Bladder control and maintenance are very important after a Spinal Cord Injury. As a person living with a Spinal Cord Injury for the last 17 years, I had my ups and downs when it came to bladder control. For many individuals, as a result of Spinal Cord Injury, have to live with a neurogenic bladder. People with a neurogenic bladder have some type of dysfunction with their nerves and bladder muscles. Some people experience an overactive bladder in which they void more often before their bladder is full. In contrast, some people may have an underactive bladder in which their bladder muscles do not squeeze when it is filled with urine and won’t empty the way it is supposed to.
The main issue with having a neurogenic bladder is finding ways to prevent urinary tract infections. Due to bladder dysfunction and the way you empty your bladder, many individuals are more susceptible to urinary tract infections. Urinary tract infections typically involve the lower urinary tract, and they occur when bacteria enter the urethra, which is one of the issues that come with catheterization. Other causes of urinary tract infections can come from a blockage in the urinary tract such as kidney stones, a suppressed immune system and a recent urinary procedure, to name a few.
Read more at: https://www.christopherreeve.org/blog/life-after-paralysis/bladder-control-after-a-spinal-cord-injury
