
Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic Causes Progressive muscle weakness or numbness in your legs or arms.Seek immediate medical attention if you experience: You have other systemic signs and symptoms of cancer, such as nausea, vomiting or dizziness.You have a history of cancer and develop new back pain.But because early diagnosis and treatment are important for vertebral tumors, see your doctor about your back pain if: There are many causes of back pain, and most back pain isn't caused by a tumor. Spinal tumors progress at different rates depending on the type of tumor. Paralysis, which may be mild or severe, and can strike in different areas throughout the body.Feeling less sensitive to cold, heat and pain.Difficulty walking, sometimes leading to falls.Loss of sensation or muscle weakness, especially in your arms or legs.Back pain, often radiating to other parts of your body.Pain at the site of the tumor due to tumor growth.Vertebral tumor signs and symptoms may include: The tumors may affect your spinal cord or the nerve roots, blood vessels, or bones of your spine. Vertebral tumors can cause different signs and symptoms, especially as tumors grow. Other tumors, such as osteoid osteomas, osteoblastomas and hemangiomas, also can develop in the bones of the spine. Plasmacytoma is one type of primary vertebral tumor. Tumors that begin in the bones of the spine (primary tumors) are far less common. Although the original (primary) cancer is usually diagnosed before back problems develop, back pain may be the first symptom of disease in people with metastatic vertebral tumors. Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that often metastasizes to the spine. Most tumors that affect the vertebrae have spread (metastasized) to the spine from another place in the body - often the prostate, breast, lung or kidney. Vertebral tumors are also known as extradural tumors because they occur outside the spinal cord itself. Vertebral tumors are classified according to their location in the spine or vertebral column. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.Your spine is made up of small bones (vertebrae) stacked on top of one another that enclose and protect the spinal cord and its nerve roots. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. This entry was posted on February 14, 2011, 10:15 am and is filed under Uncategorized. The nerves are numbered according to the vertebrae above which it exits the spinal column. The discs, which account for ¼ the length of the spinal cord, serve as shock absorbers and allow movement of the spinal column.Ī: Thirty-one pairs of spinal nerves branch off the spinal cord. Q: What keeps the vertebrae from rubbing together?Ī: Each of the 24 moveable vertebrae in your spine are separated and cushioned by an intervertebral disc. Loss of communication between the brain and the parts of the body below the injury. The spinal cord extends from the brain to the lower back. An adult woman has a spinal cord roughly 17 inches in length. The exception is the first and second cervical vertebrae which differ structurally in order to support the skull.Ī: An adult male has a spinal cord roughly 18 inches in length. Although vertebrae differ in size and shape in the different regions of the spinal column, they all share the same structure. Abnormal spine curvature (scoliosis) usually occurs in the thoracic region due to a congenital condition, sciatica, poor posture, one leg being shorter than the other, or paralysis of muscles on one side of the body.Ī: The spinal canal is a tube formed by the stacked vertebrae.Ī: No. These curves serve to increase spine strength, maintain balance in upright positions, absorb shock when walking, and protect the spinal cord from injury. The spinal column has three gradual curves. This group of nine bones (5 in the sacral and 4 4 in the coccygeal region) is fused together at the base of the spine.Ī: No. The fourth region is known as the sacrum and coccyx.The third region, known as the lower back, is comprised of the five lumbar vertebrae (labeled L1–L5).The second region is comprised of the 12 thoracic or upper back vertebrae (labeled T1–T12).The first region is comprised of the seven cervical or neck vertebrae (labeled C1–C7).Contact Us for Help Questions About the SpineĪ: Starting at the top, the spine has four regions with a total of 33 vertebrae:
