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What Causes Back Pain, Frequent Urination And Numbness In Penis?
Posted on
Sun, 27 Dec 2015
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Sun, 27 Dec 2015
Answered on
Mon, 18 Jan 2016
Last reviewed on
Question : 35 y/o M no Med history, medications or allergies. I don't smoke and I'm not over weight. I've had achy lower back pain, increased urination with weak stream for a year. A couple months ago I had a cystoscopy, blood drawn and my prostate check, everything came back normal. My urologist said I may have a weak bladder.
In the last couple weeks my penis feels numb and I've lost almost all sensation during orgasm.
In the last couple weeks my penis feels numb and I've lost almost all sensation during orgasm.
Brief Answer:
Read below
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Those manifestations are indeed worrying confirmed by the fact that they seem to be progressively evolving. You seem to have excluded causes related to the urinary system itself, so the focus now must be moved towards the nervous system, the nerves which supply that region and are responsible for autonomic functions such as urinating and sexual activity.
So I think a neurologist consult and imaging of the spine is necessary, preferably with MRI. The suspicion is of a spinal lesion which compresses the nervous system. By lesion I mean a tumor or a vascular malformation. As for the site of the lesion it could be from your upper lumbar spine down to your sacral region. You do not describe pain in your lower limbs, sciatica, so only the very lower segments of the spinal cord or the peripheral nerves would be involved, meaning either the ending of the spinal cord (called conus medullaris) or the S2, 3 sacral nerves in the sacrum. A neurological physical exam might reveal signs helping to better locate the site, but eventually as I said MRI should be necessary in my opinion.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Read below
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Those manifestations are indeed worrying confirmed by the fact that they seem to be progressively evolving. You seem to have excluded causes related to the urinary system itself, so the focus now must be moved towards the nervous system, the nerves which supply that region and are responsible for autonomic functions such as urinating and sexual activity.
So I think a neurologist consult and imaging of the spine is necessary, preferably with MRI. The suspicion is of a spinal lesion which compresses the nervous system. By lesion I mean a tumor or a vascular malformation. As for the site of the lesion it could be from your upper lumbar spine down to your sacral region. You do not describe pain in your lower limbs, sciatica, so only the very lower segments of the spinal cord or the peripheral nerves would be involved, meaning either the ending of the spinal cord (called conus medullaris) or the S2, 3 sacral nerves in the sacrum. A neurological physical exam might reveal signs helping to better locate the site, but eventually as I said MRI should be necessary in my opinion.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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