What is cauda equina syndrome?

There's a collection of nerve roots at the bottom of your spinal cord that affect your legs and bladder. When an injury or herniated disk or other problem compresses those nerves, then that causes pain, weakness and incontinence. Cauda equina syndrome is a medical emergency.

What are the first signs of cauda equina?

How do you get cauda equina syndrome?

Cauda equina syndrome is most commonly caused by a massive disc herniation in the lumbar spine (low back). A disc herniation occurs when the jelly-like core of a disc herniates, or shifts out of position, putting pressure on nearby nerves in the spine.

How do you fix cauda equina syndrome?

Cauda equina syndrome is best treated with decompression by a lumbar laminectomy, but a lumbar microdiscectomy may be used given a patient's unique situation. The patient will likely be kept in the hospital for a few days following the surgery to monitor recovery of motor and sensory function.

Can you cure cauda equina?

Nobody can recover from the Cauda equina syndrome at the same time. After the surgery, many patients can feel leg pain or back pain now and then. They can also experience bowel dysfunction, bladder dysfunction and other problems. It depends mainly on the severity of symptoms and the time duration of nerve compression.

Cauda Equina Syndrome - Everything You Need To Know - Dr. Nabil

Is walking good for cauda equina syndrome?

Pelvic floor exercises can assist with regaining bladder control and gentle aerobic exercise such as walking can help restore strength in the lower back and legs.

How serious is cauda equina syndrome?

Cauda equina syndrome is not life-threatening. But it can permanently damage your body, affecting your health and quality of life. Symptoms may include leaking pee or poop and problems having sex. Surgery might treat several of the symptoms if performed immediately.

How painful is cauda equina syndrome?

Sharp or stabbing pain in the legs or lower extremities.

Compression of the cauda equina may lead to sciatic nerve pain felt on both sides of the body, and may be experienced as a sharp, hot pain felt down the backs of the thighs and possibly into the lower legs and feet.

Is cauda equina an emergency?

Cauda equina syndrome is a rare disorder that usually is a surgical emergency. In patients with cauda equina syndrome, something compresses on the spinal nerve roots. You may need fast treatment to prevent lasting damage leading to incontinence and possibly permanent paralysis of the legs.

How fast does cauda equina progress?

Unlike most back problems that are longstanding or chronic, cauda equina is an acute event, like a stroke or heart attack. It most often develops rapidly, within as few as 6 to 10 hours.

How does cauda equina affect the bowel?

The cauda equina nerves are responsible for controlling an individual's awareness of the sensation around the anus. They are also responsible for the control of bowel movements. If those nerves become compressed or squashed, an individual may lose control of their bowel and sensation around the anus.

How do doctors test for cauda equina?

MRI scan for cauda equina syndrome

The only way to verify a diagnosis is to perform an MRI scan. MRI scans are deemed to be the gold standard when diagnosing spinal conditions. Other imaging tests are not as effective.

Is cauda equina a disability?

If a patient developing cauda equina syndrome does not undergo surgery at the key moment, they can be left with lifelong, disabling symptoms. If this is your experience, you may be able to make a claim for compensation.

What are the stages of cauda equina?

Group 4: absence of saddle sensation and sexual function, and uncontrolled bowel function. Clinical stages were defined as preclinical (group 1), early (group 2), middle (group 3), and late (group 4).

Why is cauda equina so rare?

Unlike other well-known back conditions such as sciatica and scoliosis, Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) is relatively unheard of. This is in part because it is an uncommon condition, and also because – providing it is diagnosed and treated quickly – there is often a positive outcome for the patient.

What does saddle numbness feel like?

Numbness in or around the back passage and / or genitals; Inability to feel the toilet paper when wiping; Tingling sensation in the saddle area; Weakness in the saddle area.

Why is cauda equina a red flag?

Cauda equina syndrome.

Red flags include: Bilateral sciatica. Severe or progressive bilateral neurological deficit of the legs, such as major motor weakness with knee extension, ankle eversion, or foot dorsiflexion.

Can cauda equina be seen on MRI?

Due to its ability to depict the soft tissues, MRI generally has been the favored imaging study for assisting the physician in the diagnosis of cauda equina syndrome. Urgent MRI is recommended for all patients who have new-onset urinary symptoms with associated back pain or sciatica.

What are the final stages of spinal stenosis?

Spinal stenosis, often an end stage of the spine degenerative process, is characterized by leg pain with walking. Pain will go away with rest but you may have to specifically sit down to ease the leg pain.

Can cauda equina be seen on xray?

Plain radiography is often helpless in detecting the cause of cauda equina syndrome but might be useful in searching of destructive changes, disk-space narrowing, or spondylolysis. MRI and CT scan are the gold standard tests for cauda equina syndrome diagnosis.

Can cauda equina get worse?

Gradual onset cauda equina syndrome is when the condition occurs slowly, with symptoms getting progressively worse over a matter of weeks, months or even years.

Can cauda equina syndrome cause paralysis?

If patients with cauda equina syndrome do not seek immediate treatment to relieve the pressure, it can result in permanent paralysis, impaired bladder and/or bowel control, loss of sexual sensation, and other problems.

Can cauda equina be treated without surgery?

Therefore cauda equina syndrome must be treated with surgical decompression. If you have cauda equina syndrome, you will need an operation. Cauda equina syndrome cannot be resolved without surgery.

How common is cauda equina?

Cauda equina syndrome is a relatively rare condition, comprising around 2–6% of lumbar disc operations [16, 17, 31], with an incidence in the population thought to be between 1 in 33,000 to 1 in 100,000 [1].

Is cauda equina the same as spinal cord compression?

Spinal cord compression and Cauda Equina Syndrome have similar symptoms, including back pain and weakness or paralysis of the lower limbs. This means the relatively rare Cauda Equina Syndrome is often misdiagnosed as spinal cord compression, resulting in the right treatment often not being given in time.