Arnold-Chiari Malformation Support Group

I had some luck with using a tens unit to help with the pain. Ask your doctor I he perscribe one for you. I did not get the injection in my neck. The tens unit helped instead.

I have a tends unit but I can not use it because of my pacemaker. I had problems with tachycardia, most likely related to the CM and the meds slowed my rate down so much I now have a pacemaker.

Ok, couple of questions...waht is a tens unit? I had a post op bad accident and having thoratic problems and the Lyrica is not helping. I do regular bone scans but not sure if they are talking about the same kind. Is it a bone density? If so it only takes about 15 minutes. Non-invasive. I have osteoporosis (severe) and have to have these pretty frequently.

A TENS unit is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator. It sends electrical impulses that are supposed to block nerve pain. The impulses are very mild.

I tried it a few times, but after a few attempts, found it didn't help my headaches much. Hope that helps answer your question about what a TENS unit is.

I have thoracic pain as well it gets very bad . I use heat. If I cannot use a heating pad I get some of those back pain patches they sell in the store that put off heat. So I can still walk around if I need to .

Have you been tested for Tethered Cord?

My doctor told me if you have Chiari you should NOT have anything done to your spine...injections, spinal taps, etc. Each time you do that, you bring down the Chiari and make it worse.

What is the thoracic area? I was seeing a pain management doctor before my chiari was diagnosed and since it was finally diaganosed I was told the same - NO more injections! No spinal taps. All of which I had over the years. I am sticking with the chiari specialists. Most neurologists, nerosugeons and pain managemnt docotrs have never heard of chiari. That's why so many of us went undiagnosed for so many years. Make sure you are only taking advice from chiari specialists. One of the first things I had to get done was a bone scan, to make sure it was safe to have any kind of surgeries. TENS unit never helped me but I have no idea if it could hurt you. Good luck. Sorry that you are in pain. I have pain in my upper back that turned out to be unrelated to chiari. I have severely hernated discs from an accident. That's why I like the dr's I am seeing. They don't assume everything is related to chiari. They take the time to really examine their patients. I have presciption patches that work for moderate pain - lidocaine patches. Kind of like what the dentist gives you. makes your skin and muscles a little numb. You can ask for those. They are non-narcotic. THey work OK with muscle relaxers. And no stomach problems. =) Hope that helps.

NO NO NO INJECTIONS . THAT CAN REALLY MESS THINGS UP

I think the rule must be to first find out what is causing the pain - it is apparently common to have pain inbetween the shoulder blades/like a spasm which canbe severe. there have been some people with chiari and other conditions where they have also had suspected fibromyalgia and so this might be another cause. my oesteopath (who has put me back together so many times!) says that post decompression surgery it is common to have a coat hnager efect where the shoulder blades and neck muscles get really really tight - in the shape of a coat hanger cross your back in a sort of triang.e some exercises to do might help as well as deep tissue massage as well as other things like heat or Tens/TSE machine. oddly mine seems to be sporadic and comes and goes....hope this helps