Arachnoiditis
- Article
- 2021-03-02
Arachnoiditis is caused by the inflammation of the arachnoid, one of the membranes that surround and protect the nerves of the spinal cord. The arachnoid can become inflamed from irritation from chemicals, infection from bacteria or viruses, as a result of direct injury to the spine, chronic compression of spinal nerves, or complications from spinal surgery or other invasive spinal procedures. Inflammation can sometimes lead to the formation of scar tissue and adhesions, causing the spinal nerves to "stick" together. If arachnoiditis begins to disrupt the function of one or more of these nerves, it can cause a number of symptoms, including chronic and persistent pain, numbness, tingling, and a characteristic stabbing and burning pain in the lower back or legs. Some people with arachnoiditis have debilitating muscle cramps, twitches, or spasms. It can also affect bladder, bowel and sexual function. In severe cases, arachnoiditis can cause paralysis of the lower extremities.
Therapy
Arachnoiditis remains a difficult condition to treat, and the long-term results are unpredictable. Most treatments for arachnoiditis focus on chronic pain relief and the improvement of symptoms that hinder daily functioning. A regimen of pain relief, physical therapy, exercise, and psychotherapy is often recommended. Surgical intervention is controversial because the results are generally poor and only provide short-term relief.
Prognosis
Arachnoiditis is a condition that causes chronic pain and neurological deficits and does not improve significantly with treatment. Surgery can only provide temporary relief. The outlook for someone with arachnoiditis is complicated by the fact that the condition does not have a predictable pattern or severity of symptoms.
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