Herbal Treatment for Myelitis

Disease Information

What is transverse myelitis?

Transverse myelitis is a neurological condition that happens when both sides of the same section of the spinal cord become inflamed. This inflammation can damage myelin, the fatty substance that covers your nerves. Loss of myelin often leads to spinal cord scarring that blocks nerve impulses and results in physical problems.
Transverse myelitis is a relatively rare disease. It occurs most often in children ages 10 to 19 and in adults ages 30 to 39, but it can happen at any age.

What causes transverse myelitis?

Experts don’t know the exact cause of transverse myelitis. The inflammation that leads to transverse myelitis can result as a side effect of a number of other conditions, including:

• Lyme disease
• Syphilis
• Measles
• Viral infections
• Bacterial infections

Some people may also get transverse myelitis as a result of spinal injuries, spinal defects, or vascular diseases like atherosclerosis, all of which can reduce the amount of oxygen in spinal cord tissue.

If parts of the spinal cord don’t have enough oxygen, nerve cells often start to die. The dying tissue can cause the inflammation that leads to transverse myelitis.
Transverse myelitis can also be a warning sign of multiple sclerosis, but this is rare.

Since some people with transverse myelitis have autoimmune diseases such as lupus, some doctors believe that transverse myelitis may also be an autoimmune disease. Finally, some cancers can trigger an immune response that leads to transverse myelitis.

What are the symptoms of transverse myelitis?

The symptoms of transverse myelitis can develop over several hours or days, or over a longer period of 1 to 2 weeks. These are possible symptoms:

• Back or neck pain
• Weakness in arms or legs
• Abnormal feelings in the legs, such as burning, tingling, or pricking
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Heightened sensitivity to touch

Where in the body these symptoms occur depends on what part of the spinal cord is inflamed. People with inflammation in the neck typically feel symptoms from the neck down, while inflammation in the middle of the spine can cause symptoms from the waist down.

How is transverse myelitis diagnosed?

If you suspect that you have transverse myelitis, your healthcare provider will likely review your medical history and do a complete physical exam. Because transverse myelitis can be caused by a number of treatable conditions, your provider may want to test for some of those diseases. One test you might need is a CT or MRI scan.

Another common test is myelography, a procedure in which a needle is used to inject a special dye into your spinal area. A technician will then use a real-time X-ray called fluoroscopy to get pictures of your spinal cord.

Blood tests and a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) may also be done to rule out other causes for transverse myelitis.

If all potential underlying causes of transverse myelitis have been ruled out, it is called idiopathic.

How is transverse myelitis treated?

Several therapies target the acute signs and symptoms of transverse myelitis:

• Intravenous steroids. You’ll probably receive steroids through a vein in your arm over the course of several days. Steroids help reduce the inflammation in your spinal column.
• Plasma exchange therapy. People who don’t respond to intravenous steroids may need plasma exchange therapy. This involves removing the straw-colored fluid in which blood cells are suspended (plasma) and replacing the plasma with special fluids.
  It’s not certain how this therapy helps people with transverse myelitis, but it may be that plasma exchange removes inflammatory antibodies.
• Antiviral medication. Some people who have a viral infection of the spinal cord may be treated with medications to treat the virus.
• Pain medication. Chronic pain is a common complication of transverse myelitis. Medications that may lessen muscle pain include common pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve.)
  Nerve pain may be treated with antidepressant drugs, such as sertraline (Zoloft), and anticonvulsant drugs, such as gabapentin (Neurontin, Gralise) or pregabalin (Lyrica).
• Medications to treat other complications. Your doctor may prescribe other medications as needed to treat problems such as muscle spasticity, urinary or bowel dysfunction, depression, or other complications associated with transverse myelitis.
  Medications to prevent recurrent attacks of transverse myelitis. People who have antibodies associated with neuromyelitis optica need ongoing medications, such as corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressants, to reduce their chances of more transverse myelitis attacks or developing optic neuritis.

Other therapies

Additional therapies focus on long-term recovery and care:

• Physical therapy. This helps improve strength and coordination. Your physical therapist can teach you how to use any needed assistive devices, such as a wheelchair, canes or braces.
• Occupational therapy. This helps people with transverse myelitis learn new ways of performing day-to-day activities, such as bathing, preparing a meal and housecleaning.
• Psychotherapy. A psychotherapist can use talk therapy to treat anxiety, depression, sexual dysfunction, and other emotional or behavioral issues from coping with transverse myelitis.

Living with transverse myelitis

The long-term effects of transverse myelitis vary among people. About one-third of people with transverse myelitis have a full or near-full recovery, with most of their symptoms gone. Another third have fair recovery, retaining some of their symptoms. The last third recover poorly and have significant physical disabilities.

When recovery from transverse myelitis occurs, it usually begins from 2 to 12 weeks after you first have symptoms and can take up to 2 years. Most people will only have a single episode of transverse myelitis, but a few people may have a recurrence.

Some people who get transverse myelitis are left with permanent physical disabilities, such as muscle stiffness, loss of bowel or bladder function, muscle weakness, or even paralysis. If you have any of these impairments, physical therapy will likely be a very important part of your treatment. In this treatment, specialists will work with you to maintain or increase your strength, improve your coordination, and help you gain more control over bladder and bowel functions.

Another type of therapy is occupational therapy, which helps you learn new ways of doing everyday tasks, like bathing, in spite of your new physical limitations.

Finally, some people with physical disabilities often feel sad or depressed. If this happens to you, your provider may recommend that you see a mental health professional. Antidepressants and psychotherapy, or “talk therapy,” can help treat depression.

Reference:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/transverse-myelitis

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/transverse-myelitis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354730