Orthopedist Questions Back Pain

Back Pain

Hello, I am just curious what may be the problem with my back. I was playing flag football one day and I got basically sandwiched to where I got pushed from behind into someone else. My back after this became severely painful, and I believe it is my upper sort of left side of my back. It hurts to move my back in anyway, or reaching my left arm up or to the side. I would say the pain is sharp, and is constant. Struggle to lay down without pain in my back/shoulder blade area hurting.

Male | 18 years old
Complaint duration: 6 Days
Medications: Insulin
Conditions: Type 1 Diabetic

3 Answers

You could have "popped a rib out". Try seeing a Chiropractor.
Flag football is often very much a collision sport as real football most definitely is. It sounds like you have irritated the area called scapulothoracic , or "upper back pain" where the shoulder blade is. I would recommend a short course of a anti-inflammatory medication ( Aleve 2
tabs 2X daily after meals [breakfast and dinner] unless you have stomach issues from those pills. Ice packs 2x per day is helpful and you could try some OTC Arnica gel which will help relieve the pain; also scapulo-thoracic exercises and stretches and maybe some sessions with PT (physical therapy) ; Your family doctor can refer or certainly the orthopaedic surgeon (which is my specialty) /a massage therapist can also provide some great suggestions if the simple measures above fail to bring relief.
Hello and thanks for sharing your back problem with the FATD community. Allow me to offer my tip, thoughts, and suggestions.
Sorry to hear about your back. It sounds like it is more of a mid-back issue and maybe even a rib problem. Does it hurt to breathe deeply?
A sharp pain could be a cracked rib, but can also be a torn or overstretched muscle, tendon, or ligament (soft tissues).
Give it another week and see if the pain slowly resolves. If your stomach is ok I would recommend Aleve (Naproxen) two pills twice a day with food for three days. Warming up the area in a bath or shower and then gently stretching can also help.
As long as this is getting better each week, it should completely resolve but may take 3-6 weeks. I hope this helps. Feel better.