What causes a left side spasm and vision disturbance?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am the mother of a 15-year-old girl who was adopted. She has no family history and no medical history. She started experiencing back pain in her lower central back. The pain felt like sharp jabs at sometimes and dull at others. This pain progressed to the hips and shooting pains down both legs. She was seen by her regular pediatrician who sent her to get an x-ray of her lumbar spine. The test was clear. Her doctor recommended physical therapy. After starting physical therapy she was sent to a podiatrist to see if her flat feet were the problem. They were determined not to be. She has now been doing physical therapy for about three weeks and nothing seems to help.

She recently experienced an episode where she was sitting, reading in class when all of a sudden her whole left side jabbed and got spasmed. She felt the pain the whole afternoon as it felt like all her muscles were pulled. She also experienced sudden vision deterioration and has just gotten glass for that. Could you please tell us what you think this could be?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I had gone through all the data that you have posted. I can understand your concern being a mother of 15-year-old and facing all this. I will try to help in my way.

The first thing is complete detailed neurological examination is very important in this case. Due to the presence of a back problem with sensory symptoms for some time and sudden vision deterioration goes in favor of multiple sclerosis (MS). If the clinical examination reveals some abnormalities kindly go-ahead for MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) spine along with the brain.

In MS it is common to have such episodes and more on extending the neck and weakness if any may worse with bath in hot water. Other possibilities include dyselectrolytemia, sciatica.

So, kindly consult a neurologist for a detailed neurological examination and discuss possibilities with him and let him decide on further evaluation.