Thank you for this video. I had decompression surgery of my spinal cord 2 months ago. I was diagnosed with cauda equina syndrome. I had urinary retention for 4 weeks. I went to a urologist. Told him I fell on my butt. Wore a catheter for 3 weeks. removing it weekly to see if I could urinate. I could not. After the 3rd time catheter was removed, I was told that my bladder was being lazy and it would take time to remember how to work. One morning I woke up with numbness in my feet. I went to a nuerologist who sent me for a MRI That night. I was told I had compression in my spinal cord and needed to go to ER because I was couldn't urinate. THe next day I had decompression surgery. Unfortunately Nobody knows what Cauda Equina syndrome is and that it is a true medical emergency. This is a very informative video.

I'm a healthcare person and this talk is better than what I see in my professional circles. Well done!

You talk better than professional medical care.. Big applause...

I had cauda equina back in 2003 and the neurologist office referred to me as "that large cauda equina case" My GP said I was constipated and that's what was causing my numbness and he had no sense of urgency. He had me drink magnesium citrate which was zero help. I went to an ER which also viewed my xrays and that said my films were normal but did schedule am MRI for a few days later. I did have saddle anesthesia and had no idea when I had to use the restroom so I'd just go and force, and I mean FORCE something to come out. I even tried to get erections which was pointless. Wasn't happening. I did secure a neuro appt and the appointment started out, " Hi, my name is Dr. Blah Blah, you need to be at Mercy at 7 am tomorrow morning for surgery" I left the hospitals a couple days later with most if my bladder and bowel function intact and quite a bit of saddle anesthesia. I actually woke up with a, well...you know what. I was one of the lucky ones and I dint take that for granted. I feel awful for anyone who has to fight with the after effects every day.

@yelyab1

3 жыл бұрын

Hard to believe how stupid some licensed physicians can be allowed to be so stupid. I’m an engineer. If I applied my disciplines like some of your doctors did I’d be out of a job. I have same symptoms you do. I’ve seen the experts. No sense of urgency. Finger pointing, go see him, go see him, go see him. This guy does the best job of identifing symptoms. His recommendation “go to the doctor”, useless. They don’t know. I had one orthopedic doctor say he would NOT fuse my L5/S1 because causation had not been established and said see a Neurologist which I am doing, she is my current hope.

think you might of just saved my life THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Recovering from the CES now 6 weeks after surgery on the L4/L5 sequestred big disc hernia.. The bowel and blatter area was affected but not terminal damaged so it's ok (but still a little numb), and the right calf and foot is still kind of numb and so, but improves.. Walking quite ok with a crutch for support (mostly at home without), so it's getting better.. I guess I was lucky to get help in time. ;) Greetings from Sweden!

@Ndoka009

2 жыл бұрын

hello how are you, I have the same problem , I mean I had L1 compressed and the nerves of cuada equina was compressed , that come from the car accident 3 days after the car accident the surgery was made , now it have been 4 weeks after the surgery , I can walk , I'm a little numb at my feet and pelvic area, but I can't urinate, I have a cathether for about 4 weeks , can't feel the sensation to urinate or go to the bathroom , did you have the same problems ? waiting for the answer, thank you and good bless you

Thank you, this is hard to listen to. I’m one of the lucky ones, though I still have sciatica, before surgery I was so pinched in my nerve, and I was lifting hundreds of pounds at my job all day… this stuff should be common curriculum for all high schools, many lives would be saved.

Thank you for this. I'm trying to get a correct diagnosis for many of the symptoms listed and it is taking months (NHS). It's frightening just how little healthcare providers know about this awful syndrome.

@freestylersuk

Жыл бұрын

Dont expect to get much help via the NHS...If you have CES incomplete they will just try to give you nerve meds that won't do much, from my experience they will only do surgery if you void your bladder or bowels and go to A&E. Been trying to get treated for decades.

@mizzmention8555

11 ай бұрын

Does this come with tingling in pubic areas?

@bennaylor7047

9 ай бұрын

12 years i been going to the nhs with all these symptons and i've had to work this out myself only just found this video.

@littlelegs880

7 ай бұрын

It’s extremely frightening and the pain is horrific, I was being treated for sciatica for 11 days by my GP, I couldn’t walk, couldn’t urinate, impacted bowel, numbness, spasms, pins and needles until the last GP told me to go to A&E, thank god she did, MRI confirmed CES, I was taken straight down for emergency surgery, 3am in the morning 🙏 I’m 7 months post op’ and trying to adjust to my new body 😢

Eric, thank you for your very informative and important information. I've recently been diagnosed after a three year struggle and one failed spinal surgery.

