What is a Chiari Type 1 malformation?

Imagine, you wake up one day with persistent headaches centered at the base of your skull. Over time, the symptoms progress to neck discomfort, dizziness, numbness, balance issues and difficulty swallowing. These symptoms may seem random and even unrelated at first, but could they share one underlying cause? One possible explanation is Chiari malformation type 1 (CM1). This condition occurs when the cerebellar tonsils fall downward towards the foramen magnum which often results in the disruption of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow and nearby neurological structures.  Diagnosing this condition begins with a neurological examination to attempt to find possible abnormalities in sensation, coordination, cranial nerve function, etc. If CM1 is suspected as the root cause for these symptoms, an MRI can be utilized to evaluate the craniocervical junction and determine whether cerebellar tonsillar displacement or abnormal CSF flow is present. Nonetheless, the presence of CM1 on imaging do...