Nerve pain is "too long" when it lasts more than a few weeks without improvement, especially if severe, worsening, or affecting daily function (walking, gripping, sleeping). While minor nerve issues might resolve in days, persistent pain beyond 4-6 weeks, or pain accompanied by intense weakness or bowel/bladder issues, warrants prompt medical evaluation to prevent permanent damage or chronic conditions, with some nerve damage taking months or years to heal even with treatment.
Call your healthcare provider if you develop nerve damage symptoms like:
Severe nerve compression that lasts more than six weeks can cause permanent muscle loss and nerve damage. You should see your healthcare provider early about symptoms so you can start the appropriate treatment.
Pinched nerves can last from a few days to about a month, depending on how you treat it. It is typically a temporary condition that you can treat on your own, but it's important to not ignore long-lasting or acute pain as it could be the sign of a bigger problem.
Untreated neuropathy complications can cause permanent nerve damage, leading to disability and decreased mobility. Complications include foot ulcers, infections, and even amputation in severe cases. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent further nerve damage and manage symptoms effectively.
Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy might include: Gradual onset of numbness, prickling, or tingling in your feet or hands. These sensations can spread upward into your legs and arms. Sharp, jabbing, throbbing or burning pain.
Temporary nerve damage often results from swelling or pressure and may resolve within weeks or months with proper care. Permanent nerve damage occurs when the nerve is severely injured or cannot regenerate, leading to lasting symptoms like chronic pain or loss of function.
Conditions often mistaken for a pinched nerve include muscle strains, herniated discs, arthritis (like bone spurs), muscle spasms, carpal tunnel syndrome, and sacroiliac joint dysfunction, as they share symptoms like pain, tingling, or numbness, but differ in their underlying cause, requiring proper diagnosis for effective treatment.
“Muscle pain is duller, throbbing and more achy,” Dr. Fisher said. Nerve pain often radiates down the limbs, feels sharp or burning and may cause numbness or weakness. It can make it harder to move, grip or walk.
Medicines used to treat depression, seizure or insomnia may be used to relieve nerve pain. Some people with peripheral nerve injuries may need corticosteroid injections for pain relief. Your healthcare professional may recommend physical therapy to prevent stiffness and restore function.
Mildly pinched nerves often resolve on their own with at-home care, like rest. Moderately pinched nerves may need some medical care, like physical therapy or corticosteroids. Severely pinched nerves — including those that result from chronic conditions like spinal stenosis — may be long-lasting.
Tramadol is a powerful painkiller related to morphine that can be used to treat neuropathic pain that does not respond to other treatments a GP can prescribe. Like all opioids, tramadol can be addictive if it's taken for a long time. It'll usually only be prescribed for a short time.
Medical experts recommend lying on the unaffected side of your body and placing a pillow between the legs to decrease the tension placed on the irritated nerve. This prevents the top affected leg from dropping toward your midline, which can stress the affected nerve.
Red flag symptoms are signs that nerve pain may be linked to a more serious underlying condition and require immediate medical assessment. These include sudden or progressive weakness in an arm or leg, significant loss of sensation, or numbness spreading rapidly rather than fluctuating.
Vascular problems like peripheral artery disease create pain and numbness that's easily confused with neuropathy. Pinched nerves or radiculopathy from spinal issues frequently mimic peripheral nerve damage. Fibromyalgia causes widespread pain that some mistake for neuropathic symptoms.
Neuropathy can be triggered by various factors such as diabetes, nutritional deficiencies, medication side effects, alcohol use, and autoimmune conditions. Identifying these triggers is key to managing symptoms effectively.
Nerve pain may be due to:
Numbness or less feeling in the area supplied by the nerve. Sharp, aching or burning pain, which may radiate outward. Tingling, or a pins and needles feeling. Muscle weakness in the affected area.
10 Signs You May Be Suffering from Nerve Pain
During an EMG, a needle electrode is inserted through your skin into various muscles. The test evaluates the electrical activity of your muscles when they contract and when they're at rest. Test results tell your healthcare professional if there is damage to the nerves leading to the muscles.
There is also idiopathic peripheral neuropathy, which means the cause is unknown. A pinched nerve, on the other hand, has some differences in the symptoms. If you have a pinched nerve, the pain, numbness, or tingling is typically one-sided and radiates down the extremity rather than upwards.
EMG and nerve conduction studies are used to help check for many kinds 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 to check for nerve damage or disease.
Without adequate nerve supply, muscles can stop working completely within 12-18 months. For this reason, Dr. Lipinski advises people who experience nerve trauma or injury to seek treatment as soon as possible for the best outcomes.
MR neurography, also known as peripheral nerve MRI, uses high-resolution techniques to visualize nerves throughout the body. A radiologist who specializes in nerve imaging reviews the images to detect abnormal features of the nerve that may indicate injury or inflammation, such as increased brightness or size.