Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Syringomyelia
Syringomyelia is a rare disorder that causes a cyst to form in your spinal cord. This cyst, called a syrinx, gets bigger and longer over time, destroying part of the spinal cord. Damage to the spinal cord from the syrinx can cause symptoms such as :
- Pain and weakness in the back, shoulders, arms or legs
- Headaches
- Inability to feel hot or cold
Symptoms vary according to the size and location of the syrinx. They often begin in early adulthood.
Syringomyelia usually results from a skull abnormality called a Chiari I malformation. A tumor, meningitis or physical trauma can also cause it. Surgery is the main treatment. Some people also need to have the syrinx drained. Medicines can help ease pain. In some cases, there are no symptoms, so you may not need treatment.
It sits within Brain and Nerves.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Syringomyelia
19 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Abnormality of the Central Canal of the Spinal Cord in Syringomyelia in a Patient With a Basal Skull MalformationUniversity Hospital, Bordeaux
- Extracellular Vesicles for the Treatment of SyringomyeliaXuanwu Hospital, Beijing
- Subarachnoid-Subarachnoid (S-S) Bypass Versus Adhesion Lysis in Spinal Arachnoiditis and SyringomyeliaXuanwu Hospital, Beijing
- The Therapeutic Effect of Betaine in SyringomyeliaXuanwu Hospital, Beijing
- The Therapeutic Effect of Thalidomide in SyringomyeliaXuanwu Hospital, Beijing
- Development of a Patient-reported Outcome Measure for Chiari Malformation and SyringomyeliaAssistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
Research already completed
- Genetic Analysis of the Chiari I MalformationNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
- A Prospective Natural History Study of Patients With SyringomyeliaNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
- Identification of Genetic Mutations Involved in Chiari Type I MalformationsAssistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
- PFDD Versus PFDRT in Chiari Decompression SurgeryXuanwu Hospital, Beijing
- Posterior Fossa Decompression With or Without Duraplasty for Chiari Type I Malformation With SyringomyeliaWashington University School of Medicine
- Investigation of the Effects of Exercise on Patients With Chiari MalformationHacettepe University
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Learn More
- Coping with Chiari and SyringomyeliaAmerican Syringomyelia & Chiari Alliance Project
- Exercise Concepts for Individuals with SyringomyeliaAmerican Syringomyelia & Chiari Alliance Project
- Lumbar MRI scanMedical Encyclopedia
- SyringomyeliaMedical Encyclopedia
- SyringomyeliaNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- SyringomyeliaMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Syrinx of the Spinal Cord or Brain StemMerck & Co., Inc.
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: SyringomyeliaNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Syringomyelia. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Syringomyelia, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.