Get rid of your back pain now!!

Many of us experience back pain in the life span, although it is very common and generally muscle-related but if the pain is severe and stays for longer duration then, it can signify a more serious medical problem. Cancer does not settle to one location; it spread to other parts of the body too.
Spine cord runs from the base of the brain to the bottom of the spine. It is also houses the nerves that deliver message back and forth between the body and brain. Tumor in spine is a critical case which can be very harmful as it can push on and damage the spinal cord completely. Spinal tumors may be cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign).
Following are the general symptoms which may be associated with a spinal tumor:
The most common symptom of a spinal tumor is pain in the area of tumor. Sometimes this pain could be normal to worse at night. In general, malignant (cancerous) tumor grows faster than benign (noncancerous) tumors.
• Pain in the neck or back, and also faces neurological problems such as weakness or numbness in the arms or legs.
• Change in bowel and bladder functions, or change in bowel habits.
• Back pain along with the symptoms such as loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, and fever.
• Worse pain in focal spine.
• Severe pain during direct compression or manipulation of the affected area in the spine.
If the patient is at the advanced stage of spinal tumor, then also surgery can be beneficial in restoring neurological function, reducing pain and also preventing tumor recurrence.
Types of spinal tumors:
There are three common types of spinal tumors; Vertebral column tumors, Intradural- Extramedullary tumors, and Intramedullary tumors.
1. Vertebral column tumors:

It is categorized into two tumors i.e. Primary tumors and Metastatic tumors.
• Primary tumors: Bone or disc elements of the spine are the area from where these tumors grow. They generally occur in younger adults. Primary spinal tumors are rare and also grow slowly. Osteogenic sarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor.

• Metastatic tumors: Pain gets severe during night and also often occurs with other illness like weight loss, vomiting, and fever. In women, spinal tumors most frequently spread from cancer that originates in the breast or lung, whereas in men, spinal tumors most frequently spread from cancer that originates in the prostate or lung.

2. Intradural – Extramedullary tumors:

These tumors grow within the spinal canal i.e. under the membrane that covers the spinal cord but outside of the nerves. Generally Intradural- Extramedullary tumors are benign and slow growing. Some most common spinal tumors are:

• Meningioma tumor occurs in the membranes surrounding the spinal cord and is benign but may be malignant. Middle age and elderly women are more prone to these kinds of tumors.
• Nerve sheath tumors (schwannomas and neurofibromas) occur from the nerve roots that come off the spinal cord. Again, this type of tumor is usually benign and slow growing.

3. Intramedullary Tumors
These tumors grow from inside the spinal cord or inside the individual nerves and often arise from the cells that provide physical support and insulation for the nervous system. These tumors occur most often in the cervical spine (neck). Astrocytomas and Ependymomas are the two most common types of intramedullary tumors.