What happened?
A 38-year-old woman developed cauda equina syndrome after spinal manipulation performed for lumbar disc herniation. The report follows the challenging rehabilitation process after this serious neurological complication.
Clinical findings
- The patient developed cauda equina syndrome in the setting of lumbar disc herniation after spinal manipulation.
- The report focuses on functional consequences and prolonged rehabilitation challenges.
Rehabilitation described in the report
- The authors describe a comprehensive multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme.
- The published abstract does not provide enough detail to reproduce a specific exercise dose; consult the full article.
Reported outcomes
- The authors describe gains in independence and a return towards daily activities, social life and work despite a difficult rehabilitation course.
Clinical lessons to consider
- New saddle sensory change, bladder or bowel dysfunction, or progressive neurological deficit requires urgent emergency assessment, not routine manual therapy.
- After medical stabilization, rehabilitation goals should address mobility, self-care, participation and psychosocial impact.
Limitations — what this case cannot tell us
- The accessible abstract provides limited intervention and outcome detail; exact treatment parameters should not be inferred.
- One case cannot quantify risk or establish causation for spinal manipulation in other patients.
Original source
Burak Kamil Turan, Birkan Sonel Tur. “Rehabilitation in a Case With Cauda Equina Syndrome After Spinal Manipulation: A Long and Difficult Process.” Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2025. DOI: 10.5606/tftrd.2024.14930
View the original publicationThis page is an independently written educational summary, not a reproduction of the full paper. Check the original article for complete methods, outcome tables, references and licensing.