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Schmorl’s nodules are a mysterious issue. Many people, however, are well-known with back pain, which often accompanies them every day and makes it difficult to perform even basic activities. If this is the case, it is worth consulting a doctor, because it may turn out that it is Schmorl’s nodules that are responsible for this state of affairs.
Schmorl nodules they are usually located in the spine, in the lumbar and thoracic sections. Many people suffer from these symptoms, but they do not always produce any symptoms. In some cases, however, they cause great pain. Fortunately, today they are easy to diagnose. This is also the first step to implement one of the possible treatment options.
Until today it has not been established causes their appearance in the human body. Lumps they are some kind of protrusions of the intervertebral discs of the spine that pinch, constrict or permanently affect the vertebrae. Their appearance in the body is most often associated with Scheuermann’s disease. Modern medicine allows you to soothe symptoms pain and can inhibit the development of the disease.
Schmorl nodules – what is it?
Some kind nodules appearing on the spines of people was named after Christian Schmorl, who first discovered and described them in the twenties of the last century. He will define these nodules as specific indentations of the intervertebral disc that are in contact with the adjacent vertebra. They can give pain symptoms or not, but they are never a threat to human health.
Schmorl nodules very often they are a symptom accompanying Scheuermann’s disease, which leads to the death of bone tissue. This disease entity appears most often in adolescents and can cause a serious deformation of the spine. Unfortunately, Scheuermann’s disease is quite difficult to diagnose in the first stage of its development, and this would give a good chance of success in treatment. Most often, this disease is discovered in the course of other studies, and its cause is usually overloading the spine and the associated degenerative changes in the skeletal system.
Symptoms and diagnosis of Schmorl nodules
Patients are usually unfamiliar with this type of condition. They come to the doctor because the pain in the spine makes it difficult for them to function every day. A doctor has no easy task here, because there can be many reasons for this. The disease worsens both when the spine is overloaded and when the patient is exposed to staying in one position for a long time.
Schmorl nodules in principle, it can only be diagnosed with an MRI or CT scan. The images obtained in these ways show the undulations of the walls of individual vertebrae of the spine, and in turn, the adjacent vertebrae form depressions, which gives the impression that the vertebrae are trying to fit together like a puzzle. However, this is an undesirable change in the structures and forms of the vertebrae that causes enormous pain.
Schmorl nodules – treatment
Unfortunately, to this day, medicine does not offer any effective method treatment this condition. As a rule, doctors act similarly to other ailments related to non-specific back pain. Patients are given non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve symptoms symptomatic.
It seems that the main action that can soothe pain is properly selected physiotherapy. Some people mistakenly believe that people with an overloaded spine no longer need physical therapy, but rather rest and avoid movement. In practice, both in this case and in the case of a complete lack of exercise, well-chosen rehabilitation physical activity is the basis for reducing pain. For the human organism, any extreme behavior usually turns out to be fatal.
Therefore, in order to prevent various unpleasant ailments and degenerations of the skeletal or joint system, it is worth taking care of proper physical activity at any age. You just have to remember that it should always be adapted to the current capabilities and condition of a given person.