lhermittes sign - shocks down spine

[SunshineDaydreams]

I have been having cold shocks that run down my spine, sometimes stopping at my hip, more often continuing down my legs.

I have been trying to explain this to my neuro and keep telling me it's 'chills' - ????

I do not get these when I bend my head - I haven't isolated the move I'm making that causes it, but it is definitely a subtle head/neck movement. It is strong enough to wake me from sleep and almost always happens when i am lying down.

Is this lhermittes?

[MarkLavelle]

It sounds more orthopedic than neural, to me. Have you had it checked by a physiatrist or ortnbo?

[SunshineDaydreams]

I did have my GP examine and look into this - she's the one who came up with lhermittes - she said because they are slow moving/spreading - she felt nerve

[diggstech]

I don't think its lhermittes sign either. I had lhermittes initially, its a shock or tremor down the spine that you get when you flex your head down until your chin touches your chest. Interestingly I do not have it anymore, wonder if its because my spinal lesions are shrinking.

[22cyclist]

Lhermittes sign

lhermittes is when you get a shocking feeling or vibration down your spine when you bend your head and therefore your cervical spine down toward your chest, or bend your head back toward your back. It is that flexing motion that creates the lhermittes sign. The cause is an actual lesion in the cervical spine or brainstem.

A cervical spine, or brainstem lesion can cause this sensation to occur without bending one's head, but can always be brought about by bending one's head when the other is occurring. When the lesion is inactive, the person may not feel anything.

Good luck
Lisa
Moderation Team

[SNOOPY]

It doesn't sound like L'Hermittes.

Even if it's nerve related it would not be L'hermittes unless it's associated with bending your head down, would only last seconds and you can trigger it by yourself by bend ing your head down.

With L'Hermittes you can sit/stand, bend your head and have either electrical shocks or vibration/buzzing caused by L'Hermittes. If it only happens when you are lying down that also makes me believe it is not L'Hermittes.

[SNOOPY]

When the lesion is inactive, the person may not feel anything.

Oh heck! I wish someone would tell that to my inactive lesions. I have had this darn symptom (L'Hermittes) for 28 years

[ms382012]

Re: shocks

I have spinal stenosis and sometimes when my arthritis is flaring, I get sudden "bolts" of electric sensations going down my arms, legs, or both when I "pop" my neck. What you have described sounds more like pinched nerve to me.