What are the symptoms of cauda equina compression?

The compression of the nerves by the cauda equina is also called cauda equina syndrome, which often causes lumbar spinal stenosis in patients. This can cause compression of the nerves and lead to some symptoms of neurological dysfunction. In the early stages, it often causes pain in patients. Sometimes even coughing and changing body position can aggravate the symptoms. In severe cases, it can even cause paralysis in patients.

1. Pain

It is the most common early symptom, manifested as lumbar pain or sciatica, which may be aggravated by factors that increase intraspinal pressure such as coughing, sneezing, changing body position, and activity.

2. Symptoms of nerve damage

In the early stage, other clinical symptoms and signs are not obvious. After that, the nerve damage progressively worsens, and lower limb weakness, flaccid paralysis, or sensory impairment of both lower limbs and perineum occurs. Sensory and motor impairment may begin on one side and gradually spread to the other side.

3. Sphincter disorders

This symptom is obvious and sometimes the first symptom. In the early stage, sphincter spasm causes difficulty in urination and urine retention. In the late stage, sphincter relaxation causes fecal and fecal incontinence, and men may also suffer from impotence.

Key points for distinguishing between conus medullaris lesions and complete cauda equina injuries: motor function is completely lost in both below the injury plane, but the former presents as flaccid paralysis or spastic paralysis, while the latter only presents as flaccid paralysis; sensory function may show sensory dissociation below the injury plane in the former, that is, loss of pain and temperature sensation but retention of touch sensation, while the latter loses all sensations; Achilles tendon reflex exists, weakened or disappears in the former, while all reflexes including plantar reflex are completely lost in the latter.