To find out, conclusively, if your nerves are damaged, you need to see a neurologist. He or she will perform tests to determine the health of your muscles and nerves. If there is a problem, the doctor will explain the reason for the damage and its extent.
a nerve conduction test (NCS), where small metal wires called electrodes are placed on your skin that release tiny electric shocks to stimulate your nerves; the speed and strength of the nerve signal is measured.
EMG and nerve conduction studies are used to help diagnose a variety of muscle and nerve disorders. An EMG test helps find out if muscles are responding the right way to nerve signals. Nerve conduction studies help diagnose nerve damage or disease.
Nerve conduction studies, including an Electromyogram (EMG) may be performed on individuals suffering with nerve pain symptoms. These studies use electrical impulses to determine the level of damage. A final diagnosis will be made by your physician through the help of one or all of these tests.
If you or a loved one has unexplained symptoms that could be related to the brain or nervous system, your doctor may recommend a neurological exam with a specialist. Neurologists are specialists who treat diseases of the brain and spinal cord, peripheral nerves and muscles.
A blood test can detect conditions that may be causing peripheral neuropathy, such as diabetes, nutrient deficiencies, liver or kidney dysfunction, and abnormal immune system activity.
MRI scans use radio waves to produce images of soft tissue like muscles and ligaments, in addition to bones. Because of this, it's possible for an MRI to show nerve damage as well as other issues that might be causing pain in your body.
Nerve pain often feels like a shooting, stabbing or burning sensation. Sometimes it can feel as sharp and sudden as an electric shock. You may be very sensitive to touch or cold. You may also experience pain as a result of touch that would not normally be painful, such as something lightly brushing your skin.
When you injure a part of the body surrounded by nerves, you can damage the nerves as well. In return, you may experience sensations of tingling, numbness, or burning. Some people feel weakness in a spot that has sustained nerve damage.
Some nerve-related problems do not interfere with daily life. Others get worse quickly and may lead to long-term, severe symptoms and problems. When a medical condition can be found and treated, your outlook may be excellent. But sometimes, nerve damage can be permanent, even if the cause is treated.
Schwann cells can help damaged nerves regenerate and restore function. On average, damaged nerves can grow back at a rate of about 1 inch per month or 1 millimeter per day. Surgery is needed if there is significant scar tissue or a gap between cut nerve ends.
Nerve conduction tests may take from 15 minutes to 1 hour or more. It depends on how many nerves and muscles your doctor tests.
Identifying the cause of a neuropathy
Your GP can usually identify the underlying cause of a peripheral neuropathy. If diabetes is suspected, they can usually make a confident diagnosis based on your symptoms, a physical examination and checking the levels of glucose in your blood and urine.
Most of the time, the pins and needles feeling is a good sign. It's a short-term phase that means nerves are coming back to life.
Nerve damage can become permanent
The pain may reach a high point before reaching a state of constant numbness. Once your nerves become too damaged, they can't send signals to your brain. The constant state of numbness can make walking difficult 一 if not impossible.
The most common cause of nerve damage is diabetes. Diabetes can damage the nerves by causing them to swell and press against blood vessels. Since sensory nerves are the most likely to be affected, this can cause a loss of sensation or weakness in the affected area.
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Seddon2 classified nerve injuries into three broad categories; neurapraxia, axonotmesis, and neurotmesis.
Peripheral nerves can be damaged in several ways: Injury from an accident, a fall or sports, which can stretch, compress, crush or cut nerves. Medical conditions, such as diabetes, Guillain-Barre syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome. Autoimmune diseases including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome.
Answer: Damaged nerves cannot be seen on a regular X-ray. They can be seen on CAT scan or MRI, and in fact, MRI is recommended for examining details of the spinal cord.
The bottom line is that not all pain is able to be detected on an x-ray or MRI. That does not mean that there is nothing there that needs to be treated or diagnosed. In fact, it means that it is possibly a precursor to something going really wrong and then eventually needing surgery because it eventually winds up torn.
It is a versatile imaging technique with a high sensitivity of 93% for detecting focal nerve lesions. Ultrasound can assess the structural integrity of the nerve, neuroma formation and other surrounding abnormalities of bone or foreign bodies impeding the nerve.
What Evidence May Prove the Accident Caused Your Nerve Damage? Proving you suffered nerve damage is difficult. Part of the reason for this is that some nerve damage, such as a whiplash injury, is not visible. Even when you have a diagnosis, it can be challenging to prove the injury was the result of your car accident.