What are the Most Common Nerve Injuries?
Your central nervous system in your brain and spinal cord branches out and reaches every square inch of your body through your peripheral nerves, where most nerve injuries occur.
Any time you cut or burn yourself, you damage the tiny nerves in the affected area. Mostly, these neural pathways recover and grow back very quickly. With larger injuries, however, the damage can be far more significant, causing chronic and serious problems with function and pain.
There are almost countless ways you can injure or damage your nerves, but the most common are:
- Injuries, such as deep lacerations and fractures that sever your nerves
- Systemic conditions, such as diabetes or fibromyalgia
- Compression issues, such as a herniated disc or tennis elbow
- Crushed nerves due to trauma
What are the Symptoms of a Nerve Injury?
Typical symptoms of a nerve injury include:
- Pain
- Loss of sensation or numbness
- Tingling
- Weakness
These symptoms can range in severity, but if you’re experiencing the above, see a doctor before the injury leads to irreparable nerve damage.
How are Nerve Injuries Diagnosed?
Doctors have several tools that help diagnose nerve injuries. They investigate your symptoms, review your medical history, and perform a physical evaluation.
To gain a better understanding of what’s happening on the inside, your doctor may also use diagnostic imaging and electro-diagnostic testing.
Once they zero in on your problem, they recommend a treatment plan that’s best for your condition and goals.
How are Nerve Injuries Treated?
As an interventional pain management specialist, your doctor has several treatment options, including:
- Epidural injections
- Steroid injections
- Selective epidural and root blocks
- Peripheral nerve blocks
- Spinal cord stimulation
- Surgical recommendations to repair the nerve
How your doctor treats your nerve injury depends entirely upon the nature of the problem. In every case, your doctor’s goal is to relieve your symptoms, but how they approach that is dictated by the underlying issue.
Precision Pain Care and Rehabilitation has two convenient locations in Richmond Hill – Queens and New Hyde Park – Long Island. Call the Queens office at (718) 215-1888, or (516) 419-4480 for the Long Island office, to arrange an appointment with our Interventional Pain Management Specialist, Dr. Jeffrey Chacko.
