Conquer Chiari

The C & S Patient Education Foundation is a non-profit, voluntary organization whose mission is to improve the experiences and outcomes of Chiari and syringomyelia patients through education, awareness, and research. Their website is called Conquer Chiari. Arnold-Chiari malformation is a rare malformation of the brain that is sometimes, but not always, apparent at birth. It is characterized by abnormalities in the area where the brain and spinal cord meet that cause part of the cerebellum to protrude through the bottom of the skull (foramen magnum) into the spinal canal. Chiari malformations area a set of neurological conditions whose symptoms include severe headaches, neck pain, weakness and numbness in the limbs, balance problems, visual disturbances, and a host of other symptoms. Syringomyelia is a neurological disorder characterized by the formation of a fluid-filled cyst (syrinx) within the spinal cord. This cyst may, for unknown reasons, expand during adolescence or the young adult years, destroying the center of the spinal cord as it does.