Arachnoiditis is a painful condition caused by the inflammation of the arachnoid, one of three linings that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. The arachnoid can become inflamed due to a variety of reasons. These include irritation from chemicals present in myelograms and epidural steroid injections; bacterial or viral infections; spinal cord injury; or complications from spinal surgery or other invasive spinal procedures. When arachnoiditis begins to impact the nerves, it can cause a number of symptoms, including numbness, tingling, and a distinctive stinging and burning pain in the lower back or legs. Other symptoms may include debilitating muscle cramps, twitches, spasms, and bladder/bowel/sexual dysfunction. There is no cure for this condition, so the goal of treatment is to control pain and symptoms.
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is an uncommon nerve disorder which causes intense burning pain, usually in the arms, hands, legs or feet. It can occur after an injury, either to a nerve or to tissue in the affected area. Along with pain, the patient may experience extreme skin sensitivity and changes in the color, temperature or moistness of the skin. The cause of CRPS is unknown, and there is no cure.
Failed back syndrome (FBSS) or post-laminectomy syndrome (lumbar or cervical) is persistent or recurrent pain, mainly involving the lower back and/or legs, even after prior anatomically successful spinal surgery. FBSS is considered a diagnosis of exclusion, so CT scans or MRIs must demonstrate that there are no surgically correctable lesions present. Patients with FBSS often have epidural/ intraneural/perineural fibrosis or scar tissue, which generally will not respond to surgery but may respond to SCS.
Nerve damage, neuropathy, or neuritis normally occurs when the outer sheathing or the myelin (protective covering) of nerve cells degenerate. There are many conditions and diseases that cause nerve damage. More than 100 types of peripheral neuropathy pain have been identified, each with its own characteristic symptoms. These symptoms depend on the type of nerves involved. Some people may experience temporary numbness, tingling, and pricking sensations, sensitivity to touch, or muscle weakness. Others may experience more extreme symptoms, such as burning pain (especially at night), muscle wasting, paralysis, or organ or gland dysfunction.