Overview
Nerve injuries can be complex – to understand them fully it is important to understand the anatomy of nerves: Nerves are the body’s communication wiring system that transmit messages between the brain and the rest of the body. Groups of nerves convey messages from the brain to muscles to make the body move. Other bundles of nerves carry messages (or signals) about a factor of pressure, pain, or temperature from the body to the brain. Numerous tiny fibers are bundled within each nerve to transmit each message. There is an external layer that insulates and protects nerves from damage.
Symptoms
The symptoms of a nerve injury can be diverse based upon the nerve damaged, the kind of injury, and the severity of the nerve injury. A few symptoms may include:
Numbness: Certain nerves only communicate sensation, so a nerve injury to these nerves would cause a sensation of numbness (or absence of feeling).
Weakness: In addition to tangible nerves (nerves that signal sensations), some nerves enable you to move. There are nerves throughout the body that also do both: transmitting signals of sensation and conveying motor signals. When this group of nerves is affected, weakness can occur, making it difficult to move muscles.
Nerve Pain: This is often a possible symptom after a nerve injury. The feeling of pain after a nerve injury can occur at any place along the path of the nerve, but usually, it is at the injury site. Nerve pain is often described differently than bone or muscle pain: Instead of soreness or aching, you may feel shooting or burning pain with a nerve injury.
Signs and symptoms of a nerve injury might be intermittent if the nerve injury is aggravated (such as by movement, strain, or additional injury), or they might be constant if the nerve injury is severe enough. There are various signs of nerve injury including: decreased strength, decreasing muscle tissue, changes in skin tone surrounding the area injured, absence of sweat, or inability to feel cold or hot temperatures on the affected region.
A good example of a nerve injury that is repetitive in nature is carpal tunnel disorder. Carpal tunnel disorder happens when the middle-nerve has too much pressure placed on it as it crosses the wrist. Signs of carpal tunnel can include numbness in the affected hand, intense pain in the wrist, burning or shooting pain in the hand or forearm, or weakness (especially in the thumb). The symptoms of carpal tunnel disorder can be intermittent, or, if severe, can happen constantly.
Causes
Nerves can get damaged by an intense amount of pressure, a traumatic injury such as a deep cut, or by extended stretching. Carpal tunnel condition is a good example of a nerve injury that emerges from an excess of pressure on the middle-nerve of the hand. Carpal tunnel condition can harm the middle-nerve gradually over time or can occur more rapidly.
A cut to the nerve (severed nerve) can harm the nerve severely and the nerve may be unable to transmit signals due to the gap in the nerve. Stretch injuries to the nerve can go from a gradual, temporary nerve injury to a more severe and permanent nerve injury over time and dependent upon the intensity of stretching. The degree to which a nerve is injured varies based upon the severity, traumatic nature, intensity, or force of the injury.
Treatment
The main objective in treating such injuries is to restore the nerve to a normal state. Your doctor may suggest resting the affected area, protecting the area with a bandage or sling, or medications to calm the nerves. Major nerve injuries may need to be treated with surgery.
Additional Info
Peripheral nerves (nerves located furthest from the heart such as in the fingers or toes) can get harmed in many ways:
- Injury from a mishap, a fall, or sports
- Stretch, compressed, or cut nerves
- Medical conditions like Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Diabetes, and carpal tunnel
- Immune system infections including Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, or Sjogren’s
- Other causes include narrowing of the arteries, hormonal deficiencies, or tumors
