Stenosis and disc prolapse

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hello

Six Years on and no solutions. When I slipped my lower disc. I was in agony for Weeks.

I had pain in the rectum and the need to urinate often. Sexual dysfunction set in after about one Week.

None of the doctors seemed to connect this to compression of the lumber roots. You don't have to be a specialist Doctor, just Google it and see.

I saw countless doctors who simply prescribed pain killers and rest. Over the next 3 Months, the back pain and rectum pain resolved. Bowel and bladder function seemed okay but slower. sexual function is impaired.

3 Years on, I suffered severe left leg sciatica. Again, the need to urinate increased and I experienced crampy bowel. i'm sure anal sphincter muscle became weaker. My left leg has also weakened and the muscles thinner by 10% or so.

I went to A & E, but they more interested in how I got to hospital and not in the symptoms. I saw a back specialist and was discharged within a few hours. No jumping though NHS hoops, like the advice on their website suggests.

I got an MRI two Weeks later, but I presume nothing drastic was seen. The Physio said I had a proplapsed disc and spinal stenosis in the lower and upper spine. He gave me some excercises to do. Im sure they were looking for signs of CES at this time of the MRI.

Six years on. I can walk normally and the pain is more or less abscent so I,m not sure if this is good or a bad sign. I still expereince bowel / bladder disturbance if I accidently twist my back. I'm not on any medication now.

I'm going back to the GP next week to discuss again. hopefully to start jumping through hoops with a specialist.

After 3 Years, following the MRI, Im just surprised that no real findings of Caudia Equina were found like damaged nerves, becasue I was showing signs. They never mentioned it.

Part of me thinks that after 6 Years, I wouldnt be able to walk several miles a day, but at the same time, I am wondering if there has been medical negligence. No follow-up appointments were offered in 2011.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate your thoughts.

2

Hi I have mild bilateral forminal stenosis in my lumber spine caused  a leaking disc and bone spurs from facet arthritis . I have a over active bladder caused by nerve damage I'm thinking you might have sometning like that if your mri scan showed no sign of  caude eniqua. I'm  very suprised that you arent on any medication for your stenosis and that you can walk six miles a day and walk normally! Spinal stenosis makes your legs feel very tired even if you havent done a lot and there is no way I  walk a quarter mile even because my legs would ache and feel like I've ran a marathon . I dont think there has been any medical negligance my friend has cauda eniqua and it effects his legs as well as his bowels and it is a VERY serious condition which needs emergency treatment straight away. I'm in pain 24hours a day and need nerve pain meds, muscle relaxants and two different pain killers for my condition and couldnt get through the day without them and my spinal stenosis is only mild. The pain from spinal stenosis doesnt ever go away and come back ever so often it is always there. Are you totaly and utterly sure you have spinal stenosis on two levels of your lumber spine ? That would cause a lot of pain and you would be in a LOT more pain now than you were six years ago, as it is a progressive disease  that is serious because it effects your spinal cord .

3

Sorry Megzie, I dont wish to attack the NHS. I know they do an amazing job for so many people. I guess it is my anxiety of not being able to work out the onset of what sems like a slow deteriation in my condition. The medic mentioned stenosis / prolapse disc; i have had neck problems too. I appreciate that so many people here are in alot of pain and my heart goes out to you and everyone. I had three Weeks of sciatica that was hell. No pain killers would help so perhasp I should be thankful of less pain

 

4

There could have been medical negligence, and many cases of CES do attract financial damages.  However, damages depend upon how much injury was and  still is suffered.  You may want to contact a 'no win, no fee' personal injury specialist and detail your problem. 

It is difficult to give specific advice without seeing and speaking to someone, however, from the limited information that you give, I note the following:

1.)  "...pain in the rectum and the need to urinate often. Sexual dysfunction set in after about one Week".  How quickly afterwards did you see a doctor?  Like you say, if someone is supposed to be medically trained (specialist or even GP), it shouldn't be rocket science to start wondering about potential CES here.  These are supposed to be "red flag" symptoms, after all.

2.)  3 years on the symptoms come back.  Again, not much done about it. 

3.)  MRI done in about the 3rd year.  You assume nothing drastic was seen. However, the Physio said you had a proplapsed disc and spinal stenosis in the lower and upper spine and he gave me some excercises to do.  Understandably you think that they were looking for signs of CES at this time of the MRI.

Given your previous symptoms and the MRI scan showing a prolapsed disc and a narrowing spinal canal, with the greatest of respect, why did they not offer you operative treatment then?  A spinal specialist would be well aware of the potential for cauda equina and there appeared to be a prolapsed disc that could be the real cause of the problem (most probably was).

4.)  You say that you "...still expereince bowel / bladder disturbance if [you] accidently twist [your] back" and that you are "...surprised that no real findings of Caudia Equina were found like damaged nerves, becasue I was showing signs. They never mentioned it."

I would just say here that I strongly suspect that they are never going to admit or mention CES after this time if you are not mentioning it strongly.  Not least because it suggests medical negligence on their behalf.

Finally, what's known in the trade as PI ("Personal Injury"wink claims are usually Statue Barred after 3 years, but luckily that 3 year limited time period starts to run from when you had knowledge of the Personal Injury and not necessarily the actual time the condition started, because many people do not know that they have a personal injury condition because doctors don't tell them.  Therefore, I would advise you to see a PI specialist as soon as you can to discuss your situation.

In terms of damages, it is really based on how badly you have been affected.  Some poor souls with CES have permanent, life-long bowel, bladder and sexual dysfunction.  They can also experience partial leg paralysis and the mobililty problems that come with that.  You do not seem to have had that magnitute of problem, so, if you have got a claim for financial damages, then it is not going to be of the same level as the cases higher up the CES scale.

Hope that helps.

 

5

Thank you so much STD for your input here. i really appreciate the independant voice on the matter.

I'm concerned about preserving or limiting the damage I have. The specialist i saw in A & E, three Years ago, would have noted the odd reflexes as an example, I had very little in the left leg. Three Years is gone and people move on too. I'm quite keen to avoid further nerve root damage like you have mentioned with people with servere disability. Sometimes, I think they will only act if my legs give way and i start leaking. I'm hoping to avoid that if i can.

Surgery was never discussed but I do understand that CES is a clear indication, if that is what i have.

Many thanks again

tony

6

Yes stenosis progresses  slowly for example  my stenosis is at the mild stage and it could well be ten years or more before it reaches the mild to moderate stage but sciatica caused by it and nerve pain caused by it does NOT go away and the sciatic nerve is always effected by it as it is the largest nerve . The pain will not ever go away because  whatevers caused your stenosis will be narrowing your spinal canal which will be  irritating or compressing the nerves depending what stage your stenosis is at and there is nothing which can stop the canals getting narrower which is why it is a serious disease.