Pain under shoulder blade

[leach0341]

About 3 years ago i was doing shoulder shrug exercises at the gym with over 300 lbs on the barbell when all of a sudden in the lowering part of the repitition i felt a sudden release in my back right underneath my shoulder blade.  It was hard to breathe after that and took a few days for the pain to subside.  To this day i still have problems.  I can feel grinding in my back sometimes when i move my arm.  Occasionaly, I will reagrivate the problem while doing physical actvity.  I notice sometimes when I am still sore from a workout i can press on a particular rib near my sternum and fell a little pain in the same spot I have had all these problems.  I had a friend with a similar problem and he found out he had an out of place rib and was fine after it was put back in place.  I had MRI's and X-rays done and all they could tell me is i have degenerative disk in my lower lumbar and a bulging disk.  However, this feels more muscular.  The tighter my body is the more tension I can feel in my back.  I have stretched religiously for a while but did not completely prevent a reoccurence.  Could it be a dislocated rib, ligament damage, muscular damage?  What are the best treatments?

[stefaniki]

Find a doctor that has DO after his/her name...it's a medical doctor who will also evaluate your musculosketal issues and help get your body working correctly again through various methods such as phyical therapy, adjustments (remember, he/she is a MEDICAL DOCTOR) TENS, ice/moist heat packs and lifestyle changes to name a few.  I have been dealing with similar issues for 2.5yrs now.  I'm on my 3rd round of physical therapy, have been to about 10 different doctors (orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, anesthesiologists for chronic pain (ie steroid shots), oncologist ("just in case" is what one doctor told me) not to mention all the follow-up visits with my primary care doctor to keep him updated.  I've had numerous tests, MRI's, CT scans, myelogram, 2 EMG/NCV, x-rays.  I hope you can figure out what's wrong with you.

[JainMD]

Hi,
I feel your lower back bulging discs and your ribs hurting you are connected in their etiology.
You have mentioned that you were being playing video games for long which can cause Lumbar spinal disc pathology as well as cervical spinal disc pathology.
Is there any MRI of cervical spine being done? If yes, what are the results?
What treatment are you undertaking as of now?
What treatment you had under taken earlier?
Keep me informed if you have any queries.
Bye.

[Rozb]

I also have similar pain.  I think mine was originally caused by overuse on the computer - a repetative strain, possibly from playing games for long periods.  It took years to resolve and made me very miserable - and now it has come back and I am trying everything but to no avail to get rid of it.  If I press my ribs near the sternum it gives me the pain which is underneath my shoulderblade - feels like my ribs are bruising my lung. Meanwhile I have also been diagnosed with bulging discs in my lower back but don't know if this is connected as when my lower back started hurting and I had the MRI, my shoulder was fine.... falling apart.  Interested if there is anything that helps.

[exlibris04]

I have similar pain issues... I get pain in my right arm, shouler, clavicle and back under my shoulder blade and neck.  I've been told the same as you, bulging disk and that with repetative strain it will reoccur.  Also had a rib out of place and hard to breath, but been told my injury was old and that pain will reoccur. Just recently i was diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome but this may not be in your case. I've had cortisone shots but my best success at relief is with the chiropractor. Plus, I swear by daily stretches and massages and biofreeze!
good luck

[kitty katt22]

hello, have you ever thought of going to a chiropractor. its worth a shot.
good luck!!