Not everyone with Chiari is in the same place. Where you are shapes what you need to know.

You were told there was a finding. Possibly in passing, possibly without much explanation. You were sent home with a radiology report you had to interpret yourself. You are not sure whether to be worried or to let it go. You are here because letting it go does not feel right.

Symptoms that don’t show up on standard tests and don’t fit familiar diagnoses don’t mean nothing is wrong. They may mean the right question hasn’t been asked yet.”

A diagnosis is a beginning, not an answer. What it means for you specifically — your symptoms, your imaging, your life — is a different question, and one worth asking properly.

Surgery for Chiari can be transformative. It can also be the wrong solution for the wrong patient at the wrong time. Making informed choices requires more than a website can provide, but it starts with knowing what your options are, and what Chiari surgery would be like if you needed it.

Not qualifying for Chiari surgery can create a sense of uncertainty. In that situation, you have easy access to practical resources for living well with Chiari, professional resources for finding the right specialist, and communities of people who know exactly what this feels like.