Back pain affects a staggering number of Americans — in fact, almost 65 million complain of recent back pain to their doctors, while it’s also a major cause of lost work days.
Many things cause back pain, including injuries and a wide range of conditions, including degenerative disc disease, slipped discs, spinal stenosis (compressed nerves from narrowing of the spinal canal), and more.
A spinal condition that constitutes an emergency and also causes pain and other uncomfortable symptoms is a spinal tumor, which can mean cancer. It’s important to be able to identify spinal tumor symptoms — and how they differ from those of more common spinal conditions so that you can seek treatment as soon as possible.
Highly skilled and experienced spine surgeon Dr. Benjamin Cohen diagnoses and treats spinal tumors so patients can get relief from their symptoms and, if necessary, further treatment if a tumor turns out to be cancerous. His caring approach lets patients know they’re in the best hands, which is critical if you’re concerned about the possibility of a spinal tumor.
There are two main types of spinal tumors to be aware of: Primary spinal tumors originate in your spine or spinal cord, while secondary spinal tumors are fueled by cancer in another part of the body.
There are three different types of primary spinal tumors.
Since most primary spinal tumors are benign, the ones we have to worry about are the secondary tumors.
Secondary spinal tumors are far more common than primary spinal tumors and account for about 97% of all spinal tumors.
As with all cancers, the sooner you receive treatment, the better your outlook.
We’ve created a list of the four most concerning spinal tumor symptoms you should know about so that you can seek treatment as soon as possible if you experience any of them.
If you notice back pain that you can’t trace to an injury or a condition like arthritis or disc degeneration, get it checked out. You might also note that the pain is unusual compared to other types of back pain you’ve experienced, or it’s deep.
If your pain starts in your back but begins to affect your arms, legs, or hips, this can be a sign of a spinal tumor.
Diverse neurological problems can point to a spinal tumor, including reduction or loss of bladder or bowel function, chest, arm, or leg numbness, loss of muscle strength in your arms or legs, and even paralysis. You might also have trouble walking normally.
Additionally, a spinal tumor can be responsible for radiculopathy, which is pain caused by pinched nerve roots, or myelopathy, discomfort due to spinal cord compression.
This is a surprising symptom, but a spinal tumor can cause you to become less sensitive to heat and cold (and pain as well).
If you’re diagnosed with a spinal tumor, Dr. Cohen can offer advanced treatments.
He bases his treatment recommendations on factors such as your tumor's size and growth rate, the type of tumor, and your specific symptoms.
We may combine surgical removal of your tumor — whether it’s cancerous or benign — with chemotherapy or radiation before or after surgery to shrink it.
Spinal tumor surgery is intricate, and Dr. Cohen may need to correct other problems and perform a different procedure in addition to tumor removal because tumors can contribute to other conditions and additional symptoms.
For example, Dr. Cohen may suggest spinal fusion when two or more vertebrae are fused permanently) to increase spinal stability and strength after spinal decompression, which relieves painful pressure on the nerve roots and compromised nerve function caused by a tumor.
Whenever possible, Dr. Cohen favors minimally invasive surgery, which is associated with quicker recovery and less pain, bleeding, and scarring.
Don’t delay seeking treatment if you start to experience back pain that doesn’t have a logical explanation. Dr. Cohen can help.
Book online or call our Garden City office at 516-246-5008 to schedule an in-person or telemedicine appointment with Dr. Cohen.
