L’hermitte’s Sign in MS - An electric shock-like sensation which radiates down the
back and into the legs when someone flexes their neck. This is a sign of nerve damage
which shows up when the neck is flexed and the nerve stretched.
Although associated with early multiple sclerosis, this symptom is not in itself
diagnostic.
Spinal cord induced pain can be excruciating. It often shoots down the spine (L’hermitte's
Sign) or to the limb that is involved due to spinal cord damage.
L'hermitte's sign may also be caused by radiation injury or as a side effect of radiotherapy
in the region of the neck.
Trauma to the cervical portion of the spinal cord, cervical cord tumour, cervical
spondylosis, even a vitamin B12 deficiency may cause nerve damage which results in
this symptom.
It is also experienced in people with a particular type of brain tumour - a meningioma
- in the base of the skull
