title: The Association between Urinary Incontinence and Low Back Pain and Radiculopathy in Women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common dysfunction, affecting especially women of all ages. The terminology of low back pain (LBP) and radiculopathy (RP) may be misused interchangeably with each other. There are many reports of the association with LBP and incontinence but those involving compression of nerve root(as RP), has not been distinguished from isolated low back pain. This study was structured to analyse the association of UI, LBP and RP.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred twenty patients were included in the study. Patients with spinal or urinary infection, tumour (spinal or others), cauda equine, pelvic operation, spinal trauma, spinal surgery, urogenital pathology were not accepted for this study. Age and weight of all patients were determined. Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was utilised for assessment of loss of function and SEAPI incontinence index was used for urinary incontinence. All patients were examined for neurological pathology to differentiate between the LBP and RP by department of neurosurgery. Student t-test and Mann-Whitney-U tests were used for statistical significance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistical significance between low back pain with overall urinary incontinence (p = 0.131), urge (p = 0.103) or stress incontinence (p = 0.68), respectively. However; The statistical aspects were identified relationship between overall (p = 0.026) and urge (p = 0.001) urinary incontinence with radiculopathy. The association of urge incontinence and radiculopathy seems to show a more significant relationship. Yet there was no correlation between radiculopathy and stress incontinence (P = 0.062).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low back pain should not be regarded as a predisposing factor for urinary incontinence; however, radiculopathy has a statistically positive correlation between overall incontinence and urge incontinence.
authors.affiliation: Dokuz Eylül University, Medical Faculty, Department of Neurosurgery, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hulagu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaptan
authors.affiliation: Bilim University, Medical Faculty, Department of Urology, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Haluk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kulaksızoğlu
authors.affiliation: Liv Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ömür
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Kasımcan
authors.affiliation: Medicana Hospital, Department of Urology, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bedreddin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Seçkin
keywords: Urinary incontinence; low back pain; radiculopathy; stress incontinence; urge incontinence