What is a nerve injury?
A nerve injury is an injury that affects a nerve in the body. Nerve injury may be caused by a variety of situations and medical conditions, and can cause a variety of symptoms. The treatment of nerve injury depends on the location of the lesion and determining its cause, and may not always be possible for a doctor to provide a good prognosis for a patient with a lesion of the nerve.In a complete injury of the nerve, the nerve is damaged so that the signals can not pass through it. This damage can be permanent in nature.
Partial nerve lesions result in a partial loss of nerve function that causes the interruption of the nerve. The partial tears are more likely to have a positive outcome, since it is possible for the body to adapt to the physical change. Some of the causes of nerve injuries are degenerative diseases of the nervous system, tumors, burns, cuts, wounds and abrasives such as those caused by bones grating against the nerves. In all cases, a portion of the nerve is damaged, and the myelin sheath covering the nerve thickness, can be partially removed. Demyelinated nerves are usually more difficult to treat, especially when the layer is stripped away by a disease, as is the case with multiple sclerosis. nerve injury can cause a variety of symptoms, depending on where the lesion is located. Patients may have loss of muscle control, numbness or tingling, sharp pain, or contractions.
Because the nerves of the body are well known and have been carefully mapped, a doctor can usually determine if the damage is to limit the site of symptoms. Neurologists usually the treatment of patients with suspected nerve injury. They perform a neurological examination to limit the symptoms and determine if the signals from the nerves are encrypted and can recommend a course of treatment for the patient after determining the cause of nerve injury and discuss the history of the patient.
In some cases it may be possible to repair a nerve injury with surgery. Other lesions may resolve themselves, or the body can adapt and allow other nerves take over to replace the function of damaged nerves. In other cases, it may be necessary to treat a patient with medication, physical therapy, and other measures to address the nerve injury. Permanent injury can not be repaired, but patients can be taught to manage the reduction in functionality and in the case of patients with degenerative diseases, they can learn coping skills that will help them adjust as the damage spreads.