I was diagnosed with Chiari a few years ago. I have had migraines since childhood and head and neck pain when I’m dealing with stress but its all been bareable. In the past year or so I have had tons of pain in my lower back and both of my hips. The pain is constant but the degree of pain changes. My pain management doctor thought it was bursitis but now she wants tests to rule out fibromyalgia. I have been to a neurologist and pain management and neither one ever says anything about my Chiari. My neurologist says that there is no need to do surgery and just told me to manage my migraines and stress. My pain management doctor just wants to give me injections in both my bursas and my SI joints for the lower back and hip pain but does nothing for my Chiari. I’ve had a total of 12 injections in a year and my pain as not gotten better. The only thing they have done for me is make me gain weight. I keep wondering if my hip and back pain can have something to do with my Chiari. Has anyone else had this issue or am I looking at yet another impossible diagnosis to deal with?
Further compounding health issues are no fun when they are added on top of Chiari symptoms. While I do not know your situation in detail, I have had my own share of back and hip pain. This is what I found out over the course of dealing with.
Chiari did and did not have a role to play in my lower half pain.
I have found really good physical therapist information on:
motor control exercises for the lumbar spine and hips
primitive reflexes (the nasty spinal gallant pulled my back into scoliosis)
dynamic posture
general fitness levels (walking if nothing else!)
trigger point release of the back, abdomen, and hips
There is a place for pain management, medication, and maybe the odd injection, but these are ultimately passive forms of treatment that do not get to the heart of biomechanical issues.
It is tough to find a good physical therapist as there are many questions to ask to see if they will actually be able to help you. As with any profession, there are good, bad, and not helpful physical therapists. Unfortunately, with the complexities of Chiari, we need a good physical therapist - more than just someone who is nice and listens to our complaints.
Hopefully you will be able to find the help that you need, as right now your teams seems to have run out of effective options. Read up on the cons of multiple corticosteroid injections. Good luck
Hi there! I am in a rush but I have to tell you that I have the exact history you have.
No one took my chiari seriously until I became paralyzed on my right side. ONLY SEE A NEUROSURGEON from here on. Neurologist do not have much knowledge on the Chiari. Again, everything you had I had. I will write to you tomorrow with helpful tips. Hang in there!
Regards, Carol
I’ve had pain in my lower back and hips for years now. I’ve been to PT for it but that didn’t help. It started out feeling a little “out” and now has me sometimes rolling out of bed in the morning. Mornings seem worse because I become stiff. I can sometimes not even dry my feet off out of shower. Sometimes when I bend over (IF I can) I will like “lock up” when I try to stand back up and that’s when the pain is the worst. I am constantly shifting and stretching trying to put something back. Chiropractor says I"m way out. He’ll put me back… I’ll get up off chair, walk around and sit back down… he checks and I’m already out. I don’t know if this has anything to do with the chiari but I can just feel it’s not just getting older or something. There’s a cause! I read something somewhere about chiari affecting the curve of the spine (spinal bifida or something) but not so sure if it was legitimate info. Just want you to know… I’ve been wondering the same thing since discovering chiari!
Thanks for your responses. . I went today for some mri’s. one on my left hip and one of the lumbar spine. . Hopefully they can get to the root of the issues i am having on my hips and back. . That would be wonderful. . Please pray for me. . I want whoever is reading my mri’s to find the issue so I can start getting the right treatment.
I was wondering if you could tell me more about what you experienced. . I just got my results back from my mri’s and my hip came back normal but my lumbar spine has 2 bulging disc’s? . I was wondering if that is similar to what you had plus the Chiari?
I’m starting to feel like my needle stuck in the "I’m having similar symptoms " position . I’ve had the worse lower back and now hip, thigh, leg, knee, ankle pain. All on right side. Before CM dx I was told had bulging dics. Couple years later, I think was, told by GP it was sciatic nerve pain. I didn’t discuss with Neurologist cause I didn’t think was related. In hindsight should have mentioned and let her rule out. Still don’t know what I was thinking. Anyway, as with all my symptoms,this lower back and leg pain has worsened over last year. I have difficulty staying in any position for too long. In the past chiropractic manipulation really help. That was before CM dx. I have since learned it is dangerous for Chiarians to have neck manipulations… Please post and updates.