Should i go to the hospital or wait? shoulder blade pain?
Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at
9:51 pm
my shoulder blade area has been hurting for 6 days now. i can’t pick anything heavy up with the opposite arm, it hurts to breathe sometimes, it is tender to touch and it is starting to interfere with my life and is becoming unbearable. i have a doctor’s appointment in 3 days. The pain is getting worse, not better. Do you think i should go to the hospital rather than wait for my appointment?
Filed under: Shoulder Blade Pain
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Hey Samantha: If you haven’t had a serious injury that led to this pain (i.e. car accident or fall) then there is probably not an immediate need to go to the hospital. If the pain gradually developed or appeared in the morning after sleeping or from lifting something there are some possible causes and sources. These include an irritated disc or nerve root in your neck, a disc or nerve problem in your mid back or a shoulder problem – none of which are life threatening, just painful. Does neck movement aggravate your pain? If it does then the source is likely your neck. If you can raise your arm with little to no change in the pain then your shoulder may be less of the cause. Your MD may be able to isolate the problem for you but many general practitioners are not experts in musculoskeletal diagnosis. A qualified PT or chiropractor should be able to pinpoint the source of the symptoms if it is not something more serious. My opinion is that you could wait for your MD appt. If the pain is that unbearable you can try the ER. They will likely do some xrays and prescribe some pain meds and muscle relaxors. It depends on how uncomfortable you are. Hope this helps.
Peter