If you are displaying the symptoms associated with cauda equina syndrome, you need to seek urgent medical attention. This is because the condition must be diagnosed and treated quickly if long-term problems are to be prevented.
Cauda equina syndrome – why urgent medical attention is vital
Cauda equina syndrome is a rare condition. According to the British Association of Spine Surgeons, around six people in every one million will suffer the cauda equina syndrome. However, it is devastating problem if not treated in the early stages.
This is because the nerves at the bottom of the spinal cord are compressed – due to something such as a slipped disc, a spinal tumour or another lesion. This pressure will damage the nerves, causing them to lose function.
Within a short space of time the injury will be so great that the nerves will be permanently harmed, leaving long-term neurological complications in place. This includes urinary incontinence, total or partial paralysis, sexual dysfunction and loss of anal sphincter control.
Symptoms of cauda equina syndrome
That is why as soon as you begin to display the characteristic symptoms of cauda equina syndrome, you must seek medical attention without delay. These symptoms include:-
- Significant back pain or sciatica
- Numbness around the bottom area
- Numbness around your genitalia and/or perineum (the skin between the genitals and the anus)
- Bladder and urinary symptoms such as reduced sensation while voiding, difficultly voiding and increased frequency
When you present to your GP or Accident and Emergency department with these complaints, the treating doctor should immediately suspect the possibility of spinal nerve compression. Nevertheless, the symptoms of cauda equina syndrome are very similar to other more minor problems, so steps must be taken to verify a diagnosis.
Diagnosing cauda equina syndrome
In order to obtain an accurate diagnosis, a doctor must perform a physical examination to assess whether or not the physical signs of cauda equina syndrome are present. This will involve:
- A digital rectal examination to check sphincter tone
- A reflex test of the lower limbs
- Assessing sensation in the perineum
Blood and urine tests should also be carried out to rule out differential diagnoses such as a urinary tract infection.
Failure to recognise cauda equina syndrome
But unfortunately not all doctors take this course of action, instead diagnosing a patient with a more minor condition and discharging him/her from their care – despite the fact the necessary diagnostic tests have not been performed.
If this causes a delay in the diagnosis and treatment of cauda equina syndrome, and a patient sustains complications that could have been avoided, there will be grounds for a medical negligence compensation claim.
To find out more about claiming for cauda equina syndrome, contact us today.