Help me find the right doctor, Please

My 17 year old son was diagnosed with Chiari I.  He has a very mild case, 7-8. He has played football since he was nine years old and now has been told he can no longer play.  He has a very real chance of getting his college paid for because of football.  I need to find a doctor that says it is ok to play and doesn't take the chicken way of protecting their liabilities.  We saw a doctor a Cleveland Clinic who said that he would probably never suffer an injury because of his Chiari, but couldn't sign off to let him play.  Any help that anyone could give me would be wonderful. Need answers asap, as football season is one week away. Thanks

[selmaS]

Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

I do not know of a chiari specialist that would sign off for ur son to play football...that doesn't mean there isn't one out there,BUT I personally would not go to a dr just bcuz he says what I want to hear....u want the truth...,u want ur son to remain safe.

I do not know what u mean by mild case 7-8...do u mean that his herniation is 7 to 8 mm?

If so, that is not the determining factor as to how chiari affects....u need to know if he has a CSF blockage and overcrowding....

We do have several football chiarians...some have gone back to play...and some have gone on to develop other related conditions....

Ur son does have to listen to his body and do what is best for him...many athletes do not and have issues resulting...he has something working against him already and should consider that when deciding what to do.

Good luck
"selma"