis, osteochondrosis or intervertebral disc herniation.
Burning pain on the right side of the shoulder blade
Burning pain in the scapula area is a characteristic sign of herpes zoster before the appearance of rashes, intercostal neuralgia, and neuritis of the intercostal nerves. This symptom can occur with diseases of the spinal cord, such as multiple sclerosis, spinal cord tumors. Infringement of the spinal cord roots by a hernia in the thoracic spine can also lead to burning pain in the scapula area.
Causes of mastopathy
The main cause of mastopathy is a hormonal disorder, namely excessive production of estrogen, which promotes tissue proliferation, and a lack of progesterone, which regulates the proliferation process. The second reason may be an excessive amount of the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for milk production during breastfeeding.
Therefore, before prescribing treatment, you should establish the cause: take hormone tests.
Those women who have the following diseases are at risk:
- Ovarian tumors
- Myomas
- Endometriosis
- Inflammation of the pelvic organs
- Thyroid diseases
- Obesity
- Adrenal gland dysfunction
- Diabetes
- Diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract
Hormonal imbalance and, as a result, mastopathy can be caused by the following reasons:
- Chest injuries
- Tight, uncomfortable underwear
- Stress
- Irregular sex or lack thereof
- Abortion
- Refusal of breastfeeding (BF)
- GW less than 6 months and more than one and a half years
- Iodine deficiency
- Alcohol abuse
- Smoking
Treatment
It can be conservative or surgical, depending on the diagnosis. Some types of pathologies - for example, hepatitis - require long-term use of antibiotics and strong antiviral drugs, others are based on normalizing the diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The specialists of the Energo clinic, who are true professionals in their field, will definitely identify the causes of back and chest pain, select a method that is suitable for you to solve the problem, and give useful recommendations regarding the period of recovery or remission in the case of a chronic illness.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis and treatment are carried out by a mammologist. At the appointment, the doctor examines the patient in two positions: standing and lying on the couch. The mammary glands and lymph nodes are palpated and the presence of discharge from the breast is checked. The thyroid gland is examined. If changes are detected, the patient is referred for consultation to an endocrinologist.
An ultrasound of the mammary glands is required, and if the patient is over forty years old, then a mammogram.
If a woman does not take hormones, then the procedure is carried out from days 5 to 10 of the cycle.
If the lump is suspected of being malignant, a biopsy is taken from the patient.
A woman should take a hormone test: a referral will be issued by a mammologist. For concomitant gynecological diseases, consultation with a gynecologist is necessary.
If all of the above examinations do not establish the cause, then an examination of the liver and gastrointestinal tract is performed.
Can osteochondrosis cause pain in the mammary gland?
If a woman suffers from osteochondrosis, then her nerve fibers located next to the mammary gland are pinched. How to reduce pain and how to be examined and diagnose the disease? And also, what ways will help relieve chest pain?
Can pain “flow” due to spinal osteochondrosis?
The pain syndrome that occurs due to osteochondrosis can actually be felt in the area of the mammary gland. Pain varies in its manifestation:
- Tingling sensation;
- Drawing sensation;
- Acute pain;
- Pressing sensations;
- Intense pain;
- Mild pain symptoms.
Clamping of nerve endings, resulting from a disease of the spinal column, leads to pain in the thoracic region. As the pathology progresses, bone growths over time cause muscle spasms and also spasm the nerve fibers. The spasm manifests itself even with low activity and becomes stronger with overload, excessive cooling and coughing. Eventually, the woman begins to feel strong pain sensations that reach various parts of the limbs and torso, which includes the area of the mammary glands. These signs of pathology often cause difficulties in diagnosing the disease.
In many cases, women perceive a pulling sensation in the chest as heart disease, cancer or mastopathy.
However, after visiting a doctor, they learn that the discomfort appeared as a result of the development of osteochondrosis of the spinal column. This disease is not fatal, however, this is not a reason to ignore it, since the disease affects the chest area at the very last stage, at which colossal damage occurs to the blood flow in the body.
