All too often the red flag symptoms of Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) are missed by medical practitioners. Nadia Krueger-Young, Medical Negligence Partner at Stewarts, recently spoke to The Times for a piece sharing the story of her client Toni-Claire-Miller’s CES diagnosis.

In July 2018, Toni-Clare, a single mother from Kent, began experiencing severe back and leg pain, numbness, and difficulties with bladder and bowel function. Over the course of three separate GP appointments, she repeatedly emphasised the unbearable pain she was in. Despite this, she was never physically examined and was told she would be referred for an MRI, but this was delayed.

Her condition worsened dramatically on 11 August. She was rushed to A&E, where an MRI scan revealed a ruptured disc compressing her spinal nerves. Although she underwent surgery to relieve the pressure, the delay in her treatment led to her developing CES. Today, Toni-Claire experiences paralysis of her bladder and bowels, pain and mobility issues, and the emotional toll of living with a disability.

CES can appear suddenly and progress rapidly. If red flag symptoms are not treated quickly with emergency surgery, the damage is permanent. As Nadia explains: “When you see people who have permanent neurological symptoms from cauda equina syndrome, there’s a higher chance than with other conditions that it’s because their treatment was delayed — which might be due to medical negligence.”

This is why it is critical to raise awareness of CES. Senior Associate, Emily Goddard recently wrote about CES Awareness Day, which can be read here.

Key red flag symptoms include:

• Saddle numbness (loss of sensation in the groin/buttocks)
• Bilateral sciatica (pain in both legs)
• Difficulty urinating or new loss of bladder/bowel control

For more detailed guidance, please refer to the red flag pathway here.

With better-trained staff and faster access to MRI scans, Toni-Clare’s disability could have been prevented. Nadia emphasises: “The more awareness campaigning you do, the more people recognise what’s happened to them — but we have genuinely seen an increase in the number of people with CES seeking advice.”

You can read Toni-Clare’s story and Nadia’s comment in The Times here.

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