About Incontinence - Contributing Factors - Neurological Conditions
Medical Reviewer: Christine Norton, PhD, MA, RN
Conditions affecting the nerves of the body, such as spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and spinal cord injury, can cause a neurogenic bladder. In some cases, incontinence may be one of the first signs or symptoms of a neurological condition.
Why?
The body senses bladder fullness, and then empties the bladder, based on messages the brain receives from nerves. When there is nerve damage, or a condition blocking the messages sent or received by the nerves, the messages between the brain and the bladder may not be sent and received correctly. Conditions affecting the nerves can cause the brain not to receive the message when the bladder is full, or could block the message sent by the brain: to hold urine, or when it is appropriate to relax the sphincter muscle and empty the bladder.
Treatment and Management Techniques
Some treatment and management techniques that you might with to discuss with your health care professional are HERE.
Christine Norton PhD, MA, RN is the Burdett Professor of Gastrointestinal Nursing King’sCollege, London & Nurse Consultant (Bowel Control) at St Mark’s Hospital.
Christine Norton trained as a nurse at St George’s Hospital in London after reading history at Cambridge University . She was one of the first continence nurse specialists in the UK and was the first Secretary of the Association for Continence Advice. Later she was founder and Director of the UK Continence Foundation. For the past ten years Christine has returned to clinical practice and has worked at St. Mark's Hospital the UK ’s leading colorectal hospital, where she heads a nurse-led service for patients with faecal incontinence and constipation. She was awarded a PhD by London University in 2001 for a study of biofeedback for faecal incontinence.
Her book, “Bowel Continence Nursing” was published in 2004. 2005 saw the launch of new research and teaching venture, the Burdett Institute of Gastrointestinal Nursing with Christine as the first Director.
She has co- founded and co-chaired the International Continence Society’s Continence Promotion Committee, has represented nursing on the ICS Board, chairs the International Consultation on Incontinence faecal incontinence committee, the Royal College of Nursing Gastroenterology & Stoma Care Forum and is an editor for the Cochrane incontinence group. She is chair of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence guideline on faecal incontinence, published by the UK government in 2007.
Page last modified29 May 2011