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Fall From Stairs, Lower Back Pain, Leg Pain, Urine Incontinence. Treatment ?

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Posted on Tue, 22 May 2012
Question: My name is XXXXXXX I am 5'2" 215lbs. On March 19th, I fell on my stairs. My legs went out from under me and I landed HARD on my bottom, then bounced and landed on the next stair. It hurt like heck for a couple of weeks, but nothing too alarming. A couple of weeks later, I started getting excrutiating pain in my low back, down my legs. It then started in my front of my hips/pelvic area. Spread to my pubic area and down the front of my legs. The pain moves back and forth from my left side, to my right...never both sides at the same time. I get HORRIBLY painful "zings" across my low back/hips/pelvis/groin/down front and back of legs that keep me up at night and keep me from sitting to long, standing, walking. Lying down does not help at all, it sometimes makes it worse. Now, for the last week I have started losing control of my bladder. It started when I coughed or sneezed, and now it happens sometimes when I'm only walking. What could be happening? Thank you!
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Answered by Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal (47 minutes later)
Hello.

Thanks for your query.

From the history you have given it seems that you have injured your spine with involvement of spinal cord as you have pains in both the legs with intermittent painful zings which are typically seen in a nerve injury.

The loss of bladder control is also indicative of spinal cord involvement in the injury. The late involvement of bladder suggests that it might have happened due to nerve compression due to edema or hemorrhage rather than nerve injury and timely treatment can reverse the neural problems you are facing.

You need to have an MRI scan of your spinal cord to exactly know the site of lesion and the extent of nerve involvement. Based on the report and after detailed examination your Orthopaedician will give you the proper treatment.

Earlier the treatment, better is the restoration of neural functions.

Till then do not move and lie straight on a hard bed without pillow.

I hope this information has been both informative and helpful for you. If there are additional concerns, I am available for your followups.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal

OBGYN

Practicing since :2001

Answered : 14039 Questions

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Fall From Stairs, Lower Back Pain, Leg Pain, Urine Incontinence. Treatment ?

Hello.

Thanks for your query.

From the history you have given it seems that you have injured your spine with involvement of spinal cord as you have pains in both the legs with intermittent painful zings which are typically seen in a nerve injury.

The loss of bladder control is also indicative of spinal cord involvement in the injury. The late involvement of bladder suggests that it might have happened due to nerve compression due to edema or hemorrhage rather than nerve injury and timely treatment can reverse the neural problems you are facing.

You need to have an MRI scan of your spinal cord to exactly know the site of lesion and the extent of nerve involvement. Based on the report and after detailed examination your Orthopaedician will give you the proper treatment.

Earlier the treatment, better is the restoration of neural functions.

Till then do not move and lie straight on a hard bed without pillow.

I hope this information has been both informative and helpful for you. If there are additional concerns, I am available for your followups.

Regards