Treatment in Western Medicine:
Treatment for the problem will usually involve using a neurosurgeon and surgery is the only viable treatment for the condition. Surgery however will only be used if a patient has advanced to a point where it is needed and patients will not always get to this point. In such cases management techniques will be used in order to reduce damage and prevent the condition from progressing. This can involve physical therapy in order to help improve muscular function. However evaluation can sometimes be complicated due to the sometimes intermittent nature of the progress. Medication can also be used in order to treat back pain and neuropathic pain symptoms such as shooting or stabbing pain.

Should you go ahead with surgery this can result in stabilization of the condition and often modest improvement. However the location of the cyst and irreversible spinal damage can make surgery difficult or might require additional operations. There is a high risk associated with any spinal surgery. If a tumor is present then surgery can be used to remove this. Surgery will also involve the draining of the syrinx, and in some cases this will use a 'shunt' which is a catheter with drainage tubes and valves. This can then help to prevent the progression of the symptoms and relieve pain etc. However at the same time it further increases the risk of spinal cord injury as well as increasing the likelihood of infection, blockage and hemorrhaging.