Is this symptomatic of syrinx, something else, or just related to reg. chiari? Help

[jenniferk86]

I was diagnosed with Chiari 1 malformation in March of 2011 without a syrinx.  I also have degenerative disc disease 2 bulging discs in my lower lumber and a herniated disc at c5-c6 with minimal facet atropathy in my lower lumbar.  .I have had severe joint type pain since october that has gotten worse and worse since then and Ive tried physical therapy and I also had a sacro illiac joing injection that seemed to help after 5 days it seemed to help the low back area, but not the hips or legs, then after about 8-9 days I got a little bit of releif through my hips for about 3 days and then all of the pain came back... and now it seems as though I have another type of pain on top of it...

This pain now is like a bad pinching pain in BOTH LEGS from the groin all the way to my ankles and in the arches of my feet... almost like someone has placed a very very tight band at the very top of my legs cutting off blood supply( you know like when they are taking your blood pressure and they get the cuff too tight and they cut off your circulation and they leave the bruise because it is too tight?) its like that but twice as bad.. this has been the last two days.. but my legs are not purple, my thighs are slightly red... but I am experiencing numbness and tingling... in my heels and feet and I wasn't at the time of my mri... but have been having that symptom for a while..my question is I know a lot of you have back problems and stuff. and I don't think that my issues that I had diagnosed in march should be causing this.. and don't know if I should get another appointment for this and if this is important or not.  I am going to have the chiari surgery August 9th..

I am just concerned that if I think it is a related issue and I leave it alone and it is a separate and serious issue that causes permanent nerve damage... or something I could have done something about but ignored because I thought it was related I will be upset with myself.  Does this sound like anything serious or symptoms of Syrinx that I should do something about or something probably related? I read a little about spinal stenosis or osteoarthritis and it seems to fit, but that probably couldn't change in 5 months right? FYI I have never had any imaging done of my hips and that is the area that is the most painful to me.

I am kind of looking or thinking about something that could have changed in 5 months...
--- or if not something that would have changed in 5 months something that would progress and be causing low back and hip pain, respond to some anti inflammatory and then suddenly cause severe leg pain that could be generated in the Hips or lower(because I never had any imaging of the hips or lower) oh yeah and yesterday my knee also.. and I have done no strenuous exercise at all  Sorry for such a long  post.. dont know if anyone can help or not but any help is appreciated.

[selmaS]

  U should have a pre p visit with ur NS,...tell him then so he is aware, but it may have nothing to do with the chiari or the impending surgery...and if it does, then the surgery should help...but do let ur Dr know u have some new issues.

   "selma"

[jenniferk86]

So... what should I do? what til after I have the surgery and the post op mri or just tell my doc the symptoms are increasing suddenly? my doc is prob just gonna think im trying to get more meds or something... I don't really know what Im supposed to do or if i should leave it, but I am in a lot of pain and just nervous about getting nerve damage because of the increasing numbness and tingling and weakness I am getting in my legs... but also knowing that even if it was a syrinx decompression would help that... but if it was something else... surgery would not and if I ignored it cause I thought surgery would help... well... you know.

[selmaS]

  I had/have a herniated disk...pre op I was told the same thing, by 6 months post op it shifted to the point it is now causing a CSF obstruction....we r beings that do not always follow the course in a medical book...and may stray...so regardless of what typically may happen it can also not happen.

  Trust me I was the first to be surprised by this...and do not want to see an orthopedist yet, but sometime soon may have to as a result of the disks.


U never know what an develop in 5 months...especially with chiari....it all depends on u and how u take care of urself and what u r doing...
  "selma"

[jenniferk86]

my herniated disc was in c5-c6, the others in the lumbar area, were only slightly thinned and bulging, but not herniated or causing anything is what the doc said and the report said nothing about them. and that was 5 months ago... i since have been in physical therapy for that and it should have gotten better and from what i read herniated discs usually resolve themselves... so that shouldnt be the cause of my pain... I am pretty sure my pain in both of my legs isn't disc related, but I wasn't sure if it could be related to the chiari or something new that could have happened in 5 months.

[selmaS]

  This could be from ur bulging disks....and stress...ur surgery is coming up fast and  u have a lot on ur plate...try to relax and let ur Drs know when u go in for ur pre op visit.

"selma"