Decompression Therapy for Chiari
You’ve been diagnosed with a Chiari malformation. Now what?
From what I’ve learned from others and personally experienced, the rest—in overly-simplified fashion—goes something like this:
Neurologist will offer prescriptions to manage your symptoms
Neurosurgeon will suggest decompression surgery
And that is only IF you’re taken seriously at all.
In 2016 with a highly symptomatic 18mm (now 20mm) Type 1 Chiari, I was a candidate for surgery. With the pain that I was in, I practically threw myself onto the operating table—until the neurosurgeon explained that the surgery might not help me at all. The vague prognosis of “a chance of some relief,” wasn’t enough to risk my brain and future complications. I decided there had to be another way.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and this none of what I share should be considered medical advice. This is a method that has greatly improved the quality of my own life. For anyone who isn’t ready to go under the knife, this might be an option to consider.
Three years after delving into all-things natural health to heal the Chiari myself, I discovered decompression therapy.
Decompression therapy (not surgery) is done with a chiropractor. My neurologist doesn’t see an issue with this therapy, but it’s not without risks. My experience with the treatment has been amazing, and the single most effective part of alleviating symptoms.
I started therapy in August of 2019 after being introduced to a progressive chiropractor who was interested in seeing if neck decompression could relieve Chiari symptoms by creating more space at the back of skull for fluids to flow more freely. He reviewed my MRI’s, tested my muscle strength—I was surprised to learn my neck was barely strong enough to hold my head in place—and put me on the decompression table.
The therapy consisted of lying on my back with my neck in a brace. The brace was attached to weights that were slowly added to pull and lengthen the vertebrae in my neck. 16 pounds was the highest we ever tried, before settling into the consistent weight of 15lbs per session. Each session lasted 20-25 min. It was painless, though my neck muscles were a little sore post treatment in the beginning.
I went 3x per week for several months, then tapered off to 1x per week for another few weeks. Now I have my own at-home traction/decompression device that I use for about 10 minutes twice per week.
The first thing I noticed after beginning therapy was that I could turn my head without pain or pressure for the first time in years. After a few weeks of therapy, I didn’t feel Chiari pain at all. Simple things that used to give me a headrush, like sitting up in bed in the morning, no longer affected me. For all intents and purposes, it was as close to living “Chiari free” as I have felt since the onset of the head pain back in 2014.
My primary complaint with the Chiari was debilitating head pain. Most days I am 100% pain free. It’s absolutely life changing. I haven’t noticed a marked difference in any of my secondary Chiari symptoms, though periods of increased pressure—like when I have a cold—ramp up all symptoms, and if I don’t decompress for a few weeks, the pain is easier to trigger.
If you are considering this therapy, here are some pointers:
Know your chiro. Very important. They should be well-versed in Chiari and have reviewed your MRI’s thoroughly. Your neck is nothing to gamble with!
Some insurance plans will cover this, at least temporarily. I am only allotted 12 sessions per year under insurance. I started at one chiro and paid 4K (woof) for 20 sessions since they didn’t take my insurance. I have since switched to another chiro who only charges $15 per decompression session atop a regular adjustment fee of $50. It pays to shop around. Also, I never, ever, ever get my neck manually adjusted by a chiro.
If it feels wrong to you, don’t do it! I had a great experience with pain alleviation, but no two Chiari’s are the same. You are your best advocate.
Decompression therapy is an incredible tool, but it’s only one piece of a much larger puzzle. To live (mostly) Chiari symptom free, I’ve also spent considerable time IMPROVING MY OVERALL HEALTH.