After a spinal cord injury, messages from the rectum do not get through to the brain and you do not get the urge to have a bowel movement. As a result of not feeling the urge, you may not be able to control the sphincter that makes your bowel move. Not being able to control the sphincter can result in an inability to have a bowel movement.
Impaction can be serious if it occurs high up in the bowel.
You may wonder if you can ever get back into a normal routine again. It is possible to develop a regular bowel program that will avoid accidents, but you have to learn how to do this. Your nurse will help you work out the best possible bowel program for you. As time goes on, a pattern should start to develop and you should have bowel movements fairly regularly. Prune juice is a great natural laxative.