Pelvic parasympathetic nerves: arise at the sacral level of the spinal cord, excite the bladder, and relax the urethra. Lumbar sympathetic nerves: inhibit the bladder body and excite the bladder base and urethra.
Your sacral micturition center is an area of the spinal cord at the base of the spine. This is the area of the spinal cord that controls your bladder and sphincter. After spinal shock, your sacral micturition center it might start sending signals on its own to tell the bladder to squeeze.
Parasympathetic pelvic nerves, the spinal cord is divided into branches of the second and fourth sacral. Parasympathetic pelvic nerves are mainly responsible for bladder excitatory effect.
Spine Disorders
Compression of these nerves can interrupt their function, and the effects can be severe. Cauda equina syndrome can lead to bladder and bowel dysfunction (loss of bladder/bowel control) and even permanent paralysis in the muscles of one or both legs.
An injury to the spinal cord at the C5-C6 level may cause pain, weakness, or paralysis in the arms and/or legs. There may be loss of bowel and bladder control or breathing problems in some cases.
C5, as mentioned earlier, along with C3 and C4, contributes to the phrenic nerve that innervates the diaphragm. Roots C5, C6, and C7 produce the long thoracic nerve, responsible for controlling the serratus anterior.
Cauda equina red flag signs include bladder dysfunction, bowel dysfunction, pain and/or altered sensation in the legs, loss of sexual sensation, and saddle numbness. It is vital to seek advice immediately from a medical professional if you notice any of these warning signs.
The symptoms of neurogenic bladder differ from person to person. They also depend on the type of nerve damage the person has. Symptoms may include urinary tract infections, kidney stones and not being able to control how many times you urinate, when you urinate or how much you urinate.
L5 NERVE ROOT DAMAGE
A pinched L5 nerve root usually results in radiating pain in the foot. This pain can come in the form of numbness, tingling, weakness and shooting and is commonly felt in the big toe, inside of the foot, top of the foot and ankle.
The cauda equina nerves supply muscle sensation to the bladder, bowel and legs.
The second diagram to the right shows what happens when an L5-S1 disc bulge or “slipped disc” places pressure on the sacral nerves. These irritated nerves in turn cause pain in the bladder as well as spasm. They can also make the patient believe the bladder is full when it's not.
In more severe cases, sciatica and related inflammation can affect the nerves that control your bladder and bowel function. When these nerves are compressed or pinched, you can experience bladder or bowel leakage or an inability to control urination or bowel movements.
L5 radiculopathy is usually associated with numbness down the side of the leg and into the top of the foot. S1 radiculopathy typically results in numbness down the back of the leg into the outside or bottom of the foot. Weakness is another symptom of nerve root compression.
Compression of these nerves due to lumbar stenosis can lead to neurogenic bladder dysfunction and present as urinary issues such as frequency, urgency and lack of control. Pain and the other symptoms that are normally associated with lower back issues are difficult enough to deal with.
The compression on the nerves and spinal cord in the cervical spine can change how the functions of the spinal cord work and cause various issues like pain, numbness, and loss of bladder control.
Neurogenic bladder refers to what happens when the relationship between the nervous system and bladder function is disrupted by injury or disease. It cannot be cured but can be managed. Treatment options include medications, use of catheters and lifestyle changes.
Diane Newman, adult nurse practitioner and a continence nurse specialist in urology outlines four types of neurogenic bladder disorders: atonic bladder, hyper-reflexive bladder, uninhibited bladder, and sensorimotor paralytic bladder.
CES has also been misdiagnosed as Fibromyalgia (which affects the muscles, ligaments or tendons) or a urinary tract infection. Arachnoiditis is another condition that is often commonly diagnosed when Cauda Equine Syndrome is the true cause of the patient's symptoms.
3 They may occur either as the presenting sign or as a late complication. Without appropriate therapy, the outlook is poor, and untreated patients are unlikely to survive more than four to six weeks.
Your doctor may order x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and computerized tomography (CT) scans to help assess the problem. In this MRI scan, a herniated disk (arrow) is compressing the cauda equina.
C5-C6 (C6 nerve root): Pain, tingling, and/or numbness may be felt in the thumb side of the hand. Weakness may also be experienced in the biceps (muscles in the front of the upper arms) and wrist extensor muscles in the forearms.
When a C6-C7 herniated disc occurs and the C6-C7 nerve root is irritated, the symptoms usually include neck pain and pain in the arms, weakness in the hands and weakness in the arms, shoulder pain, chest pains, uncontrollable sweating, headaches, and possibly more. Many times, this condition can be misdiagnosed.