MRI of the Cervical Spine?

[TonyaKY332]

Hi everyone! I posted once before about symptoms and tests. I have not been diagnosed with Chiari yet. I saw a NS last week and he is sending me in for an MRI- Cervical Spine. I had an MRI of my brain and he said that nothing abnormal shows up. He went on to say that Chiari sometimes does not show up on a MRI of the brain because it is at the base. Is this true? I also going to do an MRA of the brain. I just want to make sure that this correct. It seems that you guys know a lot more about chiari than the doctors! =) Thanks!!

[*Stormy*]

Well..in my case I was barely walking...but most dr's look more at how the symptoms are affecting the persons quality of life too. You may be able to see and walk but if you are in excruciating pain every day of your life..I think most will take that into account too. Like Selma said...many of us are stable for a long while and then something triggers it and the symptoms steady progress..so it is something that needs to be watched. Even then, it is still the patients choice in the long run..but when my NS said that it would keep progressing...it was a no brainer for me!

Good luck with the MRI!!

Carolyn

[selmaS]

Well ur NL was speaking with out info...almost all of us were born with our chiari and over our life time may have had symptoms that were explained away bcuz they cycle.....as we grow older our bodies change and we can have more symptoms triggered from that or from an accident, a fall, or a sneeze.....

Too many drs feel this is not something that needs to be addressed...they r sooooooo wrong.

The surgery is and should be a last option and only if u have CSF blockage overcrowding and no quality of life  bcuz of this.....so he is halfway looking in the right direction, but not all there.

"selma'

[TonyaKY332]

He is not a chiari specialist, although has treated quite a few other patients with chiari. When calling to make the appt we asked for someone who had experience with chiari malformation and they gave me this doctor. He did seem to have quite a bit of knowledge about it. It was very refreshing, since my neurologist told me "well you could have it (chiari) but you were probably born with it, there is nothing that we can do and I would treat it with the same meds that I am treating your migraines with." I then asked him about surgery. He said "only people who are losing their eye sight and can barely walk have surgery."

[selmaS]

I have to agree whatever treatment that is, it doesn't sound like u should continue until u know what is wrong with ur neck/head......

Is this dr a chiari specialist?...sounds like he may have some knowledge on it....

"selma"

[TonyaKY332]

Thanks Carolyn so much for the info. Again, it is so nice to know that I am not wasting more money/time/energy.

I think that I am going to call and cancel the other appts that I have for treatment. It was really bad for me.

Thank you!!!

[*Stormy*]

Hi!!

I had both sections done at the same time...and the Chiari showed up much clearer on the cevical pics..so you are heading the right direction!! Even so mine was still missed until I saw my NS...

If you do have Chiari...that really doesn't sound like a good treatment b/c it sounds like it is putting a lot of strain on your neck. I would maybe hold off until you get the MRI results.

Good luck!
Carolyn

[TonyaKY332]

Good to know. I am so tired of spending money on tests that I don't really need. I asked the doctor about CINE MRI and he said that we would not do that unless something shows up on the other MRI.

Vertigo is terrible. The doctor did a treatment (held my head over a table barely supporting my neck with their hand and put this headphone looking thing on my head...kinda weird). I have three other appts scheduled for the same treatment, but I am not sure that I am going to go back. It hurt my neck so bad (swollen, lots of pain, neck brace). It was terrible! If I do in fact have Chiari I am not not so sure that this treatment is good for me.

Thank you!!

[selmaS]

Oh most deff...most chiari drs will want to see a MRI of the brain w/wo contrast, a cervical spine MRI and one each of the thoracic and lumbar spine....and last but not least the CINE MRI....to check for a CSF blockage.

Yes, the vertigo in many forms is a chiari issue....not a fun symptoms to deal with.

To be nervous is normal....and it feels great to finally know what is going on, but it will lead to other questions and things to consider.

Good luck with the cervical MRI!

"selma"

[TonyaKY332]

Thanks for the response.

They were looking for a brain tumor when I originally did the MRI of the brain.

Perfect. It sounds like I am getting the right test then. I just wanted to make sure that I did in fact need the cervical spine MRI.

I am getting really nervous, although I feel like I am finnally going to know what is going on with me.

This has nothing to do with my original questions- I went to audiologist 2 weeks ago and was diagnosed with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. I think that this is a symptom of Chiari. Right?

[selmaS]

Hi Tonya,

It may be possible to miss the Chiari depending on the angel and slices they had the MRI set for....do u know what they were looking for?

If this time they r looking for chiari they should not miss it....mine showed in my cervical spine MRI and prompted for a brain MRI.....

"selma"