Symptoms Linked To Vertebral Tumors

Loss Of Sensitivity To Temperature And Pain

Individuals who have a growing vertebral tumor often exhibit loss of sensitivity to temperature and pain as an indicator of their tumor. A tumor in the vertebrae can cause impairment or disruption in the nerve pathways that process, receive, and transmit signals from external stimuli. Nerves exit out of small holes on either side of a vertebra in pairs from the main spinal column. From those pairs, they continue to branch out like a web around the body. The sensory nerves are those that send signals to the brain about pain, touch, and temperature, where motor nerves send signals to the brain in regards to muscle movements. A vertebral tumor can grow out from any part of a vertebra including the foraminae or hole where the nerve exits the spinal column. A tumor can press down on peripheral nervous system branches and partially block the foraminae. This blockage stops the transmission of signals with information regarding pain and temperature from the area of stimuli to the brain. Because of the nerve arrangement of the spinal cord, the patient will lose these sensations in one or both hands and arms, or they may lose them in one or both feet and legs.

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