Cauda Equina Syndrome Glossary of Terms

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Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Abscess: A local accumulation of pus anywhere in the body. The following are some example...

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: The professional organization of American orthop...

Anesthesia: Loss of feeling or awareness, as when an anesthetic is administered before sur...

Ankylosing: Having a tendency to stiffen and fuse together.

Ankylosing spondylitis: A form of chronic inflammation of the spine and the sacroiliac joi...

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. ...

Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, w...

Back pain: Pain felt in the low or upper back. Causes of pain in the low and upper back in...

Bilateral: Affecting both sides. For example, bilateral arthritis affects joints on both t...

Bladder: A hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. The kidneys filter waste f...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Cauda equina: A bundle of spinal nerve roots that arise from the end of the spinal cord. T...

Cauda equina syndrome: Impairment of the nerves in the cauda equina, characterized by dull...

Chemotherapy: 1. In the original sense, a chemical that binds to and specifically k...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Complication: In medicine, an unanticipated problem that arises following, and is a result...

Compress: Cloth or another material applied under pressure to an area of the skin and held...

Compression: 1. The act of pressing together. As in a compression fracture, nerve c...

Constipation: Infrequent and frequently incomplete bowel movements. Constipation is the op...

Contrast: Short for "contrast media." Contrast media are X-ray dyes used to provide contra...

Decompression: 1. In general, the removal of pressure.
2. In surgery, ...

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Dysfunction: Difficult function or abnormal function.

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

Epidural: Outside the dura, the outermost, toughest, and most fibrous of the three membran...

Epidural hematoma: A hematoma between the skull and the brain's tissue-like covering, whic...

Epilepsy (seizure disorder): When nerve cells in the brain fire electrical impulses...

Extremity: An uttermost part of the body, such as a hand or a foot.

Fracture: A break in bone or cartilage. Although usually a result of trauma, a fracture ca...

Groin: The area where the thigh meets the hip.

Hematoma: A localized swelling that is filled with blood caused by a break in the wall of ...

Herniation: Abnormal protrusion of tissue through an opening.

Iatrogenic: Due to the activity of a physician or therapy. For example, an iatrogenic illn...

Ibuprofen: A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is commonly used to treat pa...

Incontinence: The inability to control excretions, to hold urine in the bladder, or to kee...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Injure: To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emotional sense. Fr...

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

Intervention: The act of intervening, interfering or interceding with the intent of modify...

Laminectomy: A surgical procedure in which the posterior arch of a vertebra is removed. La...

Leg: In popular usage, the part of the body from the top of the thigh down to the foot, an...

Low back pain: Pain in the lower back area that can relate to problems with the lumbar spi...

Lumbar: Referring to the five lumbar vertebrae, the disks below them, and the correspondin...

Lumbar puncture: A procedure in which cerebrospinal fluid is removed from the spinal canal...

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

Neoplasm: A tumor.

Neoplastic: Pertaining to a tumor or the process of tumor formation.

Nerve: A bundle of fibers that uses electrical and chemical signals to transmit sensory an...

Nerve compression: Pinching' of a nerve that is due to too much pressure on it. For exampl...

Neurological: Having to do with the nerves or the nervous system as, for example, a neurol...

Neurology: The medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders o...

Neuromuscular: Pertaining to both nerves and muscles, as in neuromuscular blockade by an a...

Neuroscience: The study of the brain and nervous system, including molecular neuroscience...

NIH: National Institutes of Health.

Onset: In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for ex...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Paralysis: Loss of voluntary movement (motor function). Paralysis that affects only one mu...

Paresthesia: An abnormal sensation of the body, such as numbness, tingling, or burning.

Perineal: Pertaining to the perineum.

Perineum: The area between the anus and the scrotum in the male and between the anus and t...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Physical therapy: A branch of rehabilitative health that uses specially designed exercises...

Prostate: A gland within the male reproductive system that is located just below the blad...

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy ...

Radiation therapy: The use of high-energy rays to damage cancer cells, stopping them from ...

Reflex: An involuntary reaction. For example, the corneal reflex is the blink that occurs ...

Sciatica: Pain that results from irritation of the sciatic nerve and typically radiates fr...

Sensation: In medicine and physiology, sensation refers to the registration of an incoming...

Sensory: Relating to sensation, to the perception of a stimulus, to the voyage made by inc...

Spinal cord: The major column of nerve tissue that is connected to the brain and lies with...

Spinal stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal canal. Spinal stenosis is most commonly caused by...

Spinal tap: Also known as a lumbar puncture or "LP", a spinal tap is a procedure whereby ...

Spine: 1) The column of bone known as the vertebral column, which surrounds and protects ...

Spondylitis: Inflammation of one or more of the vertebrae of the spine. Diffuse inflammati...

Spondylolisthesis: Forward movement of one vertebra in relationship to an adjacent vertebr...

Stenosis: A narrowing. For example, aortic stenosis is a narrowing of the aortic valve in ...

Stroke: The sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood...

Subluxation: Partial dislocation of a joint. A complete dislocation is a luxation.

Surgeon: A physician who treats disease, injury, or deformity via operative or manual meth...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue. Tumors are a classic sign of inflammation, and can be ...

Unilateral: Having, or relating to, one side. For example, a unilateral rash is one that i...

Urinary: Having to do with the function or anatomy of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or ur...

Urinary tract: The organs of the body that produce, store, and discharge urine. These orga...

Urine: Liquid waste produced by the kidneys. Urine is a clear, transparent fluid that norm...

Urogenital: Relating to both the urinary system and the genital system (the interior and e...

Vertebra: A vertebra is one of 33 bony segments that form the spinal column of humans. Th...

Vertebral column: The 33 vertebrae that fit together to form a flexible, yet extraordinari...

X-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-ray is used...