The nervous system, which consists primarily of the spinal cord and brain, is a vital communication network or command center for your entire body. From here, nerves branch out to every body part, sending and receiving electrical signals which function as important instructions.
Your nervous system controls movements, thoughts, sensory perceptions, and bodily functions such as digestion, breathing and heart rate. It even enables emotions, memory and learning.
Nerve damage can cause pain, weakness, numbness, tingling and other symptoms that may have a significant effect on daily activities and quality of life.
Understanding Nerve Damage
What is Nerve Damage?
Nerve damage, also known as neuropathy, takes place when an injury or illness causes dysfunction of or damage to the nerves, affecting their ability to send and receive signals. It can be caused by injury, repetitive stress in a specific body part, as well as medical conditions like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and more.
There are two types of nerve damage: Â
Peripheral nerve damage: Damaged nerves which are not in the brain or spinal cord, but usually in the limbs, hands and feet.
Central nerve damage: Damage to the central nervous system (the spinal cord or brain) – including nerves controlling involuntary functions like digestion, bladder control, and sweating.
Causes of Nerve Damage
Common causes of both types of nerve damage include physical injury (accidents such as falls), infection, autoimmune diseases, and diabetes, as well as compression of the nerves in a specific area of the body from repetitive movements or pressure in that area (such as in carpal tunnel syndrome, when tissues in and around the carpal tunnel swell up and put pressure on the median nerve).
Nerve damage is occasionally also caused by:
Exposure to toxins such as heavy metals (lead, mercury), certain industrial chemicals, pesticides, some chemotherapy drugs, alcohol abuse, certain medications, and even some food additives.
Vitamin deficiencies (nutritional deficiencies). Deficiencies in vitamin B12, B6, copper, and vitamin A can all cause nerve damage.
Nerve Damage Symptoms
Peripheral Nerve Damage
Within Peripheral Nerve Damage, there are two subtypes:
A)Â Â Sensory Nerve Damage:
Sensory nerves provide your brain with information from your body about danger, touch, and temperature. When they’re damaged, you may experience pain, numbness, and problems with positional awareness (walking, keeping balance with your eyes closed, and fastening buttons, for example).
B)Â Â Motor Nerve Damage:
Motor Nerve Damage means a negative impact on muscle control and strength: difficulty performing everyday tasks like walking or grasping objects. Uncontrollable muscle contractions and twitching are common, and muscle atrophy (shrinking or wasting away of muscles) can take place with prolonged nerve damage.
Central Nerve DamageÂ
This affects how information from the body is interpreted in the central nervous system. This may also include autonomic dysregulation, which refers to the part of the central nervous system which regulates internal organs and functions. Â
Abnormal heart rate, digestion, sweating, and bladder control issues are common symptoms. Difficulty with movement planning and control, balance, and weakness may also be signs of central nerve damage. Â
A sudden headache, which doesn’t go away, may also be a sign of central nerve damage. It is often accompanied by back pain or neck pain.
If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms present in any type of nerve damage, we highly recommend that you seek medical advice as soon as possible.
Diagnosis and Treatment Options
Diagnosing Nerve Damage
Some of the diagnostic tests for nerve damage include:
Peripheral nerve damage:
- Â Â Â Â Testing reflexes, sensation, coordination and strength
- Â Â Â Â Â Blood tests, especially to check for diabetes or vitamin B12 deficiency
-      An electromyography test (EMG), where a small needle is inserted into your muscle and used to measure your nerves’ electrical activity
- Â Â Â Â Â 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.
Treatment strategies for Nerve DamageÂ
There are numerous ways to treat neuropathy that can be highly effective. A range of medications can drastically improve symptoms, along with physiotherapy and lifestyle interventions. Dietary changes can also assist (consult your healthcare provider or dietician before making any changes). Neuromodulation treatment such as pulsed radiofrequency, done as outpatient or in theatre may be effective for certain types of neuropathy.
There are also some surgical options available, however these should be a last resort as they are often ineffective, create other new pain conditions, or may have side effects. They may also be expensive.
Managing Life with Nerve Damage
Living life with nerve damage may be challenging at times, but there are many ways to manage your pain and symptoms and improve your quality of life dramatically.
Professional healthcare support is vital, as nerve damage may create lifelong symptoms that must be addressed and managed carefully and correctly.
The first place to start is consulting with a chronic pain specialist who deeply understands nerve damage and the weird ways that it may present clinically. They’ll be able to help you understand chronic pain, and give you an accurate diagnosis to inform the best treatment plan, based on your individual case and symptoms. They should meet you where you’re at without applying a “blanket” solution.Â
An experienced team can provide you with both medical solutions (medication and guided physiotherapy, for example) and lifestyle adjustments you can incorporate into daily life, that will help to ease pain, fatigue, and other symptoms and help you gain back a level of control.
At The Pain Collective, we use an interdisciplinary, holistic approach combining Western medical and lifestyle solutions – a curated toolbox for minimizing symptoms under comprehensive, professional guidance.
Call 087 550 0644 or email info@healthcollectiveheal.com for an appointment at any of our 19 clinics.