Nerve Injuries

Nerves are often described as the telephone system of the body, as they carry messages from the brain to all parts of the body. Motor nerves carry messages from the brain to the muscles. Sensory nerves carry messages back and forth from the brain delivering information about pressure, pain, temperature and touch.

Stretching, cuts and pressure from inside or outside the body can injure a nerve. When a nerve is injured, signals to and from the brain can stop, creating a lack of sensation in the injured area or causing muscles to stop functioning. If the nerve has been severed but the outer tissue or covering is left intact and uninjured, the nerve ending farthest away from the brain dies, but the end closest to the brain remains alive. So the live portion of the nerve will most likely start to grow and make its way down through the empty axon until it reaches a muscle or sensory receptor. In these cases, no surgery may be required, though wearing a splint and taking physical therapy may be necessary to keep the muscles and joints active and healthy.

If a cut injures both the nerve and the surrounding outer tissue or insulation, the tissue will need to be surgically repaired. This involves surgically sewing the insulation back together so the nerve can grow back within it. If the nerve and insulation are not repaired, the growing nerve fibers may form a painful nerve scar called a neuroma.

Optimum results can be impacted by your age, the nature of the injury, the complexity of nerve damage and the location of the injury. Successful outcomes are thankfully the norm in repairing nerve injuries, with two out of three patients typically regaining normal use and sensation.