What Is Arachnoiditis?
Arachnoiditis is a painful condition involving inflammation and scarring of the arachnoid membrane around spinal nerves. Scar tissue can cause nerve roots to stick together or move poorly. Symptoms may include burning pain, tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, or changes in sensation after spinal surgery, injury, infection, or other irritation.
Quick Facts About Arachnoiditis
Category
Spinal nerve disorder
Used for
Describing nerve-related pain after spinal irritation
Common confusion
Normal healing pain after surgery
Also called
Spinal arachnoiditis, Chronic adhesive arachnoiditis
Often discussed with
Post-Surgical Pain Treatment
Key Takeaways About Arachnoiditis
- Scar tissue can bind spinal nerve roots together.
- Symptoms may spread beyond the original surgical area.
- Arachnoiditis is not the same as ordinary surgical soreness.
How Arachnoiditis Works
Arachnoiditis affects the thin arachnoid membrane that surrounds the spinal cord and nerve roots. Inflammation may lead to bands of scar tissue. These bands can limit normal nerve movement and irritate nearby nerves.
Related glossary terms: Radicular Pain, Lumbar Radiculopathy, Paresthesia.
Doctors assess the condition through the symptom pattern, medical history, physical examination, and imaging when appropriate. An MRI may show changes around the nerve roots, but scan findings must match the person's symptoms. Pain may feel burning, electric, or deep. Numbness, tingling, and weakness can also occur.
Post-surgical pain treatment focuses on the full picture. The surgical site, pain pattern, nerve findings, current medicines, and daily limits all help guide the clinical assessment.
From the Premier Injury Specialists team
When we assess possible arachnoiditis, we review the surgical history, symptom pattern, examination findings, and available imaging together. We also separate nerve-related symptoms from expected healing pain, scar pain, or another spinal condition before planning post-surgical pain treatment.
Arachnoiditis in Practice: A Real-World Example
A person develops burning leg pain and persistent tingling after spinal surgery. The symptoms follow a nerve pattern, so the care team reviews the operative history, examination findings, and imaging for signs that fit arachnoiditis.
Related Services
Related Terms
Radicular Pain
Radicular Pain is pain caused by irritation or pressure on a spinal nerve root. The pain…
Lumbar Radiculopathy
Lumbar Radiculopathy is a nerve root problem in the lower spine that can cause pain, tingling…
Paresthesia
Paresthesia is an unusual skin sensation that may feel like tingling, pins and needles, burning, prickling…
Chronic Pain
Chronic Pain is pain that continues or returns over an extended period, often after an injury…
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Have Questions About Arachnoiditis?
Contact Premier Injury Specialists for practical guidance on Arachnoiditis and related pain management physician work in Forest Park.