Arachnoiditis

Arachnoiditis is a pain disorder brought on by the inflammation of the arachnoid, among the membranes that surround and protect the nerves from the spinal cord. It is seen as a severe stinging, "burning pain," and neurological problems.


Symptoms of Arachnoiditis
Arachnoiditis doesn't have consistent pattern of symptoms, however in many people it affects the nerves connecting towards the lower back and legs. The most typical symptom is pain; but, arachnoiditis may also cause:
• Tingling, numbness, or weakness within the legs
• Sensations that may seem like insects crawling onto the skin or water trickling on the leg
• Severe shooting pain that may be similar to an electric shock sensation
• Muscle cramps, spasms and uncontrollable twitching
• Bladder, bowel and/or erectile dysfunction
As the disease progresses, symptoms can become more severe or even permanent. Lots of people with arachnoiditis are unable to work and suffer significant disability since they're in constant pain.


Reasons for Arachnoiditis
Inflammation of the arachnoid can result in the formation of scarring and can cause the spinal nerves to stay together and malfunction. The arachnoid may become inflamed because of a worsening from one of the following sources:
• Direct problems for the spine
• Chemicals: Dye utilized in myelograms (diagnostic tests in which a dye called radiographic contrast media is injected in to the area surrounding the spinal-cord and nerves) happen to be blamed for some cases of arachnoiditis. The radiographic contrast media accountable for this is no longer used, however. Also, there's concern that the preservatives present in epidural steroid injections could cause arachnoiditis.
• Infection from bacteria or viruses: Infections for example viral and fungal meningitis or tuberculosis can impact the spine.
• Chronic compression of spinal nerves: Causes with this compression include chronic degenerative disc disease or advanced spinal stenosis (narrowing of spine).
• Complications from spinal surgical procedures or other invasive spinal procedures:Similar causes include multiple lumbar (back) punctures.


Making diagnosing
Diagnosing arachnoiditis can be difficult, but tests like the CAT scan(computerized axial tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) have contributed to diagnosis. A test called an electromyogram (EMG) can measure the severity of the ongoing harm to affected nerve roots by utilizing electrical impulses to check on nerve function.
Note: Myelograms using the radiographic contrast currently being used, combined with CAT scanning, aren't considered to be responsible for causing arachnoiditis or causing it to worsen.


Treating Arachnoiditis
It cannot be cured for arachnoiditis. Treatment options for arachnoiditis act like those for other chronic pain conditions. Most treatments concentrate on relieving pain and improving symptoms that impair day to day activities. Often, health care professionals recommend a course of pain management, physiotherapy, exercise, and psychotherapy. Surgery for arachnoiditis is controversial because outcomes could be poor and provide only short-term relief. Numerous studies of steroid injections and electrical stimulation are necessary to determine whether those remedies are effective.


Treatment
It cannot be cured for arachnoiditis. Treatment options are aimed toward pain relief and are much like treatments for other chronic pain conditions. A few examples include the following:
• Pain medications for example NSAIDs, corticosteroids (orally or injected), anti-spasm drugs, anti-convulsants (to assist with the burning pain), and perhaps, narcotic pain relievers. Some of these medications might be administered through an intrathecal pump which, when implanted underneath the skin, can administer medication straight to the spinal cord.


Physiotherapy treatment
• Physical therapy for example hydrotherapy, massage, and hot/cold therapy.
• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is really a treatment in which a painless electrical current is distributed to specific nerves through electrode patches which are placed on the skin. The mild electrical current generates heat that serves to alleviate stiffness, improve mobility, as well as reducing pain.
• Spinal cord stimulator is really a device that transmits an electric signal to the spinal-cord for pain relief.
Surgery is not advised for arachnoiditis because it only causes more scarring to develop and exposes the already irritated spinal-cord to more trauma.