If you compare a nerve to a wire, the nerve sheath is the plastic insulation that wraps around the wire. When a tumor grows on this insulation, it is a nerve sheath tumor. This is the most common type of epidural tumor in the spinal canal and is usually found in the nerve sheath of the cervical or lumbar spine. Adults are prone to get it, especially the middle-aged and elderly. However, there is no need to worry too much because although this tumor is relatively common, almost 95% or more of them are benign. The most typical symptom of nerve sheath tumor is pain, and later on, numbness in the hands and feet, and urinary and fecal disorders. However, since these symptoms are easily confused with those of cervical spondylosis and lumbar spondylosis, it is important to seek early medical attention to be alert to the possibility of nerve sheath tumors. If nerve sheath tumor is mistakenly treated as cervical or lumbar spine disease, it will not only fail to achieve therapeutic effect, but also delay the best time to treat the tumor. Once the tumor grows and compresses the nerves and blood vessels, causing irreversible damage, the patient will easily develop motor dysfunction or even paralysis. Of course, patients cannot be diagnosed when these symptoms appear, and often need to do MRI for screening; while CT and X-ray can see more clearly the degree of tumor’s damage to the bone, so additional CT and X-ray examinations will be done when necessary. Since most of these tumors are benign, surgery is preferred to remove them, and they can often be cured if they are cut clean. The general cost of surgery is 30,000~50,000 RMB, which varies according to the location and size of the tumor. Of course, it will take some time for the symptoms to be relieved after surgery. The pain will disappear faster, while the numbness, weakness and urinary and bowel disorder of the limbs will be relieved more slowly. Moreover, the degree of symptom relief after surgery is also related to the location and size of the tumor, blood supply, etc. But through surgery, which symptoms before surgery can be relieved when? The recovery time varies for each person, some may improve in a week or two, while some may take a year and a half for complete remission. Especially for those patients with neurological impairment, rehabilitation is also required after surgery. Mild neurological impairment usually does not require rehabilitation.