How to Diagnose Arachnoiditis

Arachnoiditis is a neurological disorder that causes inflammation of a portion of the subarachnoid space, one of the membranes that protect and surround nerves within the spinal cord. Possible causes include spinal injury, chemical irritation, infections and viruses, complications of spinal surgery or spinal nerve compression. Adhesions can cause the nerves within the spine to stick together which affects the neural tissue that lies beneath it.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Understand that severe pain which continues after back surgery needs to be investigated by your physician. The pain is described as persistent stinging or aching, radiating down the legs into the foot area. The pain is also felt in the arms and middle of the back radiating to the chest and neck.
2. Recognize that back pain associated with arachnoiditis does not respond to use of muscle relaxants or even narcotic pain medications.
3. Prepare to undergo computerized axial tomography (CAT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which may indicate an inflammation occurring in the subarachnoid space.
4. Request that your physician perform an EMG (electromyogram) which evaluates the damage of any affected nerve roots using electrical impulses.
5. Ask your doctor if it is appropriate to have proteins and other different cell types in the spinal fluids be tested, if the arachnoiditis is thought to be in the early stages.

Tips & Warnings

• If the disease is allowed to progress, the symptoms have the tendency to render the person permanently disabled and causes significant pain.
• Since arachnoiditis can be linked to having a medical procedure, some physicians may be hesitant to diagnose the disease. A thorough history and physical should be the first step in the diagnostic process.