Here is a little history...
I was in a car accident 8.20.04 - 4 cars, I was stopped and they didn't. All cars were totalled except for mine. I was in a Dodge Durango with a tow hitch and when the car hit me at 35mph it just cracked the bumper.
Since then I have been in constant pain. I have heard the terms Fibromyalgia, dry disc (c4-5), slight herniation, and 'oh, it is psychosymatic'. I went to a doctor for the 'Independant Medical Examination' and he called me three weeks later and told me that I have been misdiagnosed. That I have Chiari Malformation with a 1.4cm herniation. He continued by telling me that my condition was life threatening. OK, I am 32 years old with three kids. This can't be true. After doing some research, I have found that it is not life threatening and he is just not too educated in Chiari.
Nonetheless, I went back to the radiologist that read my MRI back in 2005 and he told me that he could not have missed the Chiari, but looking at the films again he saw it... he measured the herniation to be 9-10mm (Although on his report adendum he wrote 5-7mm).
I have constant pain in my low neck and BURNING :blob_fire to the right or left side. The shooting pain down my arms happen ocassionally.
After my accident I quit my job partially due to the pain in May 05, but I had to go back to work full time last month... OMG can you say PAIN. This has been so miserable. I can bearly take it. Then when I get home I am of no use to my husband or kids. I HATE this.
I am tired all the time, but I always thought that was due to the pain meds I am on (Norco). I am just confused. I don't know what to do.
So, that is me.. in a nut shell.

LIke I've stated before. I have Chiari. They found it shortly after I got into a bike accident. the doctors told me that my Chiari saved my life (I was 22). However it ended up being something that also nearly killed me. Chiari can be a very dangerous disorder depending on what is going on with your body. For me i also had syringomyelia--a syrinx similar to a tumor on your spinal cord. It caused the spinal fluid to get caught up into itself and left a bunch more around my brian. That caused a lot of problems. ALl in all I had surgery but wasn't able to have to whole thing. I'm now 32 and a mother of 2. The doctors have told me that my crippilying problems will probably come back aroudn the time I hit 45. So I just take one day at a time and enjoy the time I have out of a wheelchair!
However, you really need to purposly find someone that knows about Chiari, many people will say they do, but many do not. However there are some nuerologists that know a lot about Chiari and even when you look up online you can find doctors in your area that know all about the disorder and treatments for it.
Godspeed.