Upper back pain with more pain when swallowing

[JustineB]

I am a hairstylist, age 41 and female. I have been doing hair 23 years, but recently purchased the salon I have been working at and my workload tripled.

Anyway....my upper back is always in pain from keeping my arms elevated when cutting hair and also using a very heavy blowdryer in my left hand.  
Recently (about a month ago) my neck began to do a weird snap, crackle, pop as I turned my head slowly, kind of like if you were checking traffic before pulling out, or just turning your head to talk to someone etc. It would only do it maybe a couple times a day, or skip a couple days and then happen again.  Shortly after that I began to expericence some neck pain, and upper back pain.

Within a few days of that, I began to feel pain in that region (upper back by shoulder blades) when I swallow food. As the food passes that area where my back hurts it sort of intensifies that pain I already felt. I tried to blow it off thinking it was a pulled muscle, that I had slept wrong, or it was from my new hairdryer that weighs a ton. I kept waiting for it to stop, but it still has not gone away.  I then began to worry and looking up stuff on the internet. All of the people I talk to whether friends, family, or clients have never heard upper back pain and then pain in back when swallowing.
So if any of you have had this or have known someone who had this I would be interested in hearing from you. I went to Urgent Care and they took a Chest X-ray and and EKG and were normal.   So it's not my lungs, chest or heart. I think it has something to do with my neck popping and then the pain I already have in my shoulder area all the time.
Does anyone know if this could be a nerve?

Please send me a private message or comments here. thank you! JB

[Laveque]

dear all,

just to have an update.... I want to because, because most people are disappeared when their problems are solved. I want to give feedback to all who have pain under the area of shoulderblade whıle swallowıng.

I am %85 ok after almost 2 years. I am so happy. I dıdı everythıng, Barıum swallow, heart check , endoscopy, neck and throat check , ınner organs ultrasound ... everythıng was normal.
In  the end I went to a therapist and I  got 10 tımes trıgger shot around that area wıth small needles like acapuncture and also got a medıcatıon .
the diagnosis was myofacial pain but not a  typical one
hope anybody who have the same problem wıll get better soon but do not get dısappoınted. I had ıt wıth me sınce 2011 June, almost 2 years.  

[denaconca]

are you still doing well I have the same symptoms

[Kesa11]

What medication did you receive? I also have the same symptoms going on three months with all normal test results.

[denaconca]

r u still doing well?  I have had this for one year

[GI_Nurse]

To everyone who has posted that they experience the sharp pain, in their back, between the shoulder blades, when swallowing.... most likely you have either an esophageal ulcer or esophageal spasms.... this caused referred pain in the upper back area.  The usual cause of this is GERD or stress.  The treatment is most likely to be PPI (Priolosec).  It will take several days to weeks to heal.  You really should have an EGD performed by a gastroenterologist, just to be sure what it is and that it's responding to treatment.  Left untreated, an esophageal ulcer can eventually involve blood vessels and lead to an emergency situation.

[lizb62]

Thank you for that info!!!

[tracie23]

I know it's been two years since your posts but did you ever find any answers to your back/throat/swallowing pain?  Your symptoms sound exactly like mine.  Thanks!!

[Kagra15]

I've been having the same pain nearly on my right shoulder whenever I swallow, I'm 19 and work as a cook at a restaurant and am worried it might be problematic to my job or could be something costly that I can't afford please let me know what you found out about it and if I can do something to help rid me of it

[gaby1982]

Hey I am actually having this problem as well I feel pain on my right shoulder blade when I move and swallow at times a little heartburn on my upper right side of my stomach that shoots to my back  I had my gallbladder removed 3 years ago. Also when laying flat and breathing I feel like a bubble while I breath it is a very weird sensation.

[johnboat]

If I had it to do again,,,,and I might, I would probably get the diagnostics....barium swallow and/or endoscopy, because these tests can be so revealing, and can help a doc diagnose a problem. Good luck.