Symptoms of Spinal Tumors

Howard S. An, MD
The Morton International Endowed Chair
Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, IL
Symptoms of Spinal Tumors
The primary symptom of a spinal tumor, and the one that brings most patients to seek medical advice, is non-mechanical back pain. Non-mechanical back pain is different from the more common mechanical back pain. Mechanical back pain due to muscle strains or disc injury usually worsens with activities such as sitting, bending, and walking and gets better with rest or lying down, whereas non-mechanical back pain is constant and is not improved by rest or lying down. Other symptoms include

  • Sciatica
  • Numbness
  • Partial paralysis
  • Spinal deformity
  • Difficulty with bladder control
  • Fever

Symptoms of spinal tumors generally develop slowly and worsen over time unless they are treated.

Last Updated: 01/20/2009
Continue Reading: Causes of Spinal Tumors
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