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Pain between the shoulder blades

Most pain between the shoulder blades comes from the muscles that hold your head and shoulders up. It is usually a position problem rather than a spine problem.

Do not wait for an appointment

  • The pain spreads to the chest, jaw or arm, or comes with breathlessness, sweating or nausea
  • The pain came on suddenly and severely, and feels tearing or ripping
  • You have a fever, night sweats, or are losing weight without trying
  • You get numbness, weakness or clumsiness in the legs, or difficulty passing urine
  • The pain is constant, wakes you every night, and does not change with position
Sheet 06 · Upper back exercisesNeck & backMost settle in 4–6 weeks

Do this

  • Notice what your body is doing when it hurts. This pain almost always tracks a position held too long — a desk, a phone, a sewing machine, a two-wheeler, a baby carried on one hip
  • Raise the screen to eye level and bring the keyboard close. A laptop on a table puts the head forward for eight hours, and the muscles between the shoulder blades hold it there
  • Break the position every thirty minutes. Standing up for twenty seconds resets it; the exercises will not overcome eight unbroken hours
  • Do the sheet. Opening the upper back and strengthening the muscles that hold the shoulder blades is what changes this in the long run
  • Carry weight on both sides. A single heavy bag on one shoulder is a common cause in people who cannot work out why one side hurts
  • Use a gel on the sore area rather than tablets where you can
  • Sleep with enough pillow to keep the head level, not propped forward

Avoid this

  • Assuming it is a "gas problem" or acidity and treating it with antacids for weeks. It is a common belief and it delays the two things that matter — checking the heart if the pattern fits, and correcting the posture if it does not
  • Strong massage, forceful manipulation of the upper back, and getting someone to walk on your back
  • A hot water bottle left against the skin for long periods. It relieves it briefly and burns the skin over time
  • Waiting it out if it is not settling in two weeks
  • Ignoring a pain that comes on with exertion — walking uphill, climbing stairs — and eases with rest. That pattern belongs to the heart until proven otherwise, wherever it is felt

The questions everybody asks

Why does it hurt between the shoulder blades and not in my neck?

Because the load lands there.

When the head sits forward of the shoulders, the muscles between the shoulder blades work continuously to hold it up. They are not designed for that, and they ache. The problem is usually in the position, not in the spot that hurts.

Could this be my heart?

It can be, and that is why the first line above is first.

Pain from the heart is often felt between the shoulder blades rather than in the chest, particularly in women and in people with diabetes. The pattern that matters is pain brought on by exertion and eased by rest, or pain that comes with breathlessness, sweating or nausea. If that is your pattern, it needs checking the same day — not an exercise sheet.

My X-ray shows a hump in my upper back. Is that the cause?

Usually not on its own.

A rounded upper back is common and is often present in people with no pain at all. It matters when it is stiff and when the muscles around it are working too hard. The treatment is the same either way — open the back, strengthen what holds the shoulder blades, fix the position.

How long will it take?

Four to six weeks, if the position changes.

This is one of the conditions where the exercises do less than the desk. People who do both improve steadily. People who do only the exercises come back.

Open the exercise sheet

Pictures, how many and how often, and what it should feel like. Free, and printable.

Guides for you

In your language, free to download. Each one is a short PDF you can keep on your phone or print.

Posture at Work — Desk, Computer and Phone Englishहिंदीमराठी
Sleeping Position and Your Pillow Englishहिंदीमराठी
Lifting and Carrying Safely Englishहिंदीमराठी
Starting to Exercise Safely Englishहिंदीमराठी
Pain Gels, Sprays and Ointments Englishहिंदीमराठी
Ice or Heat — Which, and When Englishहिंदीमराठी
When to Come Back Urgently Englishहिंदीमराठी

On cost: if we suggest a scan, an injection or an operation, ask us what it costs and what happens if you do nothing. We will answer both. You should never feel pushed into spending money.

Consultation is ₹500 for a first visit and ₹300 for a follow-up, the same at both clinics. For anything else, ask at the desk or on WhatsApp before it is done — we will tell you the exact cost.

Should you come and see us?

A page is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If the pain is not settling, come in and have it looked at properly — bring any X-ray, MRI or CT films you already have.

Nallasopara West

Opposite Patil Hospital

Shop No. 14, Veena Apartment,
Opposite Patil Hospital, near Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir,
S.T. Stand Road, Nallasopara West — 401203

Monday to Saturday
12:00 noon – 2:00 pm  ·  7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Sunday by prior appointment only

Call 87665 22099

Virar East

Opposite Parimal Hospital

Shop No. 7, Damodar Tower,
Opposite Parimal Hospital, Morya Nagar,
Manvel Pada Road, Virar East — 401305

Monday to Saturday
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Sunday by prior appointment only

Call 92702 84859

Other conditions

Ready when you are.

Call either clinic during consulting hours, or send a WhatsApp message any time.

Nallasopara West Virar East