the head down the spine. It’s
thought to be due to an electrical
short in the sensory fibers in
the neck. Dr. Bowen described
it like “a cell phone on vibrate.
It may last for a moment and
then it is gone. It’s important
to report it because only a few
diseases cause Lhermitte’s and it
may help with diagnosing MS.”
He emphasized, “Lhermitte’s
doesn’t cause damage. Rather, it’s
a signal that damage has already
occurred.”
Numbness and tingling
can also aggravate other MS
symptoms, such as fatigue.
“Sensory phenomena are often
worse at night,” Dr. Bowen
pointed out. “They happen right
when you’re trying to sleep or
relax, so you don’t sleep well.
That contributes to not feeling
well.”
Describing the problem
For people with MS, it’s not
always easy to describe clearly
what’s going on when they
experience numbness and
tingling. The sensations can
sometimes be mistaken for other
symptoms, such as weakness.
ALL ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRIAN STAUFFER
“I spend a lot of time asking
my patients what they mean,”
said Dr. Bowen. “If they say
they have numbness, I ask: How
does it affect you? They might
mean their legs are weak or their
coordination is off. If someone
tells me her legs give out after
she walks a block, I know that’s
not a sensory issue, but a motor
issue.”
