This is not a medical report but just personal experience which I want to share. It might help someone in a similar situation.

A person had had been advised bed rest because he had backache. Later the doctor advised surgery. He refused as he was wary that surgery might worsen his situation. I was called in to counsel him. This because I had undergone surgery for slip disc and had recovered wonderfully in a short time. I did speak to the gentleman and he agreed to go through it. Before the operation it was discovered that he had a Tubercular nodule and was treated with medication and did not need surgery.

My son had been suffering from back ache for six months. He would get spasms of pain. As he is also spastic I assumed it was caused by bad posture. The orthopaedic doctor asked for an x-ray. He diagnosed it as spondylosis. He prescribed pain killers and there is nothing he can do. We went in for Ayurvedic treatment. There was tremendous relief. We also approached a Homeopathic doctor. He seemed to get better. Meanwhile he lost several kilos and began to lose strength in his legs.

I was shocked one morning to see a large cricket ball - size swelling on his shoulder. The GP advised immediate hospitalization, medication and a scan as she thought it might be TB.

The scan showed a large TB abscess partially suppressing the spinal cord. The strong medication was started immediately. After lying almost immobile and needing constant care in bed for the last 6 months he has improved and is regaining control of leg movements after physiotherapy.

If the first doctor (who was a qualified Ortho consulting in a reputed clinic) had realized this it  could have saved my son months of pain and the disease would not have advanced so far.

The reason why I have written this is there are many who complain of back pain. They must ask the doctor to check the possibility of having contracted Koch’s disease or TB as it is commonly known. Spinal TB is not contagious like the chest TB and there is no danger of the care-giver of contracting it. Explore this angle too and begin treatment before it is too advanced. TB is completely curable and there is no need for unnecessary worry.