Nerve Injuries Specialist

What are nerve injuries?

Nerve injuries refer to damage to one or more of the peripheral nerves. Peripheral nerves exit your spinal cord and deliver messages back and forth from your brain and to the rest of your body. 

There are three types of peripheral nerves:

Sensory nerves

Sensory nerves relay sensations such as pain, touch, or heat from various body parts to the brain.

Motor nerves

Your motor nerves regulate conscious muscle control such as walking, talking, and lifting. 

Autonomic nerves

Autonomic nerves regulate unconscious body functions such as breathing, blood pressure, and body temperature.

Nerve injuries may affect any one of these types of nerves and may occur after an accident or from an underlying medical condition such as diabetes. 

What are the symptoms of nerve injuries?

Symptoms of nerve injuries vary depending on the damaged type of nerve. Common symptoms include:

• Tingling, burning, or numbness
• Pain that radiates along the path of the nerve
• Poor muscle control
• Muscle wasting
• Slow down in gastrointestinal motility
• Excessive sweating
• Fluctuations in blood pressure

Because of the variation in symptoms, you may not realize you have a nerve injury until the damage is severe. Getting an early diagnosis and treatment plan in place, however, may prevent further damage to the nerve and more severe symptoms.  

If you suspect you have a nerve injury, schedule an evaluation at SEPA Pain & Spine. 

What happens during an evaluation for nerve injuries?

When you visit SEPA Pain & Spine with concerns about a nerve injury, you can expect a comprehensive evaluation. Your provider aims to find the root source of your symptoms to develop a plan to slow down or stop further nerve damage and alleviate symptoms.

During the evaluation, your provider reviews your symptoms, medical history, and performs a physical. To diagnose nerve injuries and assess the severity of the damage, they run nerve conductions studies. 

How are nerve injuries treated?

SEPA Pain & Spine develops individual treatment plans for the management of nerve injuries based on the type of nerve injury you have, the severity of your symptoms, and the underlying cause. 

Your treatment plan may include:

• Medical management of the cause
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication
• Nerve pain medication
• Physical therapy
• Splinting or bracing
• Peripheral nerve blocks
• Peripheral nerve stimulation
• Medical marijuana

In some cases, your provider may recommend surgery to address the underlying cause of your nerve injury, such as compression of the nerve by scar tissue or a ligament.

For comprehensive management of nerve injuries, call SEPA Pain & Spine, or schedule a consultation online today.