Cauda equina syndrome is a medical emergency that calls for urgent surgical intervention. If patients with cauda equina syndrome do not receive treatment quickly, adverse results can include paralysis, impaired bladder, and/or bowel control, difficulty walking, and/or other neurological and physical problems. Patients should be aware that acute cauda equina syndrome that results in nerve damage is extremely rare. Symptoms of cauda equina syndrome can develop suddenly but may take weeks or months. The onset of the condition is often described using actual onset & gradual onset distinctions.