If the cause of the femoral nerve dysfunction can be identified and successfully treated, it is possible to recover fully. In some cases, there may be partial or complete loss of movement or sensation, resulting in some degree of permanent disability. Nerve pain may be uncomfortable and can continue for a long time.
If a nerve is injured but not cut, the injury is more likely to heal. Injuries in which the nerve has been completely severed are very difficult to treat, and recovery may not be possible. Your doctor will determine your treatment based on the extent and cause of your injury and how well the nerve is healing.
Symptoms Related to Damaged Nerves
If you have sustained peripheral damage to your nerves, you may experience the following: A burning sensation. A prickly feeling. Tingling.
Nerves heal about one inch per month. You'll have follow-up appointments with your surgeon, during which he determines how your nerve regeneration is progressing. Nerve fibers have to grow down the full length of the damaged nerve to where the nerve and muscle intersect. That can take between six months to one year.
A nerve injury can affect the brain's ability to communicate with muscles and organs. Damage to the peripheral nerves is called peripheral neuropathy. It's important to get medical care for a peripheral nerve injury as soon as possible. Early diagnosis and treatment may prevent complications and permanent damage.
When the nerves are damaged, they can't send the signals they usually send to your muscles to tell them what to do. This leads to muscle weakness and problems with movement you may experience as an initial symptom of the damage or injury. Muscle weakness due to nerve damage is most often in your arms and legs.
If the pain is mild, you can still go for a walk, but maybe just not as far as you could before. So if your symptoms are not that painful, that's even more of a reason to consider walking. If your pain is manageable while you walk, it's a good idea to gradually increase the frequency and duration each time you walk.
If your nerve is only injured, you may recover over time without surgery. Nerves heal slowly, sometimes over many months. For these mild nerve injuries, nonsurgical treatment options include medication, physical therapy or massage therapy. Peripheral nerve surgery can reconstruct or repair damaged nerves.
An MRI may be able help identify structural lesions that may be pressing against the nerve so the problem can be corrected before permanent nerve damage occurs. Nerve damage can usually be diagnosed based on a neurological examination and can be correlated by MRI scan findings.
Any nerve injury or tumor can cause sensory changes such as numbness or tingling, or weakness in the muscle that the nerve supplies. Without adequate nerve supply, muscles can stop working completely within 12-18 months.
As a specialist in peripheral nerve surgery, Dr. Seruya wants his patients to know that after a period of 12-18 months nerve damage can become permanent.
Nerve pain in your lower legs can be scary, confusing, and uncomfortable. From pins-and-needles tingling to fiery electrical shock sensations, and from a dull ache to searing shooting pain, nerve pain in the lower legs can come in all varieties.
The signs of nerve damage
Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet. Feeling like you're wearing a tight glove or sock. Muscle weakness, especially in your arms or legs. Regularly dropping objects that you're holding.
Electromyography (EMG) is used to record the electrical activity in muscle. It can identify abnormalities in the muscles or nerves resulting from peripheral neuropathy, nerve degeneration or damage to the protective covering (myelin sheath) that surrounds the nerves in your brain or spinal cord.
A neurological examination can diagnose nerve damage, but an MRI scan can pinpoint it. It's crucial to get tested if symptoms worsen to avoid any permanent nerve damage.
The SSA considers neuropathy a disability if the condition is severe enough to cause extreme limitations in the motor function of two extremities. Alternatively, it qualifies as a disability if it results in marked limitations in mental and behavioral work-related skills.
Motor neuropathy
twitching and muscle cramps. muscle weakness or paralysis affecting one or more muscles. thinning (wasting) of muscles. foot drop – difficulty lifting up the front part of your foot and toes, particularly noticeable when walking.
Dr. Shah points out that walking promotes blood flow throughout the body, and can even make the nerves more resilient. If you want to start a walking routine, as someone who's challenged with sciatica walking difficulty, Dr. Shah warns that it's “a delicate balance” since you don't want to overdo it.
Severe cases may require medical care but for many patients, gentle exercises that target the affected area can help relieve minor nerve pain. These stretches lessen the pressure placed on the nerve and loosen the surrounding muscles. Plan to make these exercises part of your daily routine, two or three times per day.
Nerve damage can become permanent
At first, neuropathy may cause occasional numbness and pain, but as it progresses, your symptoms may become more persistent. 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.
Recovery is a slow process, and the biggest thing you can do to regain nerve sensation and function is to move consistently. You may experience tingling feelings and possibly sensations similar to electrical shock, which is a good sign of having new sensitive nerves.
A neurologist can help identify the cause of symptoms and create a treatment plan for both common and complex neurological conditions. During a neurological exam, instruments, such as lights and reflex hammers, may be used to assess the nervous system.