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Encyclopedia > Arachnoiditis

Arachnoiditis describes a pain disorder 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 because of an irritation from chemicals, infection from bacteria or viruses, as the 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, which cause the spinal nerves to "stick" together. If arachnoiditis begins to interfere with the function of one or more of these nerves, it can cause a number of symptoms, including numbness, tingling, and a characteristic stinging and burning pain in the lower back or legs. Arachnoiditis has no consistent pattern of symptoms, but it more frequently affects the nerves that supply the lower back and legs. According to the International Society for the Study of Pain, there are two different terms: pain and nociception. ... Inflammation is the first response of the immune system to infection or irritation and may be referred to as the innate cascade. ... The meninges (singular meninx) are the system of membranes that contain the brain. ... A biological membrane or biomembrane is a membrane which acts as a barrier within or around a cell. ... A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers or axons, which includes the glia that ensheath the axons in myelin. ... The spinal cord is a part of the vertebrate nervous system that is enclosed in and protected by the vertebral column (it passes through the spinal canal). ... Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria is also the fictional name of a warring nation under Benzino Napaloni as dictator, in the 1940 film The Great Dictator... A common alternate meaning of virus is computer virus. ... A scar results from the biologic process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues of the body. ...


Prognosis

Arachnoiditis is a chronic pain disorder and while there is no known cure at this time some quality of life may be redeemed through pain management routines. Prognosis is often complicated by the lack of a clear relationship between time of onset and pattern of symptoms. Aging and pre-existing spinal disorders can make accurate prognosis problematic. For many, arachnoiditis is a disabling disease that causes chronic pain and neurological deficits.


Treatment

Arachnoiditis remains a difficult condition to treat, and long-term outcomes are unpredictable. Most treatments for arachnoiditis are focused on pain relief and the improvement of symptoms that impair daily function. A regimen of pain management, physiotherapy, exercise, and psychotherapy is often recommended. Surgical intervention is controversial since the outcomes are generally poor and provide only short-term relief. Clinical trials of steroid injections and electrical stimulation are needed to determine the efficacy of these treatments. Physical therapy can help restore lost functionality in many people. ... The word exercise can mean the following: A setting in action or practicing. ... Psychotherapy is a set of techniques intended to cure or improve psychological and behavioral problems in humans. ...


External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Brain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (3678 words)
This three-layered covering is made of, from the outside in, dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater.
The arachnoid and pia are physically connected and thus often considered as a single layer, the pia-arachnoid.
Below the arachnoid is the subarachnoid space which contains cerebrospinal fluid, a substance that protects the nervous system.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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