Can you repair nerve damage

If a nerve was pinched, rather than severed, physical therapy PT is often used to repair the damage and increase strength and mobility. Check if your doctor will prescribe physical therapy. Some insurance companies will not cover PT. Always check with your insurance company if you have a question about billing. You may need to wait several weeks or months after acute injury to start this phase of repair. The nerve may need time to heal and regrow. Try de-weighted training in the the pool for problems with movement on land.

After you build up your stamina try some strength and resistance training. Sign up for acupuncture therapy. Some patients find that acupuncture calms the nerves and allows them to continue normal function while the nerves repair themselves. Biofeedback can also be helpful.

You are connected to electronic sensors that provides information that will help you focus and relax. Method 2. Undergo electromyography EMG or nerve conduction tests. These tests may find the location of the nerve damage and its severity. Some of these tests, like an EMG can be done at your general practitioners. However, more invasive tests like an MRI may be conducted at a specialist or a hospital. Consider an injection to numb nerves.

If your doctor determines that your nerve damage is not causing long-term damage, you may be a candidate for a numbing or steroid injection called a "nerve root block. Steroids can help your body heal more quickly from nerve damage. Consider minor surgery. Some types of nerve damage occur from compression or pinching. Minor outpatient surgeries are often sufficient to repair this damage.

Criteria for surgery include symptoms of radiculopathy, evidence of nerve root compression on an MRI, persistent nerve pain last longer than six weeks, and progressive motor weakness. Minor surgery can be an arthroscopic surgery to unblock the pinched nerve or sew the damaged ends of the nerves together.

The nerves may need to be re-trained with this special type of physical therapy. The early stage of this therapy is making sure your nerves can feel a wide scope of sensations, while the late stage is fine tuning the sensations to manageable sensations.

The length of the sessions depends on the severity of the injury. Method 3. Seek medical attention. Go to the emergency room immediately if you have had an acute injury and you are experiencing numbness or tingling in your extremities. If you have cut yourself on something sharp, try to staunch the bleeding as you go to the emergency room.

Nerve damage due to knives in the kitchen or broken glass is fairly common. Visit the emergency room if you have had recent contact with lead, arsenic, mercury or other toxic substances. They need to be flushed from your body before repair can start. Consider surgery to reconnect or graft nerves.

If the nerve has been completely severed, this may be necessary in order to start repair. If the surgery is successful, the nerve will grow and repair at a rate of approximately one inch per month. The area from which it was taken may remain numb after the surgery. Retrain your body. Your body will typically go through four phases of repairing nerve damage.

This may require physical therapy. A professional will help you train your body to heal properly by doing incremental range-of-motion exercises.

This may require time. Nerve repair may not happen overnight. It may take weeks, months, or years to heal. In severe cases, nerve function may not repair fully. Your doctor should be able to give you a prognosis about how long it will take to heal from a specific injury.

Method 4. Recognize the symptoms and pain of nerve damage. This can happen from trauma, such as a car accident or being cut with a knife. Nerves can also be accidentally injured during medical procedures or surgeries, and this is known as iatrogenic injury. A nerve can also be invaded by a tumor which requires removal, resulting in nerve damage. When nerve damage occurs, the nerve can no longer carry messages. For example, if a sensory nerve is injured, you may not be able to feel a particular area of your skin.

If a motor nerve is injured, you may have weakness or inability to perform certain movements. Nerve damage can also cause pain, either at the site of injury or anywhere along the course of the nerve. To determine whether you have nerve damage, your doctor will take a history and do an exam. He or she will ask about what you are experiencing and how long you have had symptoms.

These tests are done by a neurologist and help determine if your nerves are working abnormally. Some nerve injuries get better on their own, but more severe injuries can require nerve repair or other interventions.

A nerve repair is not like an artery or vein repair, where blood starts flowing immediately. A nerve repair only recreates the tunnel for the nerve. Then, the nerve fibers have to grow back through that tunnel. Until the nerve re-grows from the point of injury to the target muscle or skin, the nerve will not function normally. Fruits are a must in your diet if you want to heal your damaged nerves.

Fruits contain loads of antioxidants that help in reducing inflammation. Fruits are essential nutrient suppliers for the proper functioning of the body and to promote recovery of the damaged nerves.

Fruits like apples, oranges, berries, shallots and grapes contain a flavonoid called quercetin. According to a study , quercetin has exhibited anti-inflammatory properties that help to deal with neuropathy. If you want to heal your damaged nerves sooner, you should not miss eating at least one fruit daily. Water is rightly compared to life. It is this magical fluid that ensures our well-being. A well-hydrated body has a lesser risk of muscle spasms and neuropathic pain. Water is responsible for circulating all the nutrients in our body.

Therefore, you cannot heal your damaged nerves if you do not monitor your water intake. Meal planning is something that can be your savior in the long run. You must keep the following items in mind when planning your meals.

We have provided a short list of foods that you should take to help heal your neuropathy. However, you should also be aware of foods that are not good for neuropathy. You can take a look at this article for more information. To heal the damaged nerves, it is crucial to plan balanced meals and not skip meals.

An hour of exercise can add to the effort of recovery of damaged nerves. There is more than one treatment for damaged nerves. But you should not ignore the chance of healing your damaged nerves with the help of nutrition. The food items listed above offer you an excellent opportunity to recover and regenerate your nerves. Planning your meals ahead of time can help you in balancing nutrition and food intake. Damaged nerves do not necessarily mean the end of the world. There are ways you can avoid neuropathic pain.

Proper planning of what to eat and what not to eat can help you heal your nerves and get rid of neuropathic pain. These small changes in your diet can affect your quality of life significantly. These food items are just the remedy to your damaged nerves that can help you win the battle with neuropathy. Subscribe to our newsletter. Thanks for the information it was very useful and informative i just found out I have damaged nerves. Thank you so much for your information, I had shingles since January Going through nerves damage till now with pain and itch.

You have not mentioned the most important fruit and its byproducts. Olive oil olive leaf tea and eating olives everyday have an amazing effect on your body. I'm sorry to hear about the difficulties that you are experiencing with neuropathy. Unfortunately, we do not have any specific information on how it may be treated as a result of surgery. We would recommend reaching out to your physician or medical provider for more information on this topic.

Well, it depends on several factors such as weight, age and more. I always recommend consulting with dietitian. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Facebook Pinterest. Jump to: How are nerves damaged? Foods that can heal damaged nerves Meal planning Final thoughts Comments How are nerves damaged? Subscribe to our newsletter Subscribe. Latest Stories. Worst Foods for Hashimoto's. Foods That Reduce Cortisol. What Foods Are Bad for Neuropathy. Foods for Knee Cartilage Regeneration. Foods That Shrink Fibroids Fast.

Foods to Avoid With Enlarged Spleen. Sinus Problems: The Right Diet. How to Shrink Ovarian Cysts Naturally. Ovary Body Type: Foods to Avoid. Recommended to You. Comments Useful write up. Very helpful healing information.. Thank you very much Rose!

I wish you a quick and easy healing process! Thank you for your appreciation Michelle. I wish you the best health! Hi Shai You have not mentioned the most important fruit and its byproducts. Thank you for your insights Joe!