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Can tuberculosis of the spine recur?

Q: What are the symptoms of Tuberculosis which surely indicate that a person is suffering from it? My sister suffered from this disease in her back/spine four years back. It was a small lump and complete course of medication was taken for a year and she got cured. Since 4 days she has severe pain in the back and legs. We checked her back but there was no lump or anything like that. Her temperature was normal and her appetite is fine. She also experienced reflux problem due to which she had pain in her throat and there was a swallowing problems. She is taking homeopathic medicine and is better now. However, she checked her weight today and noticed that she has lost 4 kgs. We just hope that this weight loss is due to her reflux problem. I would be grateful if you could please advise if after the full treatment can TB recur and what should be done?

A:The common symptoms of tuberculosis are: 1. Low fever, most marked in the evenings 2. Poor appetite, progressive loss of weight 3. In tuberculosis of the lungs: cough with blood in the sputum; pain in the chest that worsens on deep breathing; difficulty in breathing 4. In tuberculosis of the spinal column: pain, swelling, abnormal curvature of the spine producing a hump. Since your sister has pain in the back and legs, I suggest you get her examined by a neurologist or neurosurgeon to ensure that there is no irritation to or compression of the nerves in her back. It is also necessary to determine the cause of her reflux. Does she have an abnormal opening in her diaphragm (the muscle separating chest from abdomen) with consequent upward migration of the gullet and stomach (hiatus hernia)? These causes need treatment to prevent further deterioration.

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