Guide To Treating Arachnoiditis

Anti-Inflammatory Medication

Although arachnoiditis is a pain-related disease, pain relief medications isn't an ideal course of treatment. Opioids, in particular, are a dangerous class of drugs recommended less and less due to the risk of patients becoming addicted. Instead, doctors are likely to recommend anti-inflammatory medication to patients instead. These come in two classes: steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Steroids are very hard on the body in the long term, so doctors will likely only recommend them to help control a flare-up. Once things have returned to the baseline, it is likely regular maintenance medication will be a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Anti-inflammatory medication, however, can have long-term adverse side effects if patients don’t follow their doctor’s and pharmacist’s directions precisely.

Nerve Stimulation

Neurologists may suggest patients use nerve stimulation in conjunction with medicinal treatment or if medication proves to be ineffective. Controlled stimulation of the nerves of the spinal cord can block pain signals and provide great relief. There are two forms of this treatment: invasive and non-invasive stimulation. The invasive form involves a surgical procedure to implant a stimulation unit onto the spinal cord. It provides a continuous current directly to the nerves.

There is a less invasive option known as transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation. Electrode pads are attached to the skin above the affected area, and electricity is passed through the skin in the affected area. This option is effective during treatment and for a limited number of hours after electrodes are removed, but can be repeated as necessary. If you are looking for a zippy answer to pain without the maintenance of an implant, a home TENS unit could be the answer.