Great video....Well presented and spot on.

I had a disc herniation 12 years ago. Not knowing anything about all this, I went to a chiropractor. He ordered an MRI to confirm the herniation then he strung me along with decompression treatments and lumbar rolls (a quick sudden twisting of the lower back while lying on my side which I found out later should NEVER, EVER be done with a herniated disc!) for almost 6 months with no improvement and suffering 'severe' pain 24-7. Finally, he 'casually' said, "Ok, time for us to quit "messing around" and get you into surgery". (I thought to myself, what? Messing around? Is that what we've been doing al this time?) Anyway, I went in to the hospital and a well known 70-something year old neurosurgeon (who retired a year later) did the micro-discectomey. It did cure the constant severe pain to where I could at least sit, walk and function without collapsing in pain like before. But after 6 months, I was starting to have some slight sciatica again, just not as severe. Had a few more MRIs done over the next 5-6 years. All the doctors could conclude was, the disc only showed very slight degeneration but the sciatic nerve did show 'some' reduced thickness. However, they couldn't tell if there was a new herniation or if it was just scar tissue and adhesions that had built up around the nerve. So, basically it was concluded that I possibly had "failed back surgery syndrome" which from what I've read, is how most of these discectomy surgeries end up. To this day, I get tingling in the foot when driving or sitting and have to take a shoe off. Lately I've been having more pain in the lower back (it may just be some arthritis setting in) But I don't have any bowel or urinary issues. I do seem to have some weakness in walking occasionally but some days are better than others. I'm wondering of some of it may just be inflammation since its inconsistent? I have no job and as such, no insurance because of the cost. I'm just hoping I don't develop anything more serious.

@greg9069

4 ай бұрын

I have something similar, except my CE nerve was completely crushed for 8 months, had surgery, and the sciatica came back after 6 weeks post op.. my images don’t show any severe compression, just very slightly touching the nerve, I don’t think the sciatica is going to kill us, just very uncomfortable. Monitor it, if it gets bad out of no where or your bladder or bowels go, go straight to the ER. But 1 doctor I’ve seen post op suggested it may be permanent nerve damage, because I still suffer sciatica bilaterally all day and night for 2 years now.

Thank you very much for this valuable information.

Thank you so much, sir.

You're amazing!!!! Thank you!

I suffered for 30 days with this I have lasting damage but I can still walk and that alone is a miracle. I was dismissed a lot by a lot of different positions until I found the right one which was a neurosurgeon who did emergency surgery...a microdisectomy. I wish I had been taken seriously when it first happened because I might still be able to feel my left foot normally and I might still have reflexes in my legs and I'm not still have the sensation of hot or cold on my legs and I might not have urine retention which is very painful but I'm able to overcome it as long as nobody's talking to me and I usually have a fidget spinner to help me focus.

thanks Eric

thanks Doc!!

i have cauda equina. my neurologist played and played around until it was too late. i am in total misery. i am afraid to go out because of bowel and bladder issues. i wish i could give this to the doctors for just a day.. if you are a nurse be very aware when you are dragging people around it could happen to you.iam very bitter about this and the treatment i received.

Thanks for this video. I have Cauda Equina Syndroma.

Thanks for detaile explanation like constipation and frequent urge for pee are also symptom .this very true

10 months ago I had surgery on my l5 s1 disectomy and I was left with cauda equina syndrome with about 80% of the symptoms you discussed. Thank you for the video!

@objetividad693

2 жыл бұрын

And now?

@Preeti-lw9jc

8 ай бұрын

And how are you now??

Cauda equina starts from L2/L3 in general

thank you Eric for this v useful and informative video

@lisavallerie8166

7 жыл бұрын

Thank you. I was misdiagnosed and have been suffering for over 5 years. I live in San Diego now and have not found 1 doctor who knows about Cauda Equina Syndrome. I had a neurostimulator installed for pain and it broke 2 weeks later. I am suffering daily and 3 neurosurgeons said they never have treated anyone with it. The same where I lived in Maine. This is bloody awful. I slipped last May already having Cauda Equina Syndrome and have not been able to sit up or stand for more than 10 minutes. Not 1 doctor has thought to help except for pain meds. I don't even know how much if any of my Cauda Equina nerves have healed.

