Lately, I noticed that more and more patients have been complaining of pain between the shoulder blades.  Although, for the most part, those symptoms are directly related to activities or/and job requiring prolonged neck flexion, many others may be suffering from something more than just stress related symptoms.  The syptoms associated with prolonged neck flexion are usually bilateral.  Commonly described as a burning, tense, tightness sensation or pain between the shoulder blades, extending from the mid back to the base of the skull.  If your symptoms are unilateral and seem to be located underneath the upper part of your shoulder blade, you may have a neck problem.  In severe cases, such neck condition can radiate to your upper back, the front of the chest, shoulder, forearm and certain fingers. The most severe cases will often times cause muscle weakness and headaches.  Those are symptoms of nerve root irritation (pinched nerve) and cannot be ignored.  Many patients like to blame their symptoms on old age and stress.  If it were stress or old age why is it hurting only on one side?  Most everyone lives a stressful life these days, but not everyone hurts. Nerve roots can be typically compressed or pinched from a swollen disc, arthritis, hypertrophic ligaments and occasionally by muscles.  The majority of nerve root compression can be treated conservatively and will not require surgical intervention.  Your condition should improve within 4 weeks of Chiropractic care.  As a general rule, shoulder conditions do not radiate far from the joint it originatesd from and will not cause finger numbness or pain.

Dr D