Do you have prior mental traumas?

[Krttu]

Hi there all.
As these Chiari cases seem not to be anymore so rare, I have met many other suffering this condition. What came up, was that so many of chiari-sufferers I’ve met, had prior mental shock traumas. So I start to wonder is it a common thing and are these related?

[selmaS]

Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.
You are correct Chiari is not a rare condition, more have it then those DX with MS.....unfortunately it is not well known and is not fully taught in medical school, making finding Drs that are informed and experiennced with Chiari  more rare then the condition itself.
I am not sure what you mean by  "mental shock traumas" ? Can you explain?

[Krttu]

Hi and thank you, great channel.
Well, I was talking with many others, and it came up that many had ptsd type history, or similar: Lost of loved ones, familytrauma, job changes, and they were carrying trauma with them. So we started wondering, what if the changes are not secondary of chiari, but a prior? Brain tissue do have changes after traumas. What do I know, just came in my mind, and this seemed valid place to ask it. :) thanks!

[selmaS]

My thoughts are if anything since we have Chiari we may be more sensitive to traumas....and yes trauma's can trigger Chiari symptoms as I have been told...so, it can look like the trauma caused the Chiari...BUT Chiari  is a malformation of the skull which maes that area too small to contain the cerebral tonsils....which in turn makes them herniate....trauma's that are emotional can cause swelling, and in an area that is small or tight already, well you can imagine the results.
Our nerves are more sensitive as a result of the tight squeeze in there....everything is affected. Most of us never had any idea about having a condition until  after the symptoms worsen, but think back, you may be able to see that you had symptoms, but because since you always felt like that considered that a "normal" feeling or reaction. Example, I could not swing on a swing for long or get too high as my head would pound...I never understood why others seemed unaffected....so I pushed myself to swing....same thing for Merry GoRounds and other actvities...I hated gym class, as most physical exertion caused my head to hurt/pound.I am saying I can look back to grade school and see something was wrong....but the Drs at the time said it was growing pains....hmmmm I have three sisters none DX with "growing pains".In high school I tried to get answers for my headaches and was sent to a shrink who could only tell me, I didn't have a brain tumor, I wasn't going to die ,and what did I want to do after I graduated...all that from looking at me, NO testing was done....my answer to him was I wasn't going to waste my time talking to him......I wasn't DX'd unti I was 48.
Anyway that is my two cents.

[Krttu]

So interesting! I’m so glad I found this forum :) You have so much info, awesome.  Now another question came in my mind after your great response: How do you know, how is it shown that skulls are malformated (and chiari is caused by that).Specially, when there are so many spontaneous resolutions as well? With those cases, how is it diagnosed as a malformation, as they are ”healed” spontaneously and the skull looks just the same?

[selmaS]

A MRI will show if you have a Malformed skull and Chiari....low lying tonssils or cquired Chiari can be attributed to a blunt force traumaa to the back of the head and many times that type of issue can resolve on it's own as the tonsils may retract...HOWEVER, they do not always retract...case in point George Clooney hit his head in the filiming of Syriana and contemplated suicide, eventually having the decompression surgery......
So, it depends on if you have a congenital condition OR an acquired one.

[Krttu]

I have to read that Clooney case, how is he doing these days after so heavy surgery?

But do you know, is there somewhere pictures of ”normal” skull structure and also ”malformated” chiari skull to compare? I tried to find after this, but I couln’t? Can you tell the difference between different skull structural scientifically/is it explained to you when you see your MRI?

[selmaS]

Yes, there are pictures, just google them...you can see a "normal" skull and one with Chiari.....
My Drs showed me on my MRI and explained it to me.....
I am not sure how George is doing post op....obviosly better then prior.....same goes with Johhny Cash's daughter Rosanne,....she also had the surgery.....George's surgery does not indicate that it was Chiari surgery, but what they did surgically is similar to the decompression surgery and repair of the dura.....and the pain he experienced was also similar to what many with Chiari experience.

[Krttu]

Thanks. Still there is too many question marks, as I googled it is not so valid point that many cogenital chiari patients have small skull. There is so many views, so many spontaneous resolutions, that I would consider all other options too, and not to strict in one valid as solid truth.

[selmaS]

Most spontanious results are due to those having Acquired Chiari, and I know what you are saying about not finding much on line but that is due mostly inpart to it not being taught in med schools to the Drs, so you need to find Drs that are doing the research and have the experience and knowledge to share with you.....there are as  many Drs as lay people that have never heard of Chiari if not more....so many feel it does not affect us.....since we had it from birth, it is a incidential finding....
The most important thing is knowing EVERYTHING that you have going on....other coorbid conditions, and only then will you know the right path/treatment for you. We can not compare ourselves to others since they too may have other comorbitites that we do not.....or they do not have all that we have....so the journay will be different and how we treat it will be different.

[Krttu]

Well said! Mysterious are the ways :)