Q: I am suffering from severe back pain. The pain starts from the back to the stomach. My x-ray shows that there is disc compression at T11 and T12. The MRI shows small quantity of pus due to some infection. Doctors say that it is tuberculosis (TB) of the bone. I am taking anti tuberculosis drugs for the last two and half months but the pain is still there. When will the pain go away? When will the compressed disc come back into position? Do I have to go for surgery? What are the chances of it getting cured completely?

A:TB of the spine can usually be cured with drugs without having to undergo a surgery, provided the treatment is started in time and is not interrupted. Pain may take 2-3 months to improve and may take even longer. So long as you are improving with treatment, I don't think that surgery would be needed, however, you must adhere to the precautions as advised by your orthopaedic surgeon.