How to Recognize a Nerve Injury and Your Best Options for Recovery
How to Recognize a Nerve Injury and Your Best Options for Recovery
You may be familiar with the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. It processes information to make key decisions about bodily functions. Outside of this system is the peripheral nervous system—a network of nerves that spans throughout your body. These nerves send signals that help you feel physical sensations, move your body, and control automatic functions like heart rate and breathing.
When these nerves become injured, it’s crucial to recognize the symptoms early so you can get prompt medical care.
“Time is of the essence, especially with injuries to the motor nerves,” says Robert Teixiera, MD, a hand and plastic surgeon at University of Utah Health. “After a nerve injury, a person has about 12 to 18 months to reestablish the nerve connection before the muscle becomes nonfunctional or non-recoverable. But ideally we like to address nerve injuries between three to six months after the injury.”
How Nerve Injuries Happen
Peripheral neuropathy—damage to the peripheral nerves—can be caused by:
- Physical trauma, including from sports or accidents
- Parsonage-Turner syndrome, also known as brachial neuritis
- Other surgeries
- A side effect of chemotherapy or radiation
- Tumors
- Vascular disorders
- Compartment syndrome
- Viral and bacterial infections, like shingles and Lyme disease
- Unmanaged diabetes and other metabolic conditions
- Autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Guillain-Barré syndrome
What a Nerve Injury Feels Like
Symptoms vary based on the type of nerve affected and the severity of injury. If you experience the following symptoms, see your doctor as soon as possible:
Injury to Sensory Nerves (controls sensations)
- Numbness and tingling in the body’s extremities
- A burning or shooting pain
- Loss of sensation, including inability to feel heat or cold
Injury to Motor Nerves (controls voluntary movements)
- Muscle weakness or shrinkage
- Twitching
- Cramps
- Loss of coordination
Treating a Nerve Injury
At your first appointment, your doctor will pinpoint the cause and severity of the nerve injury. They will assess muscle strength and your ability to feel sensations. Imaging scans, such as CT scans, MRI scans, or an EMG, can provide a clear view of the injury. If the nerve damage is caused by an infection or an autoimmune disorder, blood tests or referrals to specialists may follow.
Non-Surgical Treatments
Some nerve injuries are minor enough that they can be treated with physical therapy and pain management.
“If we think the nerve will recover without surgery, oftentimes the treatment is making sure their pain is controlled,” Teixiera says. “We may refer patients to a pain management specialist, but we want to make sure they are getting rehabilitated properly. A physical therapist can help the patient stimulate that nerve sensation, as well as keep the joints of the affected extremity nimble.”
Surgical Treatment
For severe or destroyed nerve damage, surgery can often be the best option for optimizing function. If the nerve injury is causing severe pain, a limited range of motion, or a loss of sensation, talk to your provider about the possibility of peripheral nerve surgery.
University of Utah Health uses a multidisciplinary approach to nerve repair surgery, bringing together an expert team of:
- Neurologists
- Neurosurgeons
- Orthopedic surgeons
- Plastic and reconstructive surgeons
- Rehabilitation providers
“We’re really fortunate to have a multidisciplinary peripheral nerve clinic here at the U,” Teixiera says. “We have different eyes from different perspectives looking at a nerve injury patient to help determine the cause of the injury and the best treatment.”
Surgeons at U of U Health use minimally invasive techniques to help patients recover quickly and with less pain.
Types of peripheral nerve surgeries at U of U Health:
- Decompression: Relieves pressure on nerves that may be compressed by nearby tendons, ligaments, or bones.
- Reconstruction: Repairs nerves that are damaged or disconnected by using grafts or transferring a redundant nerve from another part of the extremity.
- Tumor removal: Surgically removing a tumor that is growing on or near peripheral nerves can relieve pain and other symptoms.
- Nerve stimulator surgery: Electrodes are placed near the injured nerve that can help block pain.
- Trimming nerves: Reduces or stops pain signals to an area.
If you think you may have a nerve injury, don’t wait to get care. The experts at University of Utah Health can help you recover with personalized treatment plans so you can live pain-free.
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