What other symptoms may appear?
To make a correct diagnosis, the doctor needs to make a clinical picture. To begin with, it will include the characteristic symptoms of the disease:
- Pain in the area of the mammary glands, between the ribs and shoulder blades, felt when breathing, often when inhaling. The woman is unable to take a deep breath due to severe spasm.
- Burning sensation in the chest.
- Aching pain symptoms flowing into the chest area, armpits and other parts of the body, affecting internal organs.
A burning sensation in the mammary gland is another sign of osteochondrosis of the chest.
- The pain becomes stronger with sudden body movements, jerking, bending and raising the limbs.
- Limbs go numb.
- The pain becomes stronger when tired, the woman wakes up with a stiff feeling in her body.
- There is a sharp tingling sensation in the chest, interpreted by women as heart disease.
- It can often become worse due to excessive cold, dampness or draft.
Acute osteochondrosis is accompanied by incessant pain, concentrated in the chest and shoulder blades. In addition, blood flow in the area of the mammary glands worsens, and this, together with the presence of hormone-related disorders, provokes the development of mastopathy.
Exceptions: differential diagnosis.
When diagnosing, the most important thing is not to confuse similar signs of the disease, undergo a full examination and receive timely treatment. Chest pain with osteochondrosis means an extreme degree of development of the pathology. Take a closer look at the characteristic features and duration of pain, thereby you will conduct a differential diagnosis of mastopathy and heart disease.
- During palpation of the chest and spinal column, you can see tight muscles in the form of painful points.
- Long-term spasms that last for days or weeks.
- The pain becomes stronger during sudden movements of the arms or body.
- Nitroglycerin will not save you from acute pain; a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug may help.
- Prolonged sitting can also trigger symptoms.
- The mammary glands become rougher, pain is felt during palpation.
- Breasts feel heavy.
- The menstrual cycle significantly influences the manifestation of symptoms and the degree of their severity.
- There may be discharge from the nipples.
Pain may decrease after using nitroglycerin for heart disease.
- The spasm is short-lived, lasting about a couple of minutes.
- Pain points are not detected by palpation. The pain syndrome is concentrated behind the chest.
- Heavy physical activity or a constant state of stress can cause pain.
- With an active lifestyle, your health does not get worse.
Osteochondrosis can trigger the development of heart disease because it affects the blood flow in the chest. Most likely, this problem affects women more often due to a less active lifestyle.
How to treat chest pain caused by osteochondrosis
As a rule, the following medications are prescribed:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of gel, tablets or injections.
- If non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and other methods do not provide adequate treatment, then glucocorticosteroids are used.
- Analgesics.
- Chondroprotectors.
- Diuretic medications will help remove swelling.
The doctor prescribes medications, taking into account the woman’s clinical picture, age and related illnesses. When undergoing an acute form, to prevent osteochondrosis, it is recommended to carry out the following therapeutic measures: it is necessary to completely establish a sleep and leisure schedule, sleep should take place on a comfortable and hard mattress, the room should be well ventilated for 7 to 8 hours a day.
When diagnosing osteochondrosis, the patient must be scrupulous about her well-being and follow the doctor’s recommendations.
Therapy should not stop at defeating pain, as in the future it can manifest itself in the chest and arms, neck and organs. Author: K.M.N., Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences M.A. Bobyr
Gastrointestinal diseases
Major diseases that cause pain in the esophagus, or can spread from the abdomen to the chest area:
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is irritation of the esophageal mucosa due to the reflux of gastric contents.
- Dyskinesia or esophageal perforation is increased pressure in the esophagus due to slow movement of food or its rupture due to injury.
- Stomach ulcers.
Gastrointestinal diseases are characterized by pain that appears before, after or during meals; they may be accompanied by heartburn and other symptoms.
