I was wondering if any of you have experienced lower back pain associated with your Chiari? I know the neck pain and headaches go along with it but I am experiencing lower back pain as well that could very well not be related but I wasn't sure. I read that your doctor would probably order a full spine MRI after diagnosis of CM but when I asked the neurologist about this they said I should ask my primary Dr to order it because "she saw me initially for headaches not back pain!" I am starting to feel put off like so many of you have reported feeling :(
Yes I do have back pain. You might have a tethered cord. I do not but when I brought up my back pain to the doctor they said that i might have one because it comes along with chiari. I got an MRI of my lower back and I do not have it but u might!
Hi Sherry,
Sorry to hear that you are experiencing this in the lower back as well. I don't have Chiari, I'm just a temporary helping hand here, but can most certainly relate to the back pain, and can tell you that they will seldom do a full spine MRI at one time. My Rheum said the Insurance Companies will only cover so many segments at one time, so you may want to follow their lead and avoid huge co-pays.
I hope that you can get with your GP and get some solid answers and relief.
Wishing you well,
SK
I have back pain to. My dr said it was due to bulging and protruding disc. If I vacuum I am in pain for over a week. The occurrences of this happen more since I was diagnosed last year.
Hi Hope,
I can certainly relate to vacuuming, that and sweeping, mopping, shoveling, and any like motions can really put a hurt on me! Riding in the car is excruciating, and I love to go running around. I have those kind of disc problems too, it's no fun!
Most of the time my grand kids do my floors, and I pay them for it. They want the money, and I need the help, so most of the time it works out! My granddaughter's husband just washed down the kitchen for me last weekend! That was really quite wonderful to accomplish! The spring house cleaning has begun!
I hope you can find someone to help you get your floors done, Hope. Your back will thank you and them every single time!
I have suffered extreme back pain on the left side for the past 3 years. The doctors just look at me and shrug and say they don’t know what is causing it. While I was in a doctor’s waiting room on Tuesday, I was in so much pain that I felt I would pass out. The doctor was baffled. I feel that there is an issue with my left kidney. I have had kidney stones in the past but a recent CT scan did not show anything. If anyone knows what is causing this pain, please let me know.
Hi Katmatsu, I’m not a Dr, but have they done X-rays or MRIs of your SI joints, they are in the general area. That is my primary problem area and that pain is tremendous. There is also such a thing as referred pain. The SI joint pain can light up my sacrum and/or hip area. My problems are from injury and genetic autoimmune arthritis. I have the type of psoriatic arthritis (spondylitis) that targets the spine. Last three neurosurgeons told me surgery would only ever make me worse. I see that some of the CM payltients here have been told the same, so I have great empathy.
What kind of Drs have you seen?
SK said:
Hi Katmatsu, I'm not a Dr, but have they done X-rays or MRIs of your SI joints, they are in the general area. That is my primary problem area and that pain is tremendous. There is also such a thing as referred pain. The SI joint pain can light up my sacrum and/or hip area. My problems are from injury and genetic autoimmune arthritis. I have the type of psoriatic arthritis (spondylitis) that targets the spine. Last three neurosurgeons told me surgery would only ever make me worse. I see that some of the CM payltients here have been told the same, so I have great empathy.
What kind of Drs have you seen?
Hi
Thanks for your reply. I had a MRI about 2 years ago, but again nothing showed up. I still feel that there has to be something to cause this pain. The neurologist I was seeing always says. “At your age” and seems to think because I’m older, that I should just say it’s age and shut up. I wonder if there is something wrong with my kidneys. One of my tests showed that there was an issue with the left kidney, but nothing serious they said.
I will continue to press for answers. I’m also seeing an urologist because I have constant UTIs. He is baffled about the pain. I asked him if he felt that it could be related to Chiari and he said “I don’t know.”
I will explore what you suggested. I do have arthritis, CRPS, osteoporis and fibromyalgia.
Thanks again for your help
SK said:
Hi Katmatsu, I’m not a Dr, but have they done X-rays or MRIs of your SI joints, they are in the general area. That is my primary problem area and that pain is tremendous. There is also such a thing as referred pain. The SI joint pain can light up my sacrum and/or hip area. My problems are from injury and genetic autoimmune arthritis. I have the type of psoriatic arthritis (spondylitis) that targets the spine. Last three neurosurgeons told me surgery would only ever make me worse. I see that some of the CM payltients here have been told the same, so I have great empathy.
What kind of Drs have you seen?
My dear Kamatsu, I know all about RSD/CRPS, my chiropractor still insists I have it, though my Rheumatollogist says no, my GP doesn't think so...I'm not a physician, but have read extensively on it, it's not a diagnosis to be taken lightly. All I can say and my DC can say is that I check every box...
Is this in a limb, the back or in another area? That surely cannot be age related, this is trauma related.
At the end of this article, they suggest the type of Doctor best suited to treat RSD/CRPS
http://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/patient/conditions/crps-rsd/...
Should you decide to seek out a specialist about this, I would first ask if he is an expert in this area.
I developed CRPS after breaking my ulna almost 6 years ago. It is a very painful thing. I had a variety of treatments, including nerve blocks, medications and katamin infusions (10) I wonder if the back pain I’m feeling is being made worse because of CRPS.
Because of the fracture, I developed contractures and have undergone 8 surgical procedures, including contracture releases, ulna Osteotomy, Darrach revision and so on. Have to go back again in the next little while. Everything was complicated because of the CRPS.
Have you had treatment? It would seem that by checking all the symptom boxes that further evaluation should be done.
I am going to continue pushing until I find out what is causing my back pain. I’m tired of being told “I don’t know”
Thanks for your info.
I know what you mean and I hope you get an answer soon and get relief!! I am just wondering if anyone on here has lower back pain that has been proven to be associated with the CM ? I really would like to have an MRI done on my lower back but I don’t know if I am wasting my time trying to find a doctor for the CM THAT WILL ORDER IT OR EVEN TREAT ME IF I CONTINUE TO PASS ON THE DECOMPRESSION SURGERY. I thought I understood that there could be a syrinx anywhere along the spine and also the possibility of tethered cord. I am not saying I have either of those things but thought the possibility would be enough to at least get me a test to diagnos the pain?