See a doctor soon if back pain comes with
- a mild fever, often in the evening, for weeks
- sweating at night
- loss of weight or appetite
- a lump or bend in the back, or a stiff back that will not bend
- past TB, or TB in the family or at home
- diabetes, kidney disease, HIV or medicines that lower immunity
Go to an emergency department the same day if there is weakness, numbness or tingling in the legs, trouble walking, or trouble passing urine. TB can press on the spinal cord, and early surgery can save the use of the legs.
How it is found
- MRI of the spine: the most useful scan. Arranged at Vijaya Diagnostic
- X-ray of the spine and chest: done in our building
- Blood tests: blood count, ESR, CRP and sugar, done 24 hours by Caspian Diagnostic Centre in the same building
- Sample from the spine: a needle biopsy taken under CT or during surgery, tested for TB (including GeneXpert, which also checks for resistance to rifampicin, a key TB medicine). This confirms the diagnosis before months of treatment
Read what the words in your scan mean on your spine MRI report.
Treatment
- TB medicines every day for 9 to 12 months or longer. Liver tests are checked during treatment, and eyesight too if ethambutol is given.
- Rest and a back brace in the early weeks for some people, as the surgeon advises.
- Good food and protein, and good sugar control with diabetes.
- Surgery for pressure on the spinal cord, a collapsing or bending spine, a large abscess, or when a sample is needed.
- Follow-up scans to see that the spine is healing.
Your doctor will notify the case to the TB programme, as the law requires. This also gives you free medicines and support.
See Dr. Imran at Caspian
Dr. Mohammed Imran, Neurosurgeon & Spine Surgeon. MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Neurosurgery), Gandhi Medical College. Telangana Medical Council 60634.
Monday to Saturday, 4 to 5 pm. Walk in, no appointment needed. Consultation ₹600, valid for 6 days or 2 visits, whichever comes first.
Bring any MRI, CT or X-ray you have had (the films or CD and the written report), and the list of every medicine you take.
Common questions
Is spine TB infectious?
TB of the spine itself does not spread to others by touch or by sharing food. If the person also has TB in the lungs, that can spread through coughing, so the lungs are checked too.
How long is the treatment?
TB medicines for the spine are usually taken for 9 to 12 months, sometimes longer, as your doctor decides. Taking every dose every day, without stopping early, is what cures it.
Do I need an operation?
Most people are cured with medicines alone. Surgery is needed when there is weakness or numbness in the legs from pressure on the spinal cord, when the spine is collapsing or bending, when a large abscess needs draining, or when the diagnosis is not clear and a sample is needed.
Is TB treatment free?
Yes. TB medicines are given free under the government's National TB Elimination Programme, and you can get them at a nearby government centre even when you are treated privately. Patients are also entitled to monthly nutrition support under the programme.
Can I get TB again?
It can come back if treatment is stopped early or doses are missed. Completing the full course is the best protection. Diabetes raises the risk of TB, so keeping sugar under control helps.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed Imran, Neurosurgeon & Spine Surgeon, Telangana Medical Council 60634. Last reviewed 13 November 2026. General information for patients of Caspian Healthcare: your own doctor’s advice comes first.