Nerve Damage or Injury

Peripheral nerve damage is an unfortunately common condition, affecting people of all ages and genders. Symptoms range from mild to severe, including muscle weakness or painful cramps, numbness or tingling of the hands and feet, and difficulty sensing pain or changes in temperature. The Atlas Institute proudly offers its patients solutions for nerve damage treatment in Denver.

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Treatment for Peripheral Nerve Damage or Injury

At our clinic we have access to specialists in every medical field who can work with you to identify underlying conditions that may be causing your nerve damage and develop a specialized treatment plan tailored to your unique needs to improve hand or foot function and overall quality of life.

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Causes of Peripheral Nerve Damage

Peripheral nerve damage can have many causes, ranging from conditions that increase pressure or compression of a major nerve to the hand (such as carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome) to diabetes (known as diabetic neuropathy). High levels of blood sugar can injure nerves and blood vessels throughout the body, particularly in the toes and feet. Approximately half of all people with diabetes experience some sