Effects of transcutaneous nerve stimulation on the vesicourethral function in spinal cord injury patients

There were 17 spinal cord injury men with drug-resistant pain who were treated with transcutaneous nerve stimulation. Bladder and sphincter dysfunctions were evaluated by gas cystosphincterometry and rectal sphinctero-electromyography with the patient in 2 different positions. With the use of transcutaneous nerve stimulation for pain we noted no demonstrable urodynamic changes in acute and chronic paraplegics and chronic quadriplegics. However, there was an increase in the urethral pressures and in the rectal electromyogram spike potentials in acute and recent (less than 2 years post-injury) quadriplegics with postural detrusor-striated sphincter dyssynergia. Therefore, caution is necessary when transcutaneous nerve stimulation is used in this particular group of patients since it might be detrimental to the genitourinary tract.