Mr. Sharma, a 40 year old executive had been having backache off and on for almost two months. He attributed it to bad posture and ignored his back. His pain did not wane. Instead, it kept on increasing – it was continuous throughout the day and intensified at nights.

“Probably lumbago”, thought his family doctor. He recommended a week of bed rest. A week later Mr. Sharma found that far from subsiding, the pain actually worsened. He was unable to sit or stand comfortably.

The Next Step

He decided to see a specialist. As he narrated his symptoms to the surgeon in the Out Patients Department, he could seen the concern on the doctor’s face. He was advised to undergo X-rays. ‘But my family doctor said that the spinal discs cannot be viewed on X-rays’, argued Mr. Sharma. “It is not the disc I am concerned about… it ‘s something more serious”- confided the surgeon. When the X-rays were taken, the surgeon had bad news. “You have a tumour in your back”, he told Mr. Sharma, “and you need to be admitted immediately”.

The beginning of the end?

“What?” exclaimed Mr. Sharma,”I don’t smoke… I don’t drink… And I am only 40. How can that be?” The surgeon calmed him down. Bone tumours are not caused by smoking or drinking. Nor is any age immune to malignancy”. He showed him how his entire vertebrae was eaten away by the tumour. “Is this the beginning of my end?” Mr. Sharma was depressed. “No” said the surgeon. “Not all tumours of the spine are malignant (growing relentlessly leading to death). We need a biopsy to find out what type of tumour this is”.

Swift and Painless

Full of fears, Mr. Sharma was relieved to find that the biopsy was a small procedure not requiring anesthesia. In MIOT, using advanced technology a bit of vertebral body could be removed for biopsy through a transpedicular route without even making a skin incision. Mr. Sharma could walk in an hour. Fortunately for him the tumour turned out to have not so potent a growth potential. And one that could be destroyed by radiation. Mr. Sharma underwent the prescribed radiotherapy with successful outcome.

Back to the future

Mr. Sharma has resumed his office duties with renewed vigor. He is absolutely pain free. He enjoys a game of tennis every weekend and does not abstain from heavy physical activities. He leads a normal life. But he does not forget to report to MIOT every 6 months for a routine check-up. Truly not all backaches are due to degenerated discs. Many of these are due to other conditions like sub clinical trauma, infection, tumours or pain from abdomen which needs to be treated aggressively. Backache can also be due to tumours if :-

  • The pain appears unrelated to activities like sitting, standing.
  • Backaches persist after adequate bed rest.
  • Night pains preventing sleep.
  • History of previous tumour treatment.
  • Recent weight loss.
  • Reduced appetite, feeling weak.
  • Age above 60.
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