So I recently got diagnosed thanks to the navy always being overly cautious. I have a 6mm herniation and a herniated disc between c6&7. I have chronic torticollis…it happens at least twice a year and recently it’s been happening more often and with 15/10 pain. Headaches, dizziness, arm numbness and tingling feeling, pressure, trouble swallowing, etc. I feel like my symptoms aren’t that bad compared to some but at the same time I feel like they might be bad enough for surgery… And that is terrifying. I still have to meet with the surgeon and the neurologist but I’m open to hear all experiences and suggestions. I’m bound by tricare to see certain physicians but if anyone has an idea of some around the Charleston SC area I’d be interested in that as well! Thanks for the support. My husband and I still don’t really know how to react.
Hi, Britany, any updates? Here is the search for members from SC, if you would like to connect with some of them: http://www.chiarisupport.org/profiles/members/?q=SC
Hi Britany. Just wanted to let you know that I'm praying for you. I have a herniated disc as well, I believe at c5/c6 & bulging discs right above it & below it. Plus an anular tear (which I believe is a tear in the disc) & retrolithesis. I definitely have the arm pain & tingling. To me, its comparable to being hit in the funny bone repeatedly. Its getting worse & I am losing strength in that arm/hand (left side). I also have chiati w/a 5 mm herniation, which was at the time of my decompression surgery in 2006. I'm not sure if that has worsened at all or not. I'm waiting to hear from my neuro-surgeon as we speak. My suggestion would be to make sure you see someone who deals in Chiari, because just being a neurologist and neuro-surgeon, does not a mean they know about Chiari. And don't wait too long for surgery cuz you don't want to end up w/permanent nerve damage. Good luck. Sending my thoughts & prayers your way.
Wow, I've heard it said there isn't anything much more painful than annular tears. My own experiece would confirm that. About all you can do is drink gallons of water and stretch hopng to get the csf moving. tougher with a chiari that is resticting flow, I would imagine. The good thing is once you power throgh the PT and get the muscle mass built up, you don't usually get repeat tears so long as you keep hydrated and in shape. Its been ten years since my last tear, but I remember it well enough, to keep motivated to keep my stretch routne up. I even did them twice a day when I had my bionic shoulder put in last year. The PT ordered me extra desert......
Are you the AD member? I am also in Charleston and AD Navy and was recently diagnosed with CM1 as well. I saw Dr. Patel at MUSC. I don't have severe symptoms at the moment so just living with the headaches and other minor symptoms...brain fog mostly. I also suffer from low back pain and have a flare up every 4 mos or so...sometimes farther apart than that though.
Have you gotten a referral yet for a NS? I was referred to a retinal specialist who then ordered the MRI and then referred me to Dr. Patel...Tricare approved all the referrals pretty quickly. I didn't care much for Dr. Patel's bedside manner...he was running over an hour behind the day I saw him and the appt felt like a wham bam thank you ma'am appt...I was given his card and his nurses card and told if things get worse to call him to discuss surgery...but I know I would need a new referral from the PCM at the clinic...so just dealing with minor symptoms at the moment.