Arachnoiditis
Arachnoiditis Causes
Four categories where causes of Arachnoiditis fall: A) Shock to the membrane because of spinal operation (frequently several measures B) External agents like anesthesia C) Contamination of the arachnoids D) Blood in the CSF due to shock
Arachnoiditis Definition
A disease due to the swelling of the arachnoids which is a membrane that encloses and shields the central nervous system nerves together with the spinal cord and the brain. The swelling can be caused by infections due to viruses or bacteria and can also be caused by chemical irritation. The swelling may cause creation of scar tissue and bonding that results the nerves on the spine to ?bond?. The disease is usually progressive and treatments differ in its efficiency, the disease is not often cured.
Arachnoiditis Prognosis
At this point in time there is no known cure to Arachnoiditis. However pain can be eased through pain management methods. Prognosis is difficult to establish if it lacks the association amid when the symptom started and when the disease began. For the people who are affected by this disease they consider it as an immobilizing disease which results to severe pain and neurological discrepancy. Due to lack of successful medications for arachnoiditis it results to low occurrences of prognosis and the patient?s situation deteriorating. For patients who had surgery for quite some time the situation progresses but after several years the disease occurs again.
Arachnoiditis Symptoms and Signs
Chronic pain is a usual symptom fro this disease also neuralgia. Because the disease affects the spinal cord lack of sensation and tingling in the extremities is felt. In cases where the spinal cord's lower area is affected bowel movement, sexual performance and the bladder are affected. Although arachnoiditis has no constant symptom, it usually affects the nerves connected to the lower back and the legs that results to back pain which increases as you move more, soreness in one or both legs or feet. Arachnoiditis symptoms also include headaches, blurry vision, faintness and vomiting.
Arachnoiditis Treatment
It is known that arachnoiditis is not easy to cure. The medication can go as far as relieving pain and several signs. Even surgical operations cannot totally cure the disease because at first the condition of the patient progresses but as years pass by the disease occurs again which only provide momentary aid. Injections such as steroid injections are not advised because it has been associated as a cause of the disease. Medications to ease the pain are the most common treatment for arachnoiditis. Steroidal and non-steroidal non-inflammatory drugs with narcotic and non-narcotic pain medications are also advised for treatment. Embedding small electrodes is another pain management method or also known as direct spinal cord stimulation. These electrodes are embedded beneath the skin where the affected roots of the nerves are located. It is battery-powered that applies gentle current which reduces pain.