Effects and the Treatment of the Chiari Malformation - Essay Example

Effects and the Treatment of the Chiari Malformation

What I Already and what I wanted to know

We had to go to the hospital because my brother had fallen sick and could not move. On my shock, the doctor said,” He has Chiari Malformation disease." I could not believe what I was hearing, and I thought my brother was being lazy in doing his duties because of his changed behavior of oversleeping. While listening to the doctor's explanation of my brother's condition, questions roamed in my head. My brother is still young how can he develop such a severe condition which will limit him to do his activities? Is the disease severe that it will affect my brother’s daily activities? Is there any medical or physical therapies that can be used to treat the condition.

I had little information about the condition which I had learned from school. I knew the disease affected the brain and the spinal code and was as a result of deficits in their structure. I had limited information about the disease. Hence I needed to have more information about the condition. I wished to know the best and effective treatment methods for the disease.

Furthermore, I wished to know the adverse effects of the disease and how we can help him reduce the results of the disease. How was my brother going to survive with the disease?, hence I made a list of things I needed to know about the condition. With the listed items, I was able to come up with a research question: how can we best help my brother do his daily activities? Later I was able to find the information and answer my question.

Cause of the research

It took me around one month researching the disease. First, I started reading the A.D.A.M medical encyclopedia, which provided me with the background information on Chiari Malformation diseases. The site provided the definition of the disease, causes of the condition, diagnosis, and the treatment of the disease. Furthermore, there were statistics of the information on the disease and the number of patients that are affected by the condition.

After that, I moved to the online sources narrowing down the topic to the most convenient way to find the desired results. For example, I had to trim down the problem to sound like the effects of Malformation, causes, and the diagnosis of the disease. I choose to use the Institute of neurological disorder and the stroke because the site had current updated information. Also, the Institute is specialized in the study of spinal and brain diseases like Chiari Malformation. 

From there, I approached Dr. Joseph, who was going to treat and monitor my brother's condition. I found him reliable for the information because he was an expert in treating the terms associated with the brain and spine. I requested him for an interview on my brother’s condition, which he accepted without questioning. He gave me information on the treatment procedures and how to take care of the patients suffering from the Chiari disease. He recommended that I should be closer to my younger sibling. To help him perform some certain physical activities.

After the interview, I moved back to the online and books looking for information about the disease. I took good use of both the school and the public library for research, using research knowledge acquired in the course schooling. Mostly, my research was based on the medical articles and the magazines because I believed they have current and accurate information on the disease, rather than books which might be outdated concerning the current trends of the disease. Though, they proved useful in giving historical information about the condition. After one month of research on the disease, I felt I had enough information that I needed to know about the disease. I could now answer most of the questions running through my mind about my brother's condition.

Research Results

Many brain and spine diseases affect human beings, which they have adverse effects on the healthy living of the patient. The diseases mostly affect brain functionality, which may lead to mental disorders and related diseases. Chiari Malformation is the condition that is associated with a lack of proper development of the brain and the spine structures creating a deficit. The situation worsens as the person grows older, affecting his physical movements and the activities. Therefore, the paper will assess the impacts of Chiari Malformation on the patients and the effective treatment method for the condition.

According to the Institute of the neurological disorders and stroke, Chiari Malformation, when left untreated, has serious long term effects on the patient, which are also associated with other diseases. Hence, early diagnosis is vital for reducing the impact of such associated conditions, including spinal curvature, tethered code syndrome, and hydrocephalus, which develops as a child grows (Institute of Neurological and Stroke).

It is advisable for people or parents who suspect their children's condition to seek medical assistance and early treatment. Mostly, the disease starts at an old age because the person is born with it. Furthermore, the associated diseases affect the spinal code, which disrupts the regular coordination of nerve system across the body, making the central envious system unable to control body function.

Many researchers have categorically considered the diseases a disability because of the impact it instills to the victims. The research shows that Chiari Malformation has a lot of adverse effects on the patients of the condition. It affects them physically, interrupting their daily life activities, even those with mild syndromes. These patients have deficits like walking, doing home chores, preparing food, and driving (Meeker et al.).

This part of the information gives the aspect that many researchers ignore while researching the disease. After knowing the physical effects of the disease on the victim, it easy to understand what it takes to help him carry on with his daily activities. For example, one can buy movement equipment’s like a wheelchair to aid in physical movement from one point to another.  

The surgical method is useful in the treatment of Chiari Malformation. The research was done on 700 patients who had the condition. They exhibited the following signs and the symptoms: Headache, neck pain, pyramidal signs, postural or gait instability, upper limb paresthesia, nystagmus, and gait/balance impairment (Giammatei et al.). The procedure was done to all patients who had not yet developed a syringomyelia condition, and the result was positive with no single death.

The surgical method is used to fill the structure's deficit to restore the functionality of the central nervous system. It only takes a short period before a person regains the strength to move normally around. Early discovery and treatment creates an advantage and makes it easy for the treatment of the disease because the surgical procedure was done to patients who had not yet developed syringomyelia condition, which is associated with long term effects of the Chiari Malformation.

What I learned

After long term research, I come to a conclusion that enabled me to develop a proper strategy on how we could help our brother go through the condition without a feeling of rejection. Because my mum and dad were always at work, I could plan for time to balance between my educations and be around for my younger sibling, helping him with his daily routine. Before going to school, I make sure I prepare food for him to eat later. And I will always be returning home anytime I get a chance because the school I studied was not that far from home. For outdoor activities, because he could participate in any game, I would take him out move him around to enjoy nature. From the research and the doctor's advice, we decided on surgery to treat my brother's condition. Furthermore, the process improved my research skills.

Work Cited

Institute of neurological disorder and stroke, "Chiari Malformation Fact Sheet." National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 13 Mar. 2020, www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/patient-caregiver-education/fact-sheets/chiari-malformation-fact-sheet

Giammattei, Lorenzo et al. "Long term outcome of surgical treatment of Chiari Malformation without syringomyelia." Journal of neurosurgical sciences, 10.23736/S0390-5616.17.04063-2. 4 Jul. 2017, doi:10.23736/S0390-5616.17.04063-2

Meeker, James, et al. "The impact of Chiari malformation on daily activities: A report from the national Conquer Chiari Patient Registry database." Disability and Health Journal, vol. 8, no. 4, Jan. 2015, PubMed. DOI: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2015.01.003. Accessed 18 July 2020.