What is Arnold Chiari Malformation? (Type 1)

Chiari Malformation Type I is where the cerebellar tonsils at the back of the brain descend or herniate below the base of the skull through the large opening called the Foramen Magnum into the spinal area. This results in compression of the brain stem, surrounding nerves and spinal cord, and blocks the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid throughout the skull. This in turn causes symptoms such as severe headaches, muscle weakness and general muscle pain and weakness amongst many other debilitating symptoms in sufferers. Fortunately, patients can be asymptomatic for many years. Due to the nature and number of symptoms, this can often be mis-diagnosed, and unfortunately often for years.

There are other types of Chiari Malformation, however, I only have personal experience of my own Type 1 variant.

Chiari is thought to affect 1 in 1000 people in the USA. No stats have been released for the UK, however if you transpose those figures tothe 6.14 million people in the UK, it suggests that there are 61400 cases in the UK currently either diagnosed or undiagnosed.

What is Syringomyelia?

Syringomyelia is a condition where a Syrinx (a fluid filled cyst) develops inside the spinal column. Patients can have more than one Syrinx, they can appear in any part of the spine and vary greatly in size. The Syrinx can enlarge over time causing the spinal cord to expand and stretch nerve tissue. The syrinx, if left can cause permanent nerve damage and maybe even lead to paralysis. They can arise as a result of Chiari malformation or can appear as a result of direct trauma.

Other links that you may find interesting:

Glossary of Terms
Chiari and Syringomyelia Symptoms
How I explained it to my young kids
Chiari Forum in the UK