How Bad Is Cauda Equina Syndrome Pain?

Cauda equina syndrome can cause severe pain, but the intensity, location and duration of that pain can vary considerably. Some people experience significant improvement after prompt treatment and manage to get back to normal daily living activities and return to work.  However, others will continue to live with debilitating chronic pain and its consequences.  

Pain is also only one part of cauda equina syndrome. The condition may affect bladder function, bowel function, and result in sexual dysfunction. It can leave a patient with paresthesia (numbness) in their legs and feet which understandably causes problems with mobility. 

Where delayed diagnosis or treatment has caused additional avoidable harm, pain and its wider consequences may form part of a cauda equina syndrome claim. In this guide, I explain how painful cauda equina syndrome can be, why outcomes differ, and how pain, suffering and loss of amenity are assessed within the law.