Schmorl was a German physician. About 100 years ago, he studied herniated intervertebral discs, which were not similar to the hernias we are used to.
Well, that is, we are used to the fact that intervertebral hernias protrude between the vertebrae and squeeze the nerves next to these vertebrae.
Not so with Schmorl's hernia. It does not climb between the vertebrae, but penetrates the vertebra itself.
Imagine that a normal disc herniation looks like a watermelon seed, which we squeeze with two fingers, and the seed flies away. The fingers are the vertebrae, and the seed is part of the gelatinous core of the intervertebral disc.
Schmorl's hernia is when the seed is squeezed by the fingers, but does not fly away, but sticks into the finger. This is a bad example. It seems that Schmorl's hernia is more painful than a normal hernia. But in fact, the opposite is true.
It is said that Schmorl's hernias can be found in about 70% of all people.
Schmorl's hernias are more common in the last thoracic vertebrae. That is, a little higher than we usually expect a hernia.
No one knows exactly why Schmorl's hernias appear. It is believed that part of the cartilage in the intervertebral disc, instead of being content with a meager nutrition from the surrounding moisture, begins to stick to the blood vessels inside the vertebra. The vertebra obligingly sprouts a blood vessel inside the cartilaginous disc and thereby makes a gate through which an ungrateful disc breaks into itself. This is similar to diverticula in the intestine. They also crawl out through the weak points of the intestinal wall around the blood vessels.
Some scientists believe that the vertebrae are to blame. Like they get sick, fall apart, and unsuspecting intervertebral discs fall into the vertebra like a wormhole.
They also say that these hernias form very early, maybe even in the womb. Because most often they stick into the lower part of the vertebrae. It is known that in infants it is the lower part of the vertebrae that is weak in this respect.
But not the point. The main thing is that usually Schmorl's hernia does not hurt. If, of course, you try very hard, then the vertebra will fall apart from it. But this is already the most extreme case.
Have you looked for a hernia?
