Hi Karen,
I am very sorry that you have been in such severe pain for so long. Although I don't know anything about schmorl nodes, I have been experiencing the same kind of pain as you (severe lower back pain and stabbing pains down my leg) for the past 3 years. I have also gotten an MRI which revealed that I have a bulging disc between my L4 and L5 vertebrates, but the doctor said that this should not be causing any pain since it is not compressing a nerve root. So I can relate to the frustration of doctors telling you that there doesn't seem to be anything wrong when you KNOW there is. The only advice I can give you is to tell you the ways in which I have been able to manage my pain and hope that perhaps some of these strategies might work for you as well:
- Yoga
- Frequent exercise and stretching (especially with a yoga strap that stretches out the sciatic nerve and alleviates the searing leg pain) ... I can now drive for long periods of time without having my leg cramp up.
- Nutritional supplements: Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) which has anti-inflammatory properties and glucosamine and chondroitin for joint support
I hope this helps, and whatever you do don't give up. Be persistent and continue to research your symptoms... sometimes when doctors don't have the answer it is up to the patient to heal themselves.
Susan
I have had severe pain in my lower back for about 31/2 months now. My dr ordered a mri and I found out I have a schmorls node. From what I looked up online they are not painful. I am in severe pain all day every day can anyone let me know a treatment that has worked for them.