When to See a Spine Tumor Specialist: Key Signs Not to Ignore

At some point in life, you might have experienced back pain. It is not something everyone faces at some point; it’s the second most common reason people take time off work. The reasons behind that can be muscle spasms, herniated discs, and osteoarthritis. 

In some cases, it could be a spinal or spinal cord tumor, whether benign or cancerous. Although spine tumors are rare, affecting only one in 100,000 people each year, their effects can have a serious and significant impact on a person's quality of life.

A spinal tumor is an unusual growth of tissue that forms in or around the spinal cord and spinal column. These tumors occur when cells begin to grow and multiply abnormally.

Spinal tumors can be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Primary tumors originate in the spine or spinal cord, while metastatic (secondary) tumors result from cancer that has spread from another part of the body to the spine.

Also referred to as intradural tumors, spinal tumors may develop inside the spinal cord or its protective covering (the dura). The spinal column is one of the most frequent sites where cancer spreads to the bones, making it a common location for metastatic spinal tumors.

Lung, breast, and prostate cancers are the most common types that spread to the spine. To get more information about spinal cancer, you can book an appointment with a spine tumor specialist in Ahmedabad.

As mentioned, spinal tumors can lead to back pain by harming healthy tissues like the vertebrae or by pressing on nearby nerves. 

The pain from a spinal tumor may be experienced in one or more of the following ways:

Spinal pains generally occur in the lower back or neck; pain caused by a spinal tumor is more often felt in the upper or middle back. Around 70% of spinal tumors are found in the thoracic spine.

Spinal tumor pain usually feels like a deep ache inside the back instead of on the surface or skin.

Pain caused by a spinal tumor can stay in one specific area of the back or radiate along a nerve root (known as radicular pain) or the spinal cord itself (myelopathic pain). In some cases, it may feel like a sharp, shock-like pain that spreads to the chest, abdomen, legs, or arms.

In the end, if you feel any of the above-given symptoms in your body, it could be a sign of a spinal tumor. In such cases, it is best to immediately consult a spine tumor specialist in Ahmedabad!