One of the readers of my blog raised a great question. Her question and my answer follows.

Merely me

Thanks for this information. I have never experienced that before fortunately. I have heard that some folks who have MS may think that they have a pinched nerve at first.

Dear Merely me,

                               thank you for writing in. You raise an important point. Multiple sclerosis rarely may present with signs and symptoms of radiculopathy. This usually occurs when a MS plaque (MS demyelinating lesion) occurs at the root entry zone of a nerve. Let me explain that in more common language. If a plaque of MS happens to be where a nerve is starting off, it shall cause demyelination and present with signs and symptoms mimicking radiculopathy.

This though is not a common way with which MS presents and hence MS is not the first diagnosis which comes to a doctor’s mind when a patient presents with radiculopathy.

Personal Regards,

Nitin Sethi, MD