There are few things in life more annoying than an itchy back. Although most of the time the situation is resolved quickly, there are some cases where the patient spends years with the itching and what started simply can hurt and become a worrying condition.
This was the case of Carmen Silvia Pigatto, aged 60, who spent 25 years without a precise diagnosis for an itch between her shoulder blades. The saleswoman from Campinas, in São Paulo, also felt burning and tingling in the area, and the situation worsened to the point of creating lesions and spots on her skin, interfering with her work.
“I went to dermatologists, orthopedists and physiatrists, but they didn’t come up with a diagnosis. I was wrongly treated with a corticosteroid for the spot on my back, which caused the skin to permanently shrink. The itch is a very irritating nuisance, which causes embarrassment in public places”, laments the saleswoman.
Last year, after another search on the internet for her symptoms, she found the page of the physiotherapist Abnel Alecrim, who listed everything she felt. Carmen made an appointment, had tests done, and was finally diagnosed with notalgia paresthetica.
about the disease
Dermatologist Renata Mariella, from the Renoir Especialidades Médicas clinic in Brasília, explains that notalgia paresthetica is a chronic disease that affects the nerves of the back, especially in the upper part, and which is usually accompanied by a brown spot in the area.
It is not known exactly what triggers the condition, but doctors believe that the symptoms are caused by compression of a muscle or nerve, or degenerative changes in the spine.
“It is a disease more common in women between 50 and 60 years old. The most indicated treatment includes physiotherapy to help the spinal injury and decrease the symptoms. The use of immunomodulatory ointments is also an option, but some people experience a return of the condition shortly after its suspension”, says Renata.
Carmen says that what caused the inflammation in the nerves of her back was her bad posture when sitting and sleeping. The treatment with the physiotherapist was done with exercises to correct the posture.
Treatment
The physiotherapist Alecrim, who assists the saleswoman in Campinas, explains that to better assist a patient with notalgia, it is necessary, first, to carry out physical assessments to understand the relationship between posture and itching. Only then will it be possible to guide the person with exercises and proper ergonomic care.
“Posture correction can reduce wear and tear and the degenerative process of the discs and vertebrae of the spine, preventing the occurrence of bulging, herniated discs, overload on the discs and irritation of the sensitive nerve fibers of the spine”, says Alecrim, who uses as therapy the McKenzie Method.
Currently, Carmen’s condition is fully under control and the itchiness has eased as she has increased her exercise frequency. “I can do anything. There are no restrictions for me. I just exercise every day and take care of my posture,” she says, relieved.
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