Tarlov Cysts: Teach the Teacher

When a cyst has been located on your spinal cord,  size, nerve compression and location will usually bring froward the question of  "are these cysts symptomatic or asymptomatic?" That decision can be made by determining if you present any, most of, or all of the following symptoms. Does the following list accurately explain any of the pain or complications you experience personally.


Symptoms of expanding/enlarging cysts occur due to compression of nerve roots that exit from the sacral area. Symptoms may include the following, dependent on the location of the cysts and the section of the spine they occur:

• Pain in lower back (particularly below the waist) and in buttocks, legs, and feet
  
• Pain in the chest, upper back, neck, arms and hands
  
• Weakness and/or cramping in legs and feet / arms and hands
  
• Parasthesias (abnormal sensations) in legs and feet or arms and hands, dependent on cyst locations
  
• Pain sitting or standing for even short periods of time
  
• Pain when sneezing or coughing
  
• Inability to empty the bladder or in extreme cases to urinate at all
  
• Bowel or bladder changes, including incontinence
  
• Swelling over the sacral (or cervical, thoracic, or lumbar) area of the spine
  
• Soreness, a feeling of pressure and tenderness over the sacrum and coccyx (tailbone), extending across the hip and into the thigh with cysts in the sacrum. Same feelings in upper sections of the spine dependent on cyst locations
  
• Headaches (due to the changes in the CSF pressure) and sometimes accompanied by blurred vision, pressure behind the eyes and optic nerve pressure causing papilledema (optic nerve swelling)
  
• Dizziness and feeling of loss of balance or equilibrium
  
• The feeling of sitting on a rock
  
• Pulling and burning sensation in coccyx (tailbone) area, especially when bending
  
• Sciatica
  
• Vaginal, rectal, pelvic and/or abdominal pain
  
  
  

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body and it originates at the S2, S3 level of the spinal column. It crosses the buttocks and extends down the leg into the foot. Sciatica is a syndrome that results in burning, tingling, numbness, stinging, electrical shock sensations in the lower back, buttocks, thigh, and pain down the leg and foot. Severe sciatica may also result in weakness of the leg and foot.

**Symptoms list Copied and provided by the Tarlov Cyst Disease Foundation. Link to the Foundation can be found in the link lists to the left of this blog page.**

Some of the issues I have personally faced include:

• repeated urine infections
• blood in the urine
• urinary stasis in both kidneys, marked more on the right than left kidney.
• urinary reflux
• bowel or bladder changes, including incontinence and loss of feeling
• pain in lower back (particularly below the waist) and in buttocks, legs, and feet
  
• pain in the chest, upper back, neck, arms and hands
  
• weakness and/or cramping in legs and feet / arms and hands
  
• soreness, a feeling of pressure and tenderness over the sacrum and coccyx (tailbone), extending across the hip and into the thigh with cysts in the sacrum. Same feelings in upper sections of the spine dependent on cyst locations
• headaches (due to the changes in the CSF pressure) and sometimes accompanied by blurred vision, pressure behind the eyes and optic nerve pressure causing papilledema (optic nerve swelling)
  
• dizziness and feeling of loss of balance or equilibrium
  
• the feeling of sitting on a rock
  
• pulling and burning sensation in coccyx (tailbone) area, especially when bending
  
• Sciatica
  
• vaginal, rectal, pelvic and/or abdominal pain 
  
  
  I'm sure you can see that when the symptom list is compared to my personal list the similarities are quite obvious.
  
  
  Review the symptom list and compare your pain or personal experiences to that list to help with determining if your cysts are indeed symptomatic. Be as honest as you can to ensure accuracy and that your claims can be scientifically supported by the specific location, size and the afflicted and compressed, nerve roots. 
  
  
  This experience could provide you with legitimate knowledge, and allow you to explain in plain English when describing your issues, and your beliefs to your physician. Although Tarlov Cysts are typically deemed to be asymptomatic, science cannot be ignored in the face of accurate and scientifically sound information.
  
  
  Sometimes we, the patient, have to be the teacher. To be a teacher you must be informed.