Ive gone to doc over and over after my injury when i broke tailbone. also had fractured my L5 but going thru so much. i just got back my mri and said my conus medullaris. termanates. at L1 but also got bone spurs now in my l4 and l5 and got s1 but my hip bone just died and got anv. bone death n need hip replacement. im at a loss. caz just now got to orthpedic. i was at wrong docs for 9 months and im suffering bad n cnt get answers n had to move in with daughter!! o lord thts the problem. i urinate. but i have to push it out butbdocs wont help. and im just now learning things n idk wat to ask. but thank u so much sir

problem is enlarged prostate also causes urinary retention and is much more prevalent.

I went through all of this and things are still collapsing 3 back surgeries and 1 neck

My daughter has had ces twice, don’t think it can’t happen again. The second time ,even though she had a history of this, the hospital discharged her in terrible pain, saying ‘you can’t stay her forever just to get morphine. When she was reaadmitted, two days later, a second scan diagnosed ces, but it took twelve hours to transfer her to The neurosurgical unit. She is now making a good recovery, but knowing how rare ces is, we never thought it could happen again

@EliFox01

11 күн бұрын

What should I do? My foot has dropped , I'm in pain, I feel ill... Admitted to spinal - I have a history of L4/L5 compression and other crap. Had urinary retention a year ago. Spinal didn't do any checks on me , no MRI , drug seeking apparently 🙄 I begged for an epidural. Sent home and then back in via ambulance. Sent home again Can't turn my foot forward and I'm fatigued Now I am really worried. Feel more ill each day x

i do not have any body signals to go for the bowel and bladder.

Excellent job on this video. I missed the window.....😔

Is a pins and needles sensation at the top and bottom of your body a symptom? I can still go to the bathroom normally but I do get tingling sensations on the lower half. Stabbing pain in my leg and foot also a symptom I do have disk protrusions and spinal stenosis spondylosis.

Doc.,sir..I got it..missed 3yrs of work/life..nerve damage,bowel, bladder,legs..mountain biking helped get better..bowel has always been a prob..2 fusions since that..My Q is does age,scar tissue, arthritis giving me probs now?? I get RFA blocks yearly..I was 25 now 57

Yes

i had a foot drop due to negligence of doctors

Boa noite ,fui operada ao síndrome de cauda equina em abril do ano passado ,passado um mês tive que ser operada novamente pois do joelho para baixo sentia dor e dormência ;foi colocado um espassador !fiquei em cadeira de rodas ;fiz fisioterapia durante oito mês consecutivos ,mas ainda ando de muleta e tenho dormência do joelho para baixo ,e na perna direita ,será que vou ficar assim?pois não vejo melhoras

Excruciating pain. Not once but twice while walking thru mall quickly my foot did not land and crashed down hard. Paramedics came as I could not get up. My heart and pulse were off so went to cardiology unit. Never addressed Excruciating lower back pain. hit by a car age 20. Xray showed I had a fused spine. Iritis age 30. Told I had ms. My conclusion ankylosing spondylitis With cauda. Have been to dr several times over lower back pain, hip, shoulder and loss of feeling and no urine. Emergency dr said, well, it's not cancer and said bye. Apparently I'm a miracle.

@catherinerandall1966

Жыл бұрын

Back to hospital tomorrow. Referring dr said if I had CES I'd be dead...wonder where he graduated med school?

I tot cauda equina starts from L2

What about if you have no reflexes in your knees and ankles?

Can you get it at L3 L4?? My bottom 2 disk were removed and bone fused with a cage placed around them. L3 L4 or the 3rd disk up was cleaned up but left in place. Now 4 years later I’ve severely ruptured it even with a cage around it. I’ve been in chronic pain despite taking 10mg hydrocodone. Weakness in right leg and barely able to walk. Doctors keep giving me steroids and shots which have zero effect. I have massive swelling and a visual lump you can see just looking at it. I believe a nerve is triggering my muscles to go crazy and clinch tight. But yesterday I woke up and saw I had peed on myself in my sleep. I’ve otherwise been going fine but I have noticed I must go very quickly. But after peeing in my sleep I’m terrified scared and even more scared to go to the ER. Every trip to the ER I have been barely able to walk and only get humiliated by doctors who don’t care and send me home in agonizing pain and unable to walk

I’m numb in my Virginia and bottom it feels so heavy the numbness

Can it be diagnosed on rectal test alone

Is it possible that this syndrome could be present from birth?

Thank you for this information it was very helpful. I been to the doctor I have not been able to walk and they did nothing for me I am in chronic pain 24/7 now I’m going to a dr pain clinic and there doing steroid injections that is do nothing for me

Eric thanks for this great video,do you have an email address

tkx you for the vid!! i have battled with this for year and no doc is listening....i have retention on bladder and bowel...colon been remove..and i can trip on air.....i just keep praying..

@Teresahorner

7 жыл бұрын

Tammy Murphy. ill add u to my prayers. my docs are really letting me down

Really interesting! I've been left wheelchair bound and incontinent with CES after my second surgery 15 years ago was delayed by 3 months. The herniation was much more severe and should have been treated as an emergency. People sometimes feel sorry for me but at least I'm not in as much pain - I wanted to kill myself before the 2nd surgery as the pain was unbearable!

Here’s a question for you. I have a slipped disk, l4-5 and I developed bilateral sciatica. I recovered through physio and I’m now stronger and I’ve managed to avoid surgery. I’m two years on, reduced pain, reduced numbness, no saddle anaesthesia. What are the odds that I could relapse and develop CES?

@sathishlingala5174

Жыл бұрын

How are you now

@Preeti-lw9jc

8 ай бұрын

How are doing now?? Had any other episodes of disc injury or back pain??

I wish the medical community took this view. I’ve had symptoms for a couple of years and finally had an mri of lumbar spine. Radiologist didn’t look below S1, but I have S1-S2 effacement of 1/3 the canal including the left foramina. They think it’s all psychological.

@sarablackwolfdancer9359

3 жыл бұрын

@@furkandeniz1370 After seeing a really good physical therapist (still seeing him), I am now stable, the symptoms aren't getting worse, they've gotten a little better. I highly recommend a good PT.

@sarablackwolfdancer9359

3 жыл бұрын

@@furkandeniz1370 I'm sorry, I'm still not diagnosed, so I don't think I'd be very helpful. If you're having incontinence problems, you should be able to get a urologist/gastroenterologist to do tests to find out what's really going on (and recommend further testing for diagnosis). Further, you can have a neurologist or physiatrist to do an EMG/NCS study to find out if there is nerve damage. They can't test above L2 or below S1, though. I do really wish you luck, I know neurologists don't like to mess with this stuff and it's frustrating, enraging to say the least.

@furkandeniz1370

3 жыл бұрын

@@sarablackwolfdancer9359 thank you so much , i hope i will get better

@varghesetv3070

Жыл бұрын

Myphisiotkillme

@Preeti-lw9jc

8 ай бұрын

@@furkandeniz1370 how are you now???

I got hurt at work about a week ago they sent me to the hospital, the doctor gave me high dosage of ibuprofen and some muscle relaxers, they told me they will see me in a week. I didn't make it.... on 7/28/17am I woke up with all these symptoms. I just left the hospital 7/31/17. I have disc hitting my nerves. I spent three days in the hospital, they pumped me with steroids to bring down the inflammation. The surgeon wants me to stay home continue to take the medication and he will see me in 3 weeks. I can empty my bladder but have to push. It's only been my first day home but I'm constipated. I haven't gone in three days. I don't have bladder retention but sometimes can't hold my urine. I'm worried and I'm only 36 years old with a family. I don't know what to do??

@alkalineforlife9033

Жыл бұрын

Me at my 28 got ces the symtomp is urge to pee and urge to poop

I have been told I had that condition by 5 specialist I have now control with my bladder now I can’t hold my poo in I cough and it fall out , I have no control of both ends . I lost my feeling in my virrgina and bottom

The noise of the sketch pen is so irritating .

You wasted my time.

Ni subtitulado ni nada :( Muy mal hecho Jajajajaja :( :(

you need to improve your knowledge! sorry, but your explanation is a little bit rubish.

@TheClarity101

5 жыл бұрын

Daria Constantin Based on what, considering you didn’t share any knowledge at all

Within 24 hours? Are you serious. I been dealing with this for like 7 years and only now am realizing what it is. I been to the ER 3 times had several mri, told doctors about urinary issues starting, etc. numb right foot ball. Immediately? Nuts.

Ive gone to doc over and over after my injury when i broke tailbone. also had fractured my L5 but going thru so much. i just got back my mri and said my conus medullaris. termanates. at L1 but also got bone spurs now in my l4 and l5 and got s1 but my hip bone just died and got anv. bone death n need hip replacement. im at a loss. caz just now got to orthpedic. i was at wrong docs for 9 months and im suffering bad n cnt get answers n had to move in with daughter