Living With Cauda Equina Syndrome

If you are living with the effects of Cauda Equina Syndrome, you will undoubtedly be feeling angry and upset about what has happened to you. However, there are a few things you can do that may help you and your family come to terms with your condition.

Effects of Cauda Equina Syndrome

Cauda Equina Syndrome is a rare disorder that can potentially leave a patient with serious, long-term injuries. It occurs when the bundle of nerves at the bottom of the spine become compressed. This may happen due to a traumatic accident, or because of another medical condition such as a slipped disc or spinal tumour.

The cauda equina nerves are very sensitive, so any sort of pressure will soon cause a degree of harm. Within a short space of time the damage will be so severe that treatment will prove ineffective. Once the nerves suffer irreparable injury they will lose function and a patient will be left with permanent neurological complications, including chronic back pain, bowel and bladder dysfunction, loss of sexual sensation and loss of feeling in the leg(s).

How to live with Cauda Equina Syndrome

The long-term side-effects of Cauda Equina Syndrome are therefore extremely serious and cannot fail to turn someone’s life upside down. He or she will have to live with pain and decreased mobility, while bladder and bowel function may be lost entirely. Unsurprisingly this can have a terrible knock-on effect emotionally and financially.

If you are a similar state, there are a few factors that might help you:-

1. Medical care

It is vital you obtain the right medical care, not just physically but also emotionally. If you think it might help, ask your doctor for a referral to an occupational therapist, social worker, continence advisor and/or a sex therapist.

2. Support groups

There are various support groups out there that allow you to share your experience with other cauda equina sufferers. The Cauda Equina Syndrome UK Charity is now up and running, providing people with information, advice and a support forum. Your doctor may also be able to suggest other networks in your local area.

3. Financial support

If your ability to work has been affected because of your illness, you might want to consider making a compensation claim. You can do this if your recovery was thwarted because of medical error – for example, if doctors failed to make a correct diagnosis, delaying treatment. If so, you will be able to make a medical negligence claim against the NHS Trust or GP responsible.

Can you make a cauda equina claim?

If you would like to know more about making a medical negligence claim for Cauda Equina Syndrome, please get in touch with us today. We will be more than happy to provide you with all the necessary information.

Please call us free on 0800 234 3300, from a mobile click to call 01275 334030 or complete our Free Online Enquiry for a no cost, no obligation opinion.

Share Article With: