Hello. I was diagnosed worth a small syrinx without chiari in my neck at C6 through C7 right where all my pain is. Before the mri I suffered from numbing my right arm and hand and severe headaches at the base of my skull, also of course neck pain. It only got worse despite therapy. Ten months later my doctor still insist it s my muscle. Does it take longer than ten months for a muscle to heal? And does the pain often get worse? My doctor is not a specialist with syringomyelia as few only are. He is also 86 y.o. I m concerned I m being treated incorrectly. Thank you.
HI, Small spring in the neck is managed conservatively and with serial MRI. In your case pain has increased, so I advise you to repeat MRI of brain and whole spine screening to see the cause and increase in size of spring. Treatment will be decided on MRI reports. Surgery is not always recommended for syringomyelia patients. For many patients, the main treatment is analgesia. Medications to combat any neuropathic pain symptoms such as shooting and stabbing pains (e.g. gabapentin or pregabalin) would be first-line choices. Thanks