Karen
My son was diagnosed with Arnold Chiari malformation when he was an infant. As a kindergartener ha began having headaches, so we went back to the neurosurgeon he had seen as an infant. Initial treatment was for migraines but was unsuccessful. After several different MRI's, he underwent a suboccipital decompression surgery to relieve the pressure on the brainstem. While he did NOT have the syrinx, the surgery has completely allieviated the headaches and he is now able to run and play with no restrictions - even soccer. My advice is to seek a neurosurgeon who has done a lot of these cases. Often this will be a pediatric specialist, although in our case the doctor also operates on adults if necessary. We traveled 2 hours to the Children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio for the surgery and I don't regret it a bit. You may want to start by checking out childrens' hospitals in your area. Don't wait for the symptoms to get worse. Best of luck to you!!