An injured nerve can cause many troubling sensations, including numbness, sharp pain, or even the buzzing feeling of a mild electrical shock. If you have a nerve injury, it’s important to be evaluated by a pain specialist as soon as possible so the nerve can be treated. Learn more about injured nerves and various treatments before you schedule an appointment at RightPath Pain & Spine Centers in Davenport, FL.
Will an Injured Nerve Heal on Its Own?
Sometimes, an injured nerve can heal by itself, given enough time. Nerves that can heal by themselves are generally nerves that have only been bruised or moderately compressed. If a nerve has been severed or severely crushed, it will likely be unable to heal without surgery or another type of treatment.
Much of the time, a doctor will be able to assess whether a nerve can heal by itself based on the location of the injured nerve and the amount of sensation you feel. For a bruised nerve, you will likely be able to still feel some sensation in the area of the body controlled by the affected nerve, which may indicate that the nerve is still functioning and can heal on its own.
How Long Does It Take a Nerve Injury to Heal?
Without treatment, a nerve that is bruised or partially compressed can recover in about six to 12 weeks, if not sooner. Mild bruises to the nerve and pinching may recover much faster than six weeks, especially with physical therapy. For a nerve that has been cut, it may take up to four weeks for the nerve to start growing again, and several more weeks or months for the nerve to completely heal after surgery or other treatments.
What Factors Can Affect Nerve Healing?
Along with the type of nerve injury you have, there are several other factors that may influence how well your injury heals. After treatment or surgery, the degree of your nerve repair and recovery can be determined by your age, the time since your nerve was injured, and if there are any other injuries associated with the damaged nerve. Scar tissue can disrupt nerve repair even after surgery.
What Happens If an Injured Nerve Is Left Untreated?
If a severely damaged nerve is left untreated, the nerve injury can become permanent. This is particularly true if the nerve damage is causing excessive pain, constant numbness, or excessive muscle weakness that makes it difficult to move or perform everyday functions. To avoid the risk of permanent nerve damage, it’s best to visit a specialist quickly to devise a treatment plan that will help your nerve recover.
How Can You Tell a Nerve Is Healing?
You will be able to tell a nerve is healing when the sensation begins to return to that area of the body. Much of the time, the sensations associated with healing nerves can include tingling and electric shock feelings as the nerve tissue is repairing. You will also notice reduced pain, more muscle strength, and improved range of motion as the nerve heals.
Does the Type of Nerve Determine How Well a Nerve Can Heal?
Sometimes, the type of nerve that has been injured can determine how resilient the nerve will be. There are two types of nerves in the body: sensory nerves, which are responsible for carrying sensation throughout the body, and motor nerves, which are used to carry motion signals from the brain and to the muscles in the body.
Sensory nerves are thought to be more resilient and more likely to heal than motor nerves. Many people who injure sensory nerves can recover sensation after enough time, while motor nerves typically require surgical repair. The reason motor nerves are more delicate is because of the motor endplate, which is the area where the nerve is connected to the muscle. If the motor endplate does not receive a signal within 18 to 24 months, the endplate will die and nerve repair may be impossible.
What Are Different Types of Nerve Injuries?
There are a few different types of nerve injuries. Most people are familiar with neuropathy, which is a short-term lack of sensation or tingling that occurs when a nerve is blocked by poor circulation. While neuropathy can go away within minutes or hours, more complex nerve injuries can cause much more severe symptoms that can last for days, weeks, or even months.
Neuropraxia
Neuropraxia is a minor nerve injury that can occur because of a bruise or partially compressed nerves. This injury can be corrected with rest and conservative treatments. Usually, surgery is not necessary to repair nerves affected by neuropraxia, especially if physical therapy is part of the recommended treatment plan.
Neurotmesis
Neurotmesis is a very severe injury that causes a nerve to be completely severed. For this injury, the nerve is usually cut along the axon, which disrupts the entire function of the nerve. Without surgery, a neurotmesis injury will be unlikely to heal by itself and can even cause permanent nerve damage.
Axonotmesis
Axonotmesis is an injury that occurs when the nerve becomes stretched. When the axon of the nerve is overstretched, it can cause damage along the body of the nerve that will disrupt sensation throughout that area of the body. Sometimes, this type of injury can heal with enough rest, but other times, surgery may be recommended to repair damage to the nerve.
Can Multiple Nerves Be Damaged?
Sometimes, more than one nerve can be damaged in an accident. Polyneuropathy occurs when there are many peripheral nerves in the body that are showing signs of damage, such as numbness or pain. Certain medical conditions like autoimmune diseases, diabetes, and vitamin deficiencies can cause multiple nerves to be damaged. Systemic infections, cancer, and other medical concerns may also cause polyneuropathy.
How Is Nerve Damage Diagnosed?
To diagnose nerve damage, you will need to attend a physical examination, so a doctor can assess your injury. A doctor will assess the injured area to test muscle strength, sensation, movement, and pain. It’s common to use diagnostic imaging such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs to gather more information about the damaged nerve. Sometimes, an electrodiagnostic nerve study may be ordered, so your doctor can have a detailed view of the injured nerve.
Nerve Damage Symptoms
You can tell you have an injured nerve if you start experiencing certain sensations in a localized area. Numbness, tingling, and buzzing pain in the hands, feet, or arms are common signs of an injured nerve. Some people may also experience muscle weakness, or may even drop objects without meaning to. Difficulty moving or walking, paired with other sensations, are also common symptoms.
What Are Common Treatments for Injured Nerves?
There are several treatments doctors may recommend for injured nerves. The severity of your pain or discomfort, as well as the type of nerve injury you have, can determine which nerve treatment is best for you. Sometimes, simply resting the area and giving your body enough time to heal without additional stress on the affected nerve can restore sensation and function if the nerve is not severely damaged. Other treatments can include:
Medication Therapy
For people who have bruised nerves, pinched nerves, or compressed nerves, medications can be used to relieve pain and discomfort. Over-the-counter pain medications like Advil and ibuprofen can be used for mild nerve pain. Some medications that are used to treat seizures, depression and anxiety, and insomnia may also be able to address nerve pain. If oral medication does not work, injectable steroids can sometimes offer relief.
Physical Therapy
If your nerve is healing without invasive treatments, physical therapy may be recommended to prevent atrophy or stiffness in the affected area of the body that is experiencing nerve pain, numbness, or loss of strength. Physical therapy can stretch muscles and may even help restore function, especially for pinched nerves. Physical therapy may also be recommended after nerve repair surgery.
Surgery
If more conservative nerve treatments fail to improve symptoms, or if a nerve is severely damaged, your doctor may recommend surgery to repair the nerves. Surgery can include techniques such as nerve grafting or nerve decompression. If the nerve cannot be repaired, a technique called a tendon transfer may be used to restore function to a limb, although sensation to the limb will not be corrected.
Treat Neuropathy Today
An injured nerve can be alarming for many people, especially when numbness, pain, and loss of strength interfere with daily living. It’s vital to seek treatment for nerve injuries as soon as possible to prevent further complications, such as an irreparably damaged nerve. While some damaged nerves can heal by themselves, some injuries may be severe enough to require surgery. Get in touch with RightPath Pain & Spine Centers in Davenport, FL to schedule an examination today.