These very fragile nerves can be easily injured, distorting the ability to communicate between the brain and the rest of the body. Peripheral nerve injuries are known under the name of peripheral neuropathy.
There are many types of peripheral nerve injuries, which can arise from other diseases due to diabetes or after a viral infection. Instead, other injuries appear due to nerve compression, as in the case of carpal tunnel syndrome or thoracic outlet syndrome.
Prognosis of the disease
In milder cases, the chances of cure through proper treatment are high.
On the other hand, in the most serious cases, the nerve can be completely cut, causing loss of sensitivity in the damaged area and thus making treatment and recovery difficult.
Symptoms of peripheral nerve injuries
Each nerve has a specific function, so the symptoms of these injuries will depend on the type of nerve affected. In this sense, the symptoms of peripheral nerve injuries usually begin gradually and worsen over time.
Among the most frequent symptoms are the following:
- numbness and tingling
- Throbbing pain
- Burning
- Muscular weakness
- touch sensitivity
- Paralysis
- heat intolerance
- Digestive problems
- dizziness or vertigo
Medical tests for peripheral nerve injuries
To diagnose peripheral nerve damage, your doctor must review your medical history and perform physical and neurological exams.
When these tests show signs of nerve damage, several diagnostic tests may be performed :
- MRI to see the details of the damaged area
- electromyography
- nerve conduction study
Peripheral nerve injuries
Peripheral nerve injuries can occur due to different traumatic injuries, metabolism problems, infections, diabetes, and their origin in hereditary causes.
Treatments for peripheral nerve injuries
Treatment for peripheral nerve injuries aims to treat any problems and relieve pain, and control symptoms.
In some cases, it is unnecessary to resort to a specific treatment, but the nerves can be healed by resting the affected area. Recovery is usually slow and can take months or years. When the lesion comes from another disease, it must be treated.
In the most serious cases in which recovery from the injury is not achieved, surgical intervention may be necessary to restore the function of the injured nerves.