L5-S1 herniation neurogenic bladder not Cauda Equina

HI rh0bart. It's funny. I read about the bulbocavernosus reflex a long time ago and was amazed neither Urologist tried. Simply got the nerves are never coming back so blame the Neuros who still don't feel I have anything they can figure out. I am going to Mayo Clinic in July and hopefully they will figure out the connection. Their damn spine center rejected my appointment feeling I didn't have a spinal problem despite the urologist writing that on my report but at least Urology is willing to see me to repeat the Urodynamics and maybe do pudendal nerve latency tests despite my MR-neurogrsm of the pudendal nerves being normal.

Did you ever have problems related to fibrosis? Can you trigger your problems by bending or extending?
Did you ever have functional x-rays to rule out spondylolisthesis e.g.?

Btw. on one occasion I was told that in my case it was impossible to do the bulbocavernosus test because of "technical reasons".
Later I had the test in two different ways. Method 1 - using a Foley catheter. Method 2 - stimulation without catheter.

Discussions with doctors can be very frustrating. So be prepared and educate yourself as effectively as possible.

In the middle of the spinal cord cavity is the cauda equina which holds all the nerves that will be sent out on lower levels including bladder control nerves. A herniated disk can cause enough compression to cause irritation but not full on cauda equina symtoms like incontinence, If experienced frequent urination due to a herniated disk at l5-s1 for a month. I just got a laminectomy and discectomy and my urinary problems are 85% gone. But my nerves were also compressed so they need time to heal. As long as you haven't totally lost control over your bladder and bowls I believe your nerves can still heal. These nerves aren't central nerves so they do have the ability to heal themselves. Don't loose hope. Just tell the neurosurgeon you want the surgery done.

I believe the Cauda Equine bunch of nerves begin at the end of the cord. They do travel out through the vertebral canal.

The spinal cord terminates at l1 and then branches off down through the Cauda Equina. I was looking over some old MRIs from 10 years ago and it seems even though I had no apparent compression of the Cauda Equina my disc herniation was always indenting or impinging the the thecal sac. The thecal sac contains the cauda equina. I hate that radiologists use these vague terms like impinge or indent because it can mean a whole bunch of stuff.

Anyway I am going to the supposed world renowned Mayo clinic in Minnesota for testing next week. Hopefully the urologist there will refer my to a Neuro who can sort this out. I am sick of MRI results being the gold standard for Cauda Equina. I have found through my research that a significant subset of patient with what appear to be mild disc herniations based on MRI have Cauda Equina symptoms yet no real diagnosis. To me that is unacceptable. It also gives the doctors and escape clause for liability as in my case where even if they prove now that my disc herniation caused my neurogenic bladder and ED the doctors will hide behind the supposed negative MRI results

Good luck, Phugoi1982!