Spinal Trauma & Tumours Surgery
Spinal tumors sometimes might be overlooked because they’re not common and their symptoms resemble those of more common conditions. For that reason, it’s especially important that your doctor know your complete medical history and perform both general physical and neurological exams.
Treatment options for most spinal tumors include
Monitoring. Some spinal tumors may be discovered before they cause symptoms — often when you’re being evaluated for another condition.
Surgery. This is often the treatment of choice for tumors that can be removed with an acceptable risk of spinal cord or nerve injury damage.
Radiation therapy. This ise used to eliminate the remnants of surgery, to treat inoperable tumors or to treat those tumors where surgery is risky.
Chemotherapy. A standard treatment for many types of cancer, chemotherapy uses medications to destroy cancer cells or stop them growing.
Other drugs. Because surgery and radiation therapy as well as tumors themselves can cause inflammation inside the spinal cord.
Alternative medicine
Although there aren’t any alternative medicines that have been proved to cure cancer, some complementary or alternative treatments may help relieve some of your symptoms.
One such treatment is acupuncture. During acupuncture treatment, a practitioner inserts tiny needles into your skin at precise points. Research shows that acupuncture may be helpful in relieving nausea and vomiting. Acupuncture might also help relieve certain types of pain in people with cancer.
Be sure to discuss the risks and benefits of complementary or alternative treatment that you’re thinking of trying with your doctor. Some treatments, such as herbal remedies, could interfere with medicines you’re taking.
Learning that you have a spinal tumor can be overwhelming. But you can take steps to cope after your diagnosis. Consider trying to:
Find out all you can about your specific spinal tumor. The more you and your family know and understand about your care, the more confident you’ll feel when it comes time to make treatment decisions.
Get support. Find someone you can share your feelings and concerns with. You may have a close friend or family member who is a good listener. Or speak with a clergy member or counselor.
Take care of yourself. Choose a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains whenever possible. Check with your doctor to see when you can start exercising again. Get enough sleep so that you feel rested.