“Here’s How I Knew I Had a Spinal Tumor”: One Patient’s Journey When Pain Turned Up Elsewhere

The spine is a complex structure that serves as the protective housing for your spinal cord and nerves. It consists of small bones called vertebrae, along with disks, joints, ligaments and muscles that work together to provide support and flexibility.

Spinal tumors are abnormal growths that develop within or near this spinal structure. They can be categorized as either primary or secondary. Primary spinal tumors originate within the spine itself and are relatively rare. These tumors may be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous), with benign primary tumors accounting for only 0.5% of all new tumor diagnoses and malignant ones being even rarer. Secondary spinal tumors, however, are more common and arise when cancer cells spread from other parts of the body—such as the lungs, breasts, or prostate—to the spine. Each year, approximately 10,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with metastatic spinal cord tumors, according to data shared by the Cleveland Clinic.

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What are the symptoms of spinal tumors?

The symptoms of spinal tumors can vary depending on the individual, as well as the type and location of the tumor. Some common symptoms include:

• Back pain unrelated to physical activity that intensifies over time and worsens when lying down
• Weakness or numbness
• Difficulty walking
• Incontinence
• Erectile dysfunction
• Altered sensation
• Potential paralysis
• Fatigue
• Weight loss and more.

What is the common age for spine tumors?

The Cleveland Clinic shares that primary spinal tumors tend to occur more frequently in adults aged 65 to 74 and in children aged 10 to 16. Metastatic spinal tumors primarily affect adults and the elderly.

How quickly does spinal cancer progress?

The rate of progression for spinal cancer varies depending on the type of tumor. Primary spinal tumors such as astrocytomas or ependymomas may grow slowly over years, while metastatic spinal tumors can progress rapidly over weeks to months. The growth rate also depends on the type of tumor and its genetic characteristics.

Regarding treatment, Patrick Doherty, MD, a neurosurgeon at Yale Medicine, explains: “The goal of spinal tumor treatment is to not only treat the tumor cells, with a goal of ridding the body of them, but also to restore neurologic function and alleviate pain.”

One woman’s experience demonstrates the effectiveness of this treatment approach. After surgery to remove her spinal tumor, not only did her intense leg pain disappear, but she also began a journey toward recovery and improved quality of life.

How I knew I had a spinal tumor

By Erin Thomas, as told to Dr. Patricia Varacallo, DO

What does a tumor in your lower back feel like?

Speaking from experience, it’s not just your ordinary backache. Having managed typical back pain over the years—having kids and a nasty fall from my youth gymnastics years—I thought I knew what discomfort felt like. But this was very different.

As a high school English teacher, my days are spent either on my feet or buried in piles of grading, so a little soreness at day’s end wasn’t unusual. However, this pain escalated, and one night in January 2018, it became a sharp, frightening sensation shooting down my right leg. It was so alarming that I found myself awake in the middle of the night, trying to distract myself with some TV on the couch, where I eventually fell asleep sitting up—a position that became all too common in the following months. The pain soon made it impossible for me to lie flat in bed, and I was consistently popping ibuprofen. This isn’t always safe.

My husband grew concerned and urged me to see a doctor. I had an appointment lined up but couldn’t wait—the pain became so excruciating that I needed to seek immediate help at the emergency department.

Being diagnosed with a spinal tumor

I underwent many tests, including a series of X-rays, CT scans and an MRI. It was the MRI that finally showed what was going on. They found something alarming in my lower back and told me I needed to see a neurosurgeon right away.

At my appointment, the surgeon introduced me to a term I’d never heard before: A schwannoma. (Remember, my vocabulary is quite extensive, but this was new to me!) He explained that a schwannoma is a type of benign tumor that develops from the nerve sheath, typically non-cancerous but capable of causing significant harm if left untreated. The need for surgery was urgent to prevent any irreversible damage.

As he outlined the potential risks of the operation—nerve damage, infection, or even partial paralysis—his words began to blur together. The thought that something was growing on my spinal cord was beyond my wildest fears. Still, I understood that surgery was the key to feeling better.

Undergoing surgery

The main goal was to remove the tumor without messing with anything else, especially the nerves. I remember lying there in the pre-op room, hopeful that this would fix the constant pain that had started to creep down my right leg. Still, there was a part of me that worried about the surgery making things worse.

What if the pain didn’t go away? What if I ended up needing more help than before?

I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind and knew the surgeons were skilled enough to do this.

I woke up from surgery to the good news that it had been successful. The next day, I realized my leg pain had vanished, but a new ache had emerged down my back, reminding me that my journey was far from over. Rehabilitation was up next on my path to recovery.

The pain in my leg is a thing of the past

My physical therapist deserves a medal for putting up with me. She pushed me when I needed pushing and knew when to back off in moments my frustration became too much. Gradually, I started to see progress. I started to walk again, albeit slowly. After 10 weeks, I was jogging on the treadmill and able to do things around the house. It’s remarkable how illness can make us appreciate the ability to unload the dishwasher.

Today I can say I’m not the same person I was before. In many ways, I’m stronger. I’ve discovered reserves of strength I never knew I had. And I’ve been humbled by the love and support of my family and friends.

Being tumor-free today doesn’t mean the road is always smooth. Some days, fatigue hits me like a truck, and I have to remind myself that it’s OK to rest. I still have some lower back pain, but nothing like I experienced before. I’ve adapted my workout routine to help with this, swapping high-impact activities for gentler options like swimming and yoga. Stretching helps a lot, too. This experience has been a rollercoaster, but I’m still here, still standing, and definitely thriving at 41!

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