Chiari Symptom?

[travelingmind]

Hi everyone. I feel like I know you already as I've been reading these posts for a while.

I was diagnosed with CM a few weeks ago. Many of the problems I've experienced all of my life (headaches, neck pain, vertigo, arm pain, memory loss) I see now are a direct result of my CM.

I saw a neurosurgeon in VA who has experience with CM recommends surgery, however, I'm in-between jobs and need to work to provide for my family.

I'm having a few other symptoms that are really giving me problems. I have horrible foot pain and numbness in my arms. Can these be symptoms of CM?

[bean418]

Thank you.  I am going to a specialist in August who from what I hear is very well known for Chiari so I am hoping for the best at this appointment since I have seen countless doctors already.

Of course, others close to MD are great to know.  I was thinking Dr. Tew in Ohio until I read that he stopped performing surgery June 30th.

Thanks again.

[travelingmind]

The practice is called Virginia Neurosurgeons and specifically Dr Abraham Kader is who I saw. He was very knowledgable about Chiari. Good luck to you!

[bean418]

I am in MD as well.  Can you message me who you saw in VA.

[selmaS]

  That is a large percentage of relief and I am not sure I heard of anyone saying that to anyone else with this condition.

You should have related conditions ruled out to make sure they are not the reason for how you are feeling...Syringomyelia, tethered cord, ICP, POTS, sleep apnea, ehlers-danlos all should be ruled out as they can cause many of the same symptoms that Chiari causes.

[travelingmind]

I did see another pain management specialist and they performed a triple phase bone scan and said that I have reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) and they want me to have surgery to have a spinal cord stimulator surgically installed. I found out both of these conditions within a week of each other.

The neurosurgeon and my neurologist said that I had mild spina bifida as well as the CM. I don't know what else was ruled out but the neurosurgeon said that he was 90% certain that my symptoms would all get better after the surgery including the RSD.

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

I had issues with my feet and always thought it was the shoes I had on...and tried so many different things....my feet are better since I had surgery....


The numbness can be Chiari or a related issues with disks or a related condition like EDS....

May I ask why the Dr you saw feels surgery will help? And what other conditions were ruled out?