Neck and back pain you assumed was a disc… left untreated, it can lead to paralysis
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Gangnam St. Peter's Hospital 26-03-13 00:00Main content
Neck and back pain you assumed was a disc… left untreated, it can lead to paralysis
Posted 2026.03.12 10:59
Reporter Byun Tae-seop
2-4 spinal cord tumor cases per 100,000
Early symptoms resemble disc herniation
Get examined if pain or numbness worsens
Enlarge image
Getty Images Bank
A condition easily mistaken for a disc herniation because the early symptoms are similar is spinal cord tumor. In this condition a tumor forms in the spinal cord or inside the spinal canal and compresses or invades nerve tissue, and without proper treatment it can lead to sensory abnormalities, motor impairment or paralysis.
Spinal cord tumors are known to occur in about 2 to 4 people per 100,000 population, mainly in people in their 40s and 50s. The problem is that the early symptoms, such as lower back pain, radiating leg pain, sensory abnormalities and muscle weakness, closely resemble those of disc herniation, a common spinal condition. As a result, many people dismiss them as simple muscle pain and leave them untreated.
Spinal cord tumors are divided by location into extradural, intradural extramedullary and intramedullary tumors, and their main symptoms differ as well. With an extradural tumor, which forms on the outer side of the spinal canal, paralysis appears relatively quickly. Intradural extramedullary tumors cause sensory abnormalities, and intramedullary tumors, which appear inside the spinal cord, can cause motor impairment, sensory impairment and urinary dysfunction.
The larger the tumor grows, the more severely it compresses the nerves and the worse the symptoms become. In the early stages it can look like a disc herniation, but as the condition progresses, pain and temperature sensation may decline and paralysis, gait disturbance and bowel dysfunction may appear. Yoon, Kangjun, President of St. Peter's Hospital, said, "If pain or numbness keeps getting worse, you should not simply assume it is a disc herniation; it is worth having a detailed imaging study such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)."
Treatment differs according to the location and type of the tumor. Removing the tumor surgically is the basic approach, but when the tumor has spread elsewhere in the body, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are combined with surgery to relieve the nerve compression. President Yoon said, “In general, when benign tumors are operated on at the right time, nerve function is often preserved or improves,” adding, “Because a spinal cord tumor can lead to loss of motor function or nerve paralysis once it develops, early diagnosis and treatment are important.”
Posted 2026.03.12 10:59
Reporter Byun Tae-seop
2-4 spinal cord tumor cases per 100,000
Early symptoms resemble disc herniation
Get examined if pain or numbness worsens
Enlarge image
Getty Images Bank
A condition easily mistaken for a disc herniation because the early symptoms are similar is spinal cord tumor. In this condition a tumor forms in the spinal cord or inside the spinal canal and compresses or invades nerve tissue, and without proper treatment it can lead to sensory abnormalities, motor impairment or paralysis.
Spinal cord tumors are known to occur in about 2 to 4 people per 100,000 population, mainly in people in their 40s and 50s. The problem is that the early symptoms, such as lower back pain, radiating leg pain, sensory abnormalities and muscle weakness, closely resemble those of disc herniation, a common spinal condition. As a result, many people dismiss them as simple muscle pain and leave them untreated.
Spinal cord tumors are divided by location into extradural, intradural extramedullary and intramedullary tumors, and their main symptoms differ as well. With an extradural tumor, which forms on the outer side of the spinal canal, paralysis appears relatively quickly. Intradural extramedullary tumors cause sensory abnormalities, and intramedullary tumors, which appear inside the spinal cord, can cause motor impairment, sensory impairment and urinary dysfunction.
The larger the tumor grows, the more severely it compresses the nerves and the worse the symptoms become. In the early stages it can look like a disc herniation, but as the condition progresses, pain and temperature sensation may decline and paralysis, gait disturbance and bowel dysfunction may appear. Yoon, Kangjun, President of St. Peter's Hospital, said, "If pain or numbness keeps getting worse, you should not simply assume it is a disc herniation; it is worth having a detailed imaging study such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)."
Treatment differs according to the location and type of the tumor. Removing the tumor surgically is the basic approach, but when the tumor has spread elsewhere in the body, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are combined with surgery to relieve the nerve compression. President Yoon said, “In general, when benign tumors are operated on at the right time, nerve function is often preserved or improves,” adding, “Because a spinal cord tumor can lead to loss of motor function or nerve paralysis once it develops, early diagnosis and treatment are important.”