How do you treat chiari malformation?

Surgery or nothing: These are treated with surgery on the base of the skull and sometimes the dura covering the brain and/or the upper cervical vertebrae. Each surgery is tailored to the individual depending on their symptoms and severity of the chiari malformation. The alternative for many chiari malformations is no surgery and no treatment. Many people require no intervention at all.

Don't: The most common chiari malformations are type 1, which are incidental findings on a ct or MRI during the workup for a headache. In these the cerebellar tonsils at the base of the brain lie low and slip through the hole at the base of the skull. Symptoms can include headache, numbness or ataxia (unsteadiness). Most chiari 1s do not need to be treated. Headaches should be treated symptomatically.