Am guessing I've aggravated it (maybe with my inflammatory arthritis?) as it is so painful, almost feels like it's burning/I've got knives in it and hurts to touch and regardless of movement. It's under the main knobbly bit of my right shoulderblade.
I've been trying to rub ibuprofen gel over it (not the easiest place to reach though) but it isn't having much effect and already taking paracetamol as I have a headcold so have been on cold meds to get through work.
I was using a mirror earlier to try and get it on more accurately and it looked quite red and swollen.
My doctors surgery seems to have closed (for good) so looking for the best thing I can get over the counter until I can contact whoever we have been transferred to or pop to the walk in centre in town. It's so painful especially at work all day, I can't get comfortable and just need to at least take the edge off it.
Have you tried arnica gel Jenna. It is herbal and has been used for thousands of years. They sell it at the chemists. It is excellent for sprains, bruises and such. Hope it helps :)
Try checking your posture, I get this a lot, and I have realised it is caused by leaning on one elbow while at my computer, scrolling with a mouse in the other.
Hi Jenna - I have the same problem. I pulled the muscle under the shoulder blade a few years ago, just by reaching up and stretching to get some dinner plates out of the cupboard. Ever since then, there is a weakness, and the slightest thing seems to start it off again.
It is an difficult place to rub creams into. I have used Arnica and Iburofen gel.
Thank you all for your answers :) I have tried heat but not cold so will give that a try along with Arnica gel.
I think it's been aggravated as I've been pretty much typing non-stop all day weekdays for work. Been trying to work out why it's only seemed to affect one side so badly though, I must have been leaning funny at some point.
It reminds me of the kind of sharp burning pain I used to get right at the top of my back (more over the top of my shoulders) - fibrocitis I think they used to say. They used to give me some fantastic stuff back then for it but can't remember what and was on prescription.
Will keep on the ibuprofen now my cold is a bit less streaming and I can lay off the cold tablets. Had been taking 2 x 200mg but it wasn't having any real effect and then laid off with the cold meds. It's been far more than a week so haven't been wanting to keep taking painkillers all the time, especially with additional cold stuff.
Ended up at the walk in anyhow earlier as the cold has set my asthma off and been very wheezy and breathless with hardly any inhalers left (it doesn't trouble me much nowadays). Was coughing so much earlier I ended up throwing up in the loos at work. Walk in Dr had a check of my chest and also checked out my shoulderblade and just suggested paracetamol so guessing nothing more than a strain or similar, just a bloody painful one.