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Medium syrinx

I was punched in the back by a student at work and have experienced terrible back problems since. Ive had numbness and tingling in arms and hands, stiff shoulders and upper back, headaches, loss of muscle tone and more. I have not been able to return to work from the pain and unknown. Workers comp has stopped paying me and refused an MRI for the past 3 months. Finally my insurance approved MRI and it was done, results show a medium sized syrinx on my C6. What is my next step? I have so much pain 24 hours a day idk what to do.
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620923 tn?1452915648

   A syrinx can sit at the same stage for a long period of time and if it changes it could be so slowly it is not noticeable....however, they can sometimes change so rapidly u can not help but notice all the changes.....

A syrinx develops many times as a result of a CSF obstruction but once formed continues to change the flow  or obstruct it as well.......

U will continue to have issues to get this accepted as a work related issue since a syrinx can be congenital....

Do keep me posted .
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Avatar universal
Yes, thank you for your input SelmaS. My doctor is trying to track down an old MRI that would show if it was there before or not. My doctor and I both believe that it was caused from the injury, if not it was triggered from the injury and now I suffer a great deal of pain. I have numb fingers also, luckily just 1 on each hand, but it doesnt make things easy. Does this every get better on its own? I cant see myself being able to return to normal if it doesn't get better.
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620923 tn?1452915648

  Hi...well a syrinx can form after an injury, but with WC u will have to prove it is not a congenital condition as a syrinx can also form from a malformation of the skull ....called Chiari Malformation, this malformation causes the cerebral tonsils to herniate and block CSF  flow...this causes the syrinx to form.

The condition of having a syrinx is also known as Syringomyelia.

Many times there is not much they can do for a syrinx as they tend to be too small for a shunt or stent....so, getting a brain MRI to see if ur syrinx was there and the injury just triggered symptoms to flare....

If u do have Chiari, they may suggest the decompression surgery to restore proper CSF flow in hopes the syrinx shrinks....

  U may do well to research Syringomyelia and Chiari to locate Drs more informed on them and to do more testing for u....See the Chiari forum here on MedHelp - http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/257?camp=msc
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