Back issues cause incontinence?

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Spinal stenosis resulted in laminectomy. Now surgeon recommends fusion. Radical laparoscopic “nerve sparing” prostatectomy caused intermittent incontinence, which is getting worse. If I read the posts here, correctly, I should be looking to blame the spine more than the prostate?

 

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NIC
Hi
My back is a huge problem for me. Causes my leaks and bedwetting.
Not familiar with all of the issues with your back, however it could be contributing to your ic as well.
I hope you find relief in your search for treatments.
Do your homework on care and that of medical advice.
Joe

 

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@JoeAK

Where did you find this document? There are a few places where everything it is saying I have issues in those exact spots.

 

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@joeak @thatflguy I don’t know how conclusive the list is, but it fits for me as well. It is interesting to see and experience how an issue in one place can cause symptoms in other places.

Thanks for sharing this Joe.

 

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I have spinal stenosis and live in constant pain. I have had five major back surgeries and had L3-S1 fused. I am in need of another surgery because my L2 - L1 are in bad condition now. My last surgery left me totally incontinent because the nerves between my spine and bladder no longer work. My Urologist calls it a neurogenic bladder. I can’t feel my bladder so urine retention is always an issue I worry about and I leak or pee all the time. If I had to do it over I wouldn’t have done it. I don’t mean to be a huge negative but it has destroyed quality of life. If I do have another surgery I can’t be operated on through my back, it has to be done through my front. I shudder to think about it. Take care my friend and please think deeply about doing surgery. God bless.

 

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There's many of us with SCI (spinal cord injury) and incontinence is typically a "red flag". MRI's and nerve conduction tests will usually pinpoint the root cause (exact location of injury).

 

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I took a photo of this spinal chart at either my OD doctor or chiropractic Dr office. It was in one of the exam rooms

@joeak @thatflguy

I don’t know how conclusive the list is, but it fits for me as well. It is interesting to see and experience how an issue in one place can cause symptoms in other places.

Thanks for sharing this Joe.

@JoeAK

Where did you find this document? There are a few places where everything it is saying I have issues in those exact spots.

 

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@Chris318 Your words of advice mean so much to me. I often think of your back surgery horror stories. My back’s been hurting really bad again lately, maybe because I’ve been unpacking my condo and working on projects instead of sitting and doing nothing, but I don’t care how bad it hurts: nobody is ever doing surgery on my back. I’ll kill myself first!

 

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Salonpas are great for back pain or anywhere else. Walmart carries them.

 

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Amen Snow. We only have one back and once it’s been fused we can’t go back and get it replaced. It hurts me all the time but at night is the worse. I can sleep for about two hours, then the pain wakes me up. I get up and sit in my wheel chair for about 30 min to hour to let settle back down, then I sleep for about 2 more hours. It really stinks. But it what I am dealt with so I try to make the best of it. I hope you are getting along well Snow. Back pain is worse than incontinence. God bless you all. Take care of your backs.

 

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@RugerAl Thanks for the tip. I’d say a Salonpas patch might provide me with a max pain relief of 3% on a good day. On a bad day, they don’t help at all. Salonpas is more for muscle pain. We’re talking about spinal stenosis pain, which is bone-on-bone pain all up and down the spine, including the growth of bone spurs, which look like little bone ogres. Even opioid painkillers don’t kill bone-on-bone pain, but they especially don’t work on back or teeth pain for some reason. I get the most relief from extreme heat (a heating pad on full blast with the protective casing removed) and 2000mg of Aleve every 12 hours with 2 650mg Tylenol-for-Arthritis every eight hours. Horrible for the stomach, liver, and intestines, but so is pain, especially low back pain. Low back pain is the top cause of disability globally and in the U.S.A. If I don’t take those meds, I don’t get out of bed and I can’t get any sleep.

 

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Dang Snow that is a bummer. Have you tried trigger point and spinal injections? I get them done in my neck monthly. And mid back inbetween now and then.

 

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@Chris318 I’m sorry you have to suffer through so much.

 

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@RugerAl Steroid injections work wonderfully on my knees but never helped my back, alas. My back doctors say with time, that might change. I hope so. Trigger point injections do help in my neck. I’m glad they help you

 

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I did a bit of talking to my mom today about this topic and a few things came up.

I am more like her side of the family than my father's. She and all of her brother have a genetic defect in their backs and required back surgery at one point or another in their lives.

And I have not been easy on my body over the years.

My Lower spine MRI says this
L3-L4: Broad-based disc bulge causes mild canal narrowing and mild bilateral
foraminal narrowing.
L4-L5: Broad-based disc bulge causes mild canal narrowing and mild bilateral
foraminal narrowing.

This was never talked about and anytime I bring or have brought up seeing a neurologist it is shot down and not needed. The ER doctor I spoke with the other day said that I need the refusal documented on my case file because with my issues Medicare will be all over the hospital if I bring that up to them.