itchy patch on left back at shoulder level.

Does anyone who complains of this also have Shingles? I do, and have the same upper right side back itching...and burning with NO signs of anything being there!  Tonight it is driving me crazy!!!

Hi Carrie



I have been plagued w/ an itch on my left side for 14 years. I wrote a post some time ago about what I learned. If it is not 'shingles' you should look into getting your spine evaluated for misalignments (subluxations is the official term). My itch came back after years of absence, and after 3 mos. a D.C. found my T-4 & T5 vertebrae were rotated in opposite directions and were compressing a sensory nerve that manifested in the itch. After some great deep tissue/stretching, I have been relieved!!! When I was strengthening my midback/rhomboid muscles I kept this at bay.

For the meantime try a "analgesic patch" w/ menthol/camphor etc, it will relieve the itch, unless it's shingles., then I don't know if that will help.

HISTORY >This is long and complicated .Father scratched all of his life . I went to a dermatoligist about skin blemishes ( beginning of skin cancers ) and as an aside mentioned that at times my shoulder blades became very itchy. He told me that this was not uncommon but there was no known cause / cure . 2 Years later I began itching / scratching all over to the stage that I would bleed.

After biopsies ,Dermatatoligist diagnosed me with greaves disease. No cause / no treatment. Put up with it .

Went on line to applicable chat rooms , mostly American  ,most of whom appeared to accept their fate (god willing) . I wasn,t. Tried a food intolerance elimination diet  and found that I was "allergic " to oranges . Went to a general doctor who in my presence phoned a head dietician at a teaching uni. who said that it appeared to be a sylicate intollerance. We looked up online photos of greaves disease and sylicate intollerance , and they were identical . In my opinion you get diagnosed with which ever of these  ,depending on whichever type of specialist you end up with. Having eliminated (when I want to )-the list of foods and grog that cause a sylicate intolerance I now control my itches/scratches verses what I eat/ drink to my satisfaction. 

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Me too! I've had it for 3 yrs and it was random spurts but now I can't ignore it. It drives me crazy

This Is Exactly What I Am Thinking Is Happening To Me As Well, And Thank You For the Insight!

Wendie, thank you for posting this, I am having the same exact problem. It is really painful in my shoulder blade area on my left side. Today my right shoulder started hurting. I fear it is shingles but since the rash just started I haven't been to my doctor to have it checked out yet.

I've had the same thing for several years now! The itchiness comes and goes and is located mainly below the left shoulder blade. I also feel a constant numbness in that same area. The numbness is also present in an identical patch on the front of my body. Sometimes I get sore spots on my body (last time it was half my face and upper arm), very sensitive to touch (it feels like severe sunburn). It usually goes away after a few weeks, before I manage to get a specialist appointment. I also suffer from back problems, as many of you have written about. It has to be connected... I think??

The allergies/intollerance and greaves disease is very interesting! I will check that out with my GP!!

I too have started with the exact same thing! It is driving me crazy. I have done all that you have done.

My itch is on my left side above my scapulae and travels down .. I am left handed. Not that that has anything to do with it.

or does it? Must be something to do with our nerve endings? It stays on one side of the spine. Gee..that's what happens with shingles too. It stays on one side never crossing over the center. Of course shingles can come anywhere.

We do not have shingles for sure. But. maybe something to do with the nerves????
I too have low back issues. And history of gastrointestinal issues including gerds. I really think it is a nerve thing!
Good luck and please let me know if you ever get an answer for this incredibly "un-nerving issue of ours"

I too have started with the exact same thing! It is driving me crazy. I have done all that you have done. My itch is on my left side above my scapulae and travels down .. I am left handed. Not that that has anything to do with it. or does it? Must be something to do with our nerve endings? It stays on one side of the spine. Gee..that's what happens with shingles too. It stays on one side never crossing over the center. Of course shingles can come anywhere. We do not have shingles for sure. But. maybe something to do with the nerves???? I too have low back issues. And history of gastrointestinal issues including gerds. I really think it is a nerve thing! Good luck and please let me know if you ever get an answer for this incredibly "un-nerving issue of ours"

Yah i have been experiencing that itching sensation for almost 1
Month. I dont know where the itch is coming from. Whenevee i scratch it, i can,t feel anything, as if it is inside my shoulder and it spread throughout my arms :(

Wow I have the same exact problem, I have an itch on my right shoulder blade and its been like that since I was like 6 or 7 years old and now im 30. When I go to the doctors, they either look at my like im crazy or totally ignore what I say to them. My husband does not think its anything serious but its super annoying when you are trying to sleep and it starts to itch. Ive been at work eating lunch and once it starts to itch, it requires my instant attention! I HAVE to scratch it and my co-workers were like "why are you scratching your back with your fork?" They just dont understand. Its not the easiest spot to reach either. When I was younger it used to tingle a lot and have this weird "cold" feeling but now its uncontrolable itching. I thought I was alone and while Im at work today something told me to just google this and boom! Im not alone.

I have had back itching without a rash for 7 years now.  It is just to the left of my spine close to the shoulder blade.  After numerous discussions with doctors who have done everything from "rolling their eyes" to "giving me creams to treat an allergic reaction".....with the help of the internet....I am 100% convinced that I have a classic case of Notalgia Parasthetica.   It's a chronic neuropathy....not life threatening....somewhat associated with damaged spinal nerves.  I've never had a serious spinal injury....I do experience lower back pain at times.....but what I have had approximately 3 years ago is Shingles.

I can see that there are others in this forum who are experiencing the same type of itch....by the way... mine sometimes disappears completely.....and then will come back with a vengence and drive me crazy for weeks.....but what I am wondering.....are there others with this condition who have also had Shingles??  Shingles also follows a nerve path.  Mine started pretty much exactly where my "chronic itch" is and entended across my back and underneath my left armpit.  I'm just wondering if there is a connection between the two conditions....and wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience??

Has anyone tried Botox?  I've tried moisturizers, Tiger Balm, Lidocaine and cortisone.  Tiger Balm helps the best but only temporarily.  The Wikipedia link says Botox is promising.  I developed a little bump in the area that itched and just had it biopsied.  It was nothing so I started Googling and found this site.  Now I'm hopeful that Botox will help.  Let me know if anyone has tried it.  I"ve tried everything else and it drives me insane so I am willing to try anything.

I have the same thing. I saw two dermatologists, both of whom diagnosed it as Notalgia Parasthetica caused most likely by nerve damage in the thoracic spine. Have suffered with it to varying degrees for two years. I bought some eucalyptus oil from my massage therapist and this morning decided (simply out of curiosity) to apply some to the area of shoulder blade itch...nothing else has worked, so I figured why not? Wonders of wonders, almost immediate relief and no further itching today. The skin pigment in that area is darker from the scratching I've done, so the doctors tell me. I'm going to continue with the eucalyptus oil to see what happens.

Try eucalyptus oil. I tried it just out of curiosity, as nothing else worked at all. I had almost immediate relief from the itch and, so far, no itching today. I've seen two dermatologists and they both diagnosed it as Notalgia Parasthetica caused by a pinched nerve in the thoracic spine area. The darker pigmentation is caused by scratching the area.