Nerve Issues

Overview

Symptoms

Treatments

Recovery

About Nerve injuries

Nerve injuries can occur when the nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body are damaged or disrupted. Nerves are delicate, and can be damaged by pressure, cutting, and stretching. Injury to a nerve can therefore stop signals to and from the brain, which can in turn cause muscles to stop working properly, and result in loss of feeling.

Nerves are covered by a ring of protective tissue called epineurrium. When damage is caused to this, surgery is often called for in order to put the epineurium back together and allow the nerve fibers find their way back to where they need to go.

If your never is severed and not fixed, often times the nerve fibers will form a painful nerve scar, called a neuroma. The disorganized growth of nerve fibers result in this large and painful bundle of nerves.

Symptoms

Nerve Injuries can cause a variety of symptoms including but not limited to:
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Pain

Pain can feel sharp, jabbing, throbbing, or burning. It can also feel like electric shock

Numbness or tingling

This can start gradually in the hands or feet and spread up the arms and legs.

Weakness

You might experience unexplained weakness or loss of muscle strength

Paralysis

If motor nerves are affected, you might be unable to move

Balance Issues

You may have trouble keeping your balance with your eyes closed or even walking

Types of Nerve Injuries

Nerve Tumors

These nerve tumors are abnormal masses that grow in the nerve sheath or support tissue of peripheral nerves. These tumors can be malignant or benign, with most of them being benign. There are a couple different types of nerve tumors including a Neurofibroma, Schwannoma, or a benign peripheral nerve tumor.

Neurofibroma: Usually a benign tumor that starts in the nerve sheath. These are caused by a mutation in the NF1 gene, and often appear as a soft, pea sized bump thats skin colored or fleshy.

Schwannoma: A non cancerous tumor that grows in the nervous system from Schwann cells. These tumors are rare and most typically occur on the cranial nerve.
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Head Nerve Injuries

Occipital Neuralgia: This occurs when the nerves that run through the scalp are damaged. This can cause severe headaches and are often felt in the upper neck, back of the head, or behind the ears.

Cranial Nerve damage: The cranial nerve can be damaged from any sort of head trauma. When superficial nerves that run closer to the surface of the head (facial nerves) are damaged, you may experience facial numbness, weakness, or droop.

Non-Surgical Treatments

Medications: 
Depending on your symptoms, medications such as pain relievers and muscle relaxants can be prescribed. 

Surgical Treatments

Nerve repair surgery is the most beneficial option for nerve injuries. Before surgery, Dr. Barbour will perform a physical and/or diagnostic evaluation to determine the best course of action.

Nerve Repair: The surgeon will reconnect the ends of the damaged nerve that has been cut. This is typically the best course of action when the nerves have a clean and direct cut.

Nerve Graft: Dr. Barbour will either take a healthy piece of nerve from another part of the body, or use a cadaver nerve. A cadaver nerve graft is a sterilized and processed piece of nerve from a cadaver that will be used in the reconstruction of the damaged nerve.

Recovery

Nerves grow with a rate of about 1 inch per month. Therefore, the degree of injury and the length the nerve is away from the muscle, will determine how long before full function is restored. The farther the nerve is away from the muscle, the longer the recovery will take. This distance that the nerve is from muscle is important because the nerve cannot provide correct function unless attached to a muscle.

Patients typically have significant relief immediately following surgery from pain, tingling, and burning.

You should expect to have limited mobility for a couple weeks-months following surgery. Physical therapy will play a key role in your healing, and will help you get back to eventual full strength and mobility.

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