Tethered Cord Syndrome

[MichaelT]

I am new to this website and am curious whether anyone else struggles with Tethered Cord Syndrome as I do. Be well - Michael

[Wise Young]

Originally Posted by MichaelT

I am new to this website and am curious whether anyone else struggles with Tethered Cord Syndrome as I do. Be well - Michael

While I am not sure that there are any active members who have tethered cord syndrome alone, there are many people with spinal cord injury and tethered spinal cord as a result of the injury.

For people who are not aware of what this is,this is a condition where adhesions have developed between the spinal cord and its roots with the meningeal covering of the spinal cord. Normally, the spinal cord can slip and slide within the arachnoid membranes that surround it and contain the cerebral spinal fluid.

Tethered cord syndrome is often associated with pain, spasticity, and progressive neurological loss. Many doctors have reported that untethering the spinal cord by removing adhesions between the spinal cord and dura sometimes can improve function. While untethering does not always restore function, it may and it also will generally stop the progression (Source).

What causes tethering? Anything that causes inflammation of the spinal cord, whether it is due to injury, an infection (meningitis), a congenital dysraphic condition such as spina bifida, spinal cord surgery, or even intrathecal injection of solutions that may be irritating to the spinal cord, tethering of the cord may occur.

Wise.

[katclem]

Yes, Michael, I have TCS. I went undiagnosed from birth to 37 yoa then had a release done which took away all my symptoms. Unfortunately the way it was presented to me, once the release was done, it was pretty much better, now worries, do what u want. So I did. In 2005 I fell from my horse and landed right on my surgical site HARD enough to fracture the sacrum and coccyx (the doctors said there was nothing to operate on so when the bones healed I would be fine, no one addressed the fact that a concussion like that could cause SCI) Life has been different since then. I thought it was all related to the fractures but it never got better and recently has gotten much worse. Feeling helpless as doctors tell me that my pain and bowel bladder probs are an "exacerbation of chronic back pain" I reached out through the internet and found forums such as this (my first post on this one They are so helpful and supportive, and they understand that this is not just "back pain". I am still learning everyday what TCS involves but I would be happy to answer anything I can or help you find answers if I cant. Many Blessings, Katherine

[SCI-Nurse]

Here is a related discussion as well:

http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread.php?t=69588

(KLD)

[elmore]

my 8 year old daughter was born with teatherd cord syndrom she had her frist surgery when she was 4 mnth old n she has a little bet of lost feeling in her right foot and leg she goes in n out of the hospital for appionment n test ,she is awsome