Alternative and Holistic Approaches to Managing Arachnoiditis

Meta description:Beyond medication, there are dietary, electromedical, and holistic approaches that some Arachnoiditis patients find helpful. Learn what the evidence says and what the community is reporting.

Managing Adhesive Arachnoiditis requires more than a prescription pad. While the Three Component Protocol forms the medical foundation of treatment, many patients find that diet, electromedical therapies, and holistic practices play a meaningful supporting role in their quality of life.

This article covers the complementary approaches that have the most relevance to the AA community — what they are, what the evidence shows, and what patients are reporting. None of these replace the Three Component Protocol, but several are worth a serious conversation with your physician.

Know Your Numbers Before You Start Anything New

Before adding any supplement, dietary change, or new therapy, get your bloodwork done. Dr. Tennant recommended testing hormone levels and inflammatory markers before making changes — not after. A hormone deficiency or elevated inflammatory marker changes what you need and how you respond to treatment.

At minimum, test:

• Cortisol, DHEA, pregnenolone, testosterone

• ESR, CRP, cytokine panel

See our article on If Your Arachnoiditis Is Getting Worse for the full blood test protocol, or download Bulletin 57 for the reference sheet to bring to your physician.

Diet and Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition

Food is not a cure for AA but chronic inflammation is worsened by diet and that is within your control. Dr. Tennant included dietary guidance as a formal component of the Three Component Protocol — not as an afterthought.

The core principles:

Eat more:

• Daily protein — seafood, beef, poultry — to support tissue repair

• Anti-inflammatory fruits and vegetables

• Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids — fatty fish, walnuts, flaxseed

• Key vitamins and minerals: C, B-12, D, magnesium, selenium, zinc

Reduce or eliminate:

• Sugar and refined carbohydrates — these are pro-inflammatory

• Processed foods

• Alcohol — inflammatory and interacts with many medications

This is not a specialized elimination diet. It is straightforward anti-inflammatory eating that supports the rest of your protocol. Small consistent changes over time matter more than perfection.

Scrambler Therapy

Scrambler therapy is generating real interest in the Arachnoiditis community and the research behind it is increasingly solid. It is a non-invasive electromedical treatment that uses surface electrodes placed on the skin to deliver electrical signals that essentially retrain the nervous system's pain response.

Unlike TENS units which simply block pain signals temporarily, scrambler therapy aims to replace pain signals with non-pain information — essentially teaching the nervous system that the area is not in danger. The effects can persist well beyond the treatment sessions themselves.

A 2022 meta-analysis of 16 clinical studies found that scrambler therapy significantly reduces neuropathic pain compared to both sham treatments and conventional pharmacotherapy, with no serious adverse events reported across trials. A 2024 multi-site trial conducted by VA hospitals found pain score reductions from 7.2 to 2.1, along with improvements in sleep and reduced medication use.

One Johns Hopkins physician who treats chronic pain described scrambler therapy as "the most exciting development I have seen in years — it's effective, it's noninvasive, it reduces opioid use substantially and it can be permanent."

Why it's relevant to AA specifically:AA produces neuropathic pain — burning, stabbing, electric sensations from damaged and inflamed nerve roots. That is exactly the pain type scrambler therapy targets. It does not treat the underlying inflammation, but for patients whose neuropathic pain is poorly controlled on medication alone, it is a serious option to explore.

The critical caveat the AA community has learned:Technician experience matters enormously. Scrambler therapy requires proper electrode placement based on the dermatomes — the nerve pathway maps — corresponding to your specific pain locations. A technician unfamiliar with AA and cauda equina anatomy may place electrodes incorrectly, reducing effectiveness or potentially worsening symptoms.

Before booking a session, ask:

• Does the technician have experience with spinal neuropathic pain specifically?

• Are they familiar with cauda equina and lumbar dermatome mapping?

• How many chronic neuropathic pain patients have they treated?

If the answer to any of these is no or uncertain, keep looking. The therapy is only as good as the person administering it.

To find a provider, the Calmare/scrambler therapy provider directory is a starting point. Ask in ACMCRN community groups for recommendations from patients who have had it done — firsthand experience from people with AA is the most reliable guide.

Electromedical Therapies — PEMF and Beyond

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy has been discussed in the AA community for years and Dr. Tennant referenced electro-medical measures as an add-on option in the Three Component Protocol. The evidence base for PEMF specifically in AA is limited, but some patients report benefit for pain and inflammation management.

If you are considering PEMF, apply the same standard as scrambler therapy — look for practitioners experienced with spinal neuropathic conditions, start conservatively, and monitor your response carefully. Strong or aggressive settings can aggravate AA symptoms.

Holistic and Mind-Body Approaches

ACMCRN community member Lori Verton has written an excellent series on holistic approaches specifically explored through her own experience with Arachnoiditis. Her articles cover:

• Do-In — a Japanese self-massage practice that supports circulation and body awareness

• Kukicha tea and macrobiotic nutrition — a dietary philosophy focused on whole, unprocessed foods and balance

• Neuroplasticity and gratitude — how intentional mental practices may support the nervous system over time

These are not medical treatments. They are complementary practices that some patients find meaningful for quality of life, mental health, and the experience of living with a chronic condition. Read Lori's full series in our Holistic Well-Being blog category.

Supplements

Several supplements are included in the Three Component Protocol as part of neuroinflammation reduction and tissue regeneration. Rather than repeat that list here, see our Three Component Protocol article for the full breakdown including curcumin, serrapeptase, PEA, colostrum, and others.

One supplement worth highlighting separately: collagen. Given that AA involves damage to connective tissue in the spinal canal, collagen supplementation is a logical support measure for tissue regeneration alongside the hormonal approaches in Component 3.

A Note on Trying New Things

Before pursuing any new therapy — especially anything involving the spine or nervous system directly — review your Three Component Protocol first. Dr. Tennant's guidance in Bulletin 68 was clear: get your protocol solid before adding anything new or risky. A stable foundation makes it easier to assess whether something is actually helping.

And always document what you try, when you start, and what changes. Your own careful observation is some of the most valuable data available.

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified physician before making changes to your treatment plan. See our Disclaimer.