Foot

What It Is

Spinal arachnoiditis is a pain disorder caused by inflammation of the arachnoid, one of the membranes that surround and protect the nerves of the spinal cord. It is often associated with burning pain, severe stinging and a range of nerve problems (NINDS, 2026).

The term arachnoid comes from the Greek "Arachne", meaning spider, because of the fine, delicate, spiderweb-like membrane it forms.

Inflammation of the arachnoid can lead to scar tissue forming, which can cause the spinal nerves to stick together and stop working properly (NINDS, 2026). Many things can lead to the inflammation, such as chemicals, a direct injury to the spine, infection from viruses or bacteria, complications from spinal surgery or other invasive spinal procedures, and long-term pressure on the spinal nerves (NINDS, 2026).

There isn't a consistent pattern of symptoms, but it often affects the nerves to the lower back and legs. Common symptoms can include (NINDS, 2026):

Muscle spasms, cramps and twitching

Bowel, bladder and sexual problems

Severe pain that can feel like an electric shock

Numbness, tingling or weakness in the legs

Spinal Arachnoiditis Anatomy

The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves running from your brain down your back. Together with the brain it forms the central nervous system, which controls the body's functions. The spinal cord and brain are surrounded by three thin protective membranes, known together as the meninges: the dura mater, the arachnoid mater and the pia mater.

Causes of Arachnoiditis

Spinal surgery, particularly lower back surgery, is one of the most common causes, through scarring and inflammation afterwards (Maillard et al., 2023).
Trauma (injury) to the spine (Maillard et al., 2023).
Epidural steroid injections (Maillard et al., 2023).
Infections, including viral or bacterial infections (NINDS, 2026).
Contrast dye injected into the fluid-filled space around the spinal cord for a type of scan called a myelogram, particularly older oil-based dyes (Maillard et al., 2023).

Arachnoiditis is assessed through a careful case history and is best seen on an MRI scan; a CT myelogram is sometimes used (Maillard et al., 2023).

Not a diagnosis — for more information, contact me or another trusted healthcare provider.

Treatment

Self-Care & Treatment

How to Treat Spinal Arachnoiditis

There isn't a cure for the condition. Treatment is similar to that for other chronic pain conditions and focuses on relieving pain and improving symptoms that make daily activities harder. Health care professionals often recommend a programme of pain management, exercise, psychotherapy (talking therapy) and physiotherapy (NINDS, 2026). I can support this with gentle hands-on treatment, a paced exercise programme and education about long-term pain. See the My Approach tab for how I work.

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Options outside my scope

Specialist pain management: a programme run by a pain team to help you manage long-term pain (NINDS, 2026).
Surgery: an operation on the scar tissue is usually not recommended, because its benefit is uncertain and any relief may be short-lived (NINDS, 2026; Maillard et al., 2023).

How I can help (see the My Approach tab)

Gentle hands-on work for muscle spasms and tension

A paced exercise and activity programme

Pain education, breathing and relaxation

Tips

Looking after your mental and physical health can help you cope with ongoing pain.
Make sure to get enough rest at night.
Tell your doctor about new or worsening symptoms early, rather than waiting until they are bad.
Learn how to balance activity with rest throughout the day. As well as being active, you need to know when to take it easy and relax.
Reducing stress in your life may help you cope with chronic pain.
Consider any spinal surgery carefully and discuss other routes for rehabilitation.

Treatment

My Approach

Arachnoiditis is a long-term nerve pain condition, and your doctor or pain team leads its care. There's no cure, so my aim is to help you manage day to day: easing muscle spasms and tension, keeping you moving, and helping your nervous system settle. If you've recently had spinal surgery, I need your surgeon's okay before hands-on treatment.

I start by asking about your symptoms, what your care team has advised and what eases or worsens the pain, then gently assess how you move, your posture, and the sensation, reflexes and strength in your legs. That helps me pitch treatment so it doesn't stir things up.

Hands-On Care

Gentle, relaxing massage for muscles that spasm, cramp or guard, starting light and checking how you feel the next day
Warm applications to ease tight muscles, kept mild where feeling is reduced
Comfortable, well-supported positions
Breathing and relaxation, since stress and pain feed each other

Keeping You Moving

Pain education: why pain can persist, and why hurt doesn't always mean harm
Pacing, so you avoid big days followed by crashes
Gentle exercise, built up in small, planned steps rather than by how you feel on a given day
A short home routine you can keep up

Tell your doctor about new or worsening symptoms. New numbness around your genitals or bottom, or new or suddenly worse bladder or bowel problems, mean calling 911 or going to the emergency room.

What to Expect

Typical Course

Typical course: Usually visits are once or twice a week at first, then weekly, then spacing out as you manage more on your own, with a reassessment at about 4 to 6 weeks. Expect gradual changes in how you cope and move over a few months rather than a cure, alongside your doctor's or pain team's plan.

What I Focus On

Working With Your Care Team

Gentle Muscle Relief

Pain Education

Pacing & Graded Activity

Relaxation

Sources

References

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2026) Arachnoiditis. Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/arachnoiditis (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
Maillard, J., Batista, S., Medeiros, F. et al. (2023) 'Spinal adhesive arachnoiditis: a literature review', Cureus, 15(1), e33697. doi: 10.7759/cureus.33697. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9922032/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).

Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooSpinal Arachnoiditis

What It Is

Spinal Arachnoiditis Anatomy

Causes of Arachnoiditis

Self-Care & Treatment

How to Treat Spinal Arachnoiditis

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Tips

My Approach

Hands-On Care

Keeping You Moving

Typical Course

References

Related Conditions

Book a session

Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooSpinal Arachnoiditis

What It Is

Spinal Arachnoiditis Anatomy

Causes of Arachnoiditis

Self-Care & Treatment

How to Treat Spinal Arachnoiditis

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Tips

My Approach

Hands-On Care

Keeping You Moving

Typical Course

References

Related Conditions

Club Foot

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Diabetic (Charcot) Foot

Extensor Tendon Rupture (Foot)

Book a session