Obtained from the ASAMS WEBSITE

This document was reproduced by ASAMS on its website with permission of its original Author. The Author has made this document available for public access on the strict understanding that the Author holds all Copyrights over this document and only under certain conditions. This document may be stored electronically and/or printed out for personal research and reference purposes ONLY. Any retransmission and/or reproduction for any other reason, whether in part or in whole, by any means, is prohibited unless permission is obtained by the Author.

 

The Arachnoiditis Story
Wendy Anderson, MD

 

Everyone at some stage of life will experience back pain. The causes, severity, duration, treatments and outcomes will vary, but for some it becomes a life long problem. Among this group of back sufferers will be those who develop Arachnoiditis, an unusual name for a devastating affliction of chronic intractable pain, neurological deficits and disability. In such cases there is likely to be a history of:-

It is not known why some people develop an inflammatory reaction in response to events such as the above. If the inflammation becomes chronic the nerve roots are damaged and the spinal cord may undergo secondary degeneration.

There are many symptoms associated with arachnoiditis. The most debilitating is pain; other manifestations are the result of sensory, motor and autonomic nerve dysfunction.

Additional symptoms include headaches, sore throat, low grade fevers, difficulty swallowing, heat intolerance, visual disturbances, chronic fatigue.

For various reasons many patients have great difficulty obtaining a diagnosis. Almost all arachnoiditis sufferers have the experience at some time of being considered to have functional disorders and may be referred for psychological assessment.

As there is no known cure treatment is directed at promoting the best quality of life possible in the circumstances. This involves treatment of symptoms, with pain management being the main consideration, and appropriate disability aids.

If you think that the above problems could apply to you, and you want to know more, then read on....

 

Warmest regards,
Wendy