HI. I am having a lot of pain in between my right shoulder blade and spine area. The pain only occurs when i try to twist my upper body or move my right arm sort of behind me to “get” to something. This has been going on for 6 weeks and i cannot remember doing anything that would have caused this. It also hurts when i am bent over and take a deep breath. It is really annoying and i am not sure what to do about it. I am getting worried and nervous. Do you have any advice??

From what you are describing with the pain in the upper back localized around the shoulder blade points to an anatomic abnormality. One possible explanation is a glenoid-labrial cyst that has arisen from a past shoulder injury such as a torn labrum. These cysts are comprised of synovial fluid and cause irritation, inflammation, and pain. Another explanation is a pathologic process involving the lung. Deep inspiration and twisting in a certain direction can cause pain.

You should be evaluated by your doctor to determine the cause of the pain. A chest and shoulder X-ray is warranted to initially evaluate any lung or shoulder abnormality. If the X-ray is inconclusive, then an MRI may be performed to evaluate the shoulder in detail. Alternatively, if your doctor believes your pain is due to a lung disorder, then a CT scan of the chest is the next best test.