upper back pain in the rib/shoulder blade area

[kapars]

Hi,
Just posting to see if anyone else has had this and found a cure or just had to wait until baby came for it to go.
For two weeks I have had severe pain in my upper back right in the shoulder blade area as if I am being stabbed by a knife. I am 34 weeks.
I see a chiropractor anyway as he has helped massively with spd symptoms and he said it was a popped out/misaligned rib. He has treated me twice but it's not had any impact on the pain.
I told my midwife about it today and she said it may be a trapped nerve because of the baby's position but didn't seem too concerned.
I hadn't bothered seeing my GP about it as I have put it down to pregnancy and my uterus expanding but am going to see him next week as can't imagine this continuing for six more weeks and I probably need stronger painkillers.
I'm just living with the pain at the moment.
Fortunately it is a day thing and I sleep well at night!
Any advice?

Is it wind, I know that sounds riduculous but wind can actually cause referred shoulder pain. Try some pepermint water or tea and see if that helps? Alternatively it may be baby on a nerve as mw suggests and they may move. Strange it happens only in the day and that makes me think even more it is wind...

Could be gall stones. Press above your bump below your ribcage and your right nipple - does it hurt? Does it happen after eating etc? I'd speak to your GP anyway, can't hurt!!

No, it's transferred pain - the baby is pressing on the diaphragm which shares a nerve link with your shoulder blade. I had exactly the same from about 30 weeks with DS1. Look it up on google, it's fascinating!

Oops, sorry referred pain. The phrenic nerve which supplies the diaphragm is innovated by the C3,4 and 5 nerve roots which supply the dermatones over the shoulder tip.

I think we should be a little bit careful about diagnosing over the internet - could be any one of a number of things, but without seeing someone you won't know.
Good luck whatever you decide. x

I wasn't diagnosing over the internet, simply saying what happened to me, which sounds identical and the diaphragm/shoulder blade is a recognised nerve link. It's clearly not a 'popped rib' as the chiropractor suggested as his treatment has not worked and probably cost the OP a fair bit of money for the privilege. The OP asked for advice over the internet, yes you're right, she should go and see the GP.

Dont be sorry, you are probably right, it probably is referred pain, just want the OP to be awre there are other possibilities that should be checked out by her GP.

Thanks - yes I am going to my GP next week but often they just fob you off with 'it's pregnancy related' and don't do anything which is why I posted here also.

This was the case with my spd - the NHS physio was useless so after googling I found a great chiropractor and his treatment has completely worked for my spd but not for this back thing.
It does sound like the referred pain. It's not wind! It is still there at night but if I manage to get into a comfy enough position I can sleep through the pain. It's worse when i sit.
crumpet did your pain go after baby came?
I will see what the GP says.

Gall bladder problems are very common in pregnancy - the pain is often refered to the back and shoulder and usually pain on the right side (but almost central) just at the egge of the rib cage. Although fatty food will cause it to flare up, if it's cronic, you might not notice a relationship with the pain and what you're eating.

May be worth asking the GP about as it can get nasty.

Are you sure you don't just need a massage to relieve shoulder tension? I had this severely in my early pregnancy just like you describe, and the longer I left it, the more intense and rigid the knife-like pain became - to the point where it was unbearable to move at all. I had a couple of gentle massages from a really good local therapist and it hasn't come back.

Even if the cause is something else, your muscles will now be tensed from protecting the area and would probably benefit from a gentle massage anyway.

Hope you get it sorted.

Thanks fanny. Yes I have been away to a spa this weekend and had a great massage that really helped and being in the water also helped a lot. Pain is still there though although not as bad but will see what GP says but am also going to get my yoga teacher to give me a good massage as she is also a massage therapist.
Will aks about the gallstones also.

Yes, pain vanished after baby was no longer in there kicking my diagphragm, but he arrived at 34 weeks so only had about 4 weeks of damn painful shoulder.

Ok so the GP reckons my back is weakened through the relaxin etc and the weight of the baby and the sitting at my desk scrunched over my computer and reckons I need to do shoulder exercises to strengthen it up, otherwise he said breatsfeeding would be very difficult.

I'm going to book in some more massage treatments!