Treatment Of Nerve Injuries

Peripheral nerves are string-like structures responsible for sending messages to and from your brain and spinal cord, and also the rest of your body, facilitating actions such as having a temperature sense, as well as muscular movements contractions, and relaxations, and enabling you to walk. However, the nerves and surrounding structures are quite fragile, and are prone to easy damage, especially in children, but also common in adults.

A nerve injury just as simple as it sounds is an injury to the nerves from some different causes, and which could have both local effects or widespread injury to the whole body.

Such damage to the peripheral nerves in the body is called peripheral neuropathy and can affect your brain’s ability to communicate with your muscles and organs.

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What Are The Causes Of Nerve Injuries?

Nerves can be damaged in several ways such as highlighted below:

• Traumatic injury from an accident, a fall or sports can stretch, compress, crush or cut nerves.
• Conditions, such as diabetes, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Autoimmune diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogren’s syndrome.
• Narrowing of the arteries,
• Hormonal imbalances
• Tumors.

What Are The Symptoms Seen When A Nerve Is injured?

Symptoms seen are often dependent on which nerve fibers are affected:

Motor nerves. They regulate all the muscles under conscious control, such as walking and talking. Symptoms seen when these nerves are damaged include muscle weakness, painful cramps, and uncontrollable muscle twitching.

Sensory nerves. These nerves relay information about touch, temperature, and pain, and hence you may experience a variety of symptoms including numbness or tingling in your hands or feet. You may have trouble sensing pain or changes in temperature, walking.

Autonomic nerves. These nerves regulate activities that are not controlled consciously, such as breathing, heart and thyroid function, and digesting food. Symptoms include excessive sweating, changes in blood pressure, the inability to tolerate heat, and gastrointestinal symptoms.

How Are Nerve Injuries Diagnosed?

You’d need to see a doctor who will have to arrange and order blood tests, especially to check for causes such as diabetes or vitamin B12 deficiency.

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Some of these tests include:

Nerve conduction test (NCS): Electrodes are placed on the skin to release tiny electric shocks which stimulating your nerves, with the speed and strength of the nerve signal measured.

Electromyography (EMG): A small needle is inserted through the skin and into your muscle to measure the electrical activity in your muscles.

Biopsy and scans: Here, a small sample of a peripheral nerve is removed from your body, such as around your ankle, and is then thereafter examined under a microscope, checking for changes that could signal certain types of peripheral neuropathy. Biopsies are usually rarely requested.

X-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans can also be requested in advanced cases.

Treatments Of Nerve Injuries.

For diabetes, control of your blood sugar level, cessation of smoking, and alcohol.

For the constant nerve pains, this can be treated with prescribed medicines called neuropathic pain agents, because the usual painkillers often do not work.

Braces or splints are devices that keep the affected areas in their proper position to improve muscle function.

Electrical stimulators activate muscles served by an injured nerve while the nerve regrows.

Physical therapy involves specific movements or exercises to keep your affected muscles and joints active, which will prevent stiffness and help restore function and feeling.

What Are The Complications Of Peripheral Neuropathy?

There’s the risk of developing potentially serious complications, such as a foot ulcer that becomes infected if the underlying cause of peripheral neuropathy is not treated, which can then lead to gangrene, and severe cases of gangrene may mean the foot has to be amputated. Nerve injuries affecting the control of the automatic functions of the heart and circulation system may require treatment to increase blood pressure or the use of a pacemaker in rare cases.