Neurological diseases and incontinence

Situations involving damage to the brain, spinal cord or other parts of the nervous system are referred to as neurological conditions. Neurological conditions include the following diseases:

  • cerebral palsy
  • dementia
  • multiple sclerosis
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • stroke
  • head injury
  • peripheral neuropathy
  • spinal cord injury

Various diseases and events affecting nervous systems controlling the lower urinary tract can also cause incontinence and this is known to be common in neurological disease. Doctors are being told to look out for people who have neurological conditions and also experience incontinence or other urinary problems such as an overactive bladder. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence aims to minimise the effects of lower urinary tract dysfunction and promote active participation in their care.
 
The new NICE guidance advises healthcare professionals to undertake thorough assessments that include obtaining information about patients' urinary tract and neurological symptoms, other health problems (e.g. bowel or sexual problems), use of medications, degree of mobility, hand function, cognitive function, social support and lifestyle in order to inform how patients' urinary problems should be properly managed.

Professor Mark Baker says "There are lots of management options available depending on the type of urinary problem, from bladder and pelvic floor training, to medicines, catheters, and surgical procedures".

In his article "Sacral nerve stimulation for overactive bladder and pelvic pain", Consultant Urologist Mr Jeremy Ockrim describes one of the latest and most effective treatment options for urinary incontinence.

The organ that stores urine. Full medical glossary
A common name for the large and/or small intestines. Full medical glossary
A tube used either to drain fluid from the body or to introduce fluid into the body. Full medical glossary
The basic unit of all living organisms. Full medical glossary
Relating to the brain. Full medical glossary
Decline in mental capacity, brain functioning and memory that affects day-to-day living. Full medical glossary
intermittent claudication Full medical glossary
The involuntary passage of urine or faeces. Full medical glossary
A progressive disease of the central nervous system. Full medical glossary
Bundle of fibres that carries information in the form of electrical impulses. Full medical glossary
The system that gathers and stores information and is in overall control of the body. The brain and spinal cord form the central nervous system. Full medical glossary

Associated with the nervous system and the brain.

Full medical glossary
Damage to or disease of nerves. Full medical glossary
A term applied to certain forms of paralysis. Full medical glossary
Relating to the pelvis. Full medical glossary
Any sudden neurological problem caused by a bleed or a clot in a blood vessel. Full medical glossary
The channels that carry urine from the kidneys to the outside of the body. Full medical glossary
Relating to the urinary tract. Full medical glossary