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whats considered chiari malformation

I was told by my doctor that I have what she believes low lying cerebellar tonsils and it was at 4mm,shes referred me to a neurologist which I seen in a week.... I've read on some websites that Chiari was anything 3mm and more, and some websites I've read where it was 5mm or more... I was in a car wreck where I suffered head trauma and that was 9 years and for the past 2 years I've had horrible headaches, memory problems, so I was wondering if what I have is considered Chiari Malformation
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620923 tn?1452915648
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

Chiari is not the herniation, BUT many Drs use that to determine the diagnosis....Chiari is the malformation of the skull which causes a herniation to form.
Low lying tonsils can occur due to a blunt force trauma to the head or neck ....it is not due to a malformation of the skull. HOWEVER the symptoms and many times the treatment for this is the same as it is for Chiari.

Do you have copies of your MRI?
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I’ll have to get the copy of my mri from my doctor, but I have another question, in Illinois to get medical marijuana you have to have one of the debilitating conditions and Chiari is on the list, would mine be in the category of Chiari ? Every time I reach low lying tonsils it says it’s the same as Chiari
The reason it is classified the same as Chiari is because the symptoms are the same and many times they have to surgically treat it the same as Chiari. But it is possible for the tonsils to retract on their own with low lying tonsils BUT not with Chiari.

I have no idea if for the medical MJ they would consider it the same....most likely if the Drs are saying they are the same....but there is always a but, sometimes those in charge with medicines and even disability do not always agree with the Drs.

So keep an open mind and hope for the best......if your state is one that you can get medical MJ, then you may want to get Hemp oil as it is very effective for pain relief.
thanks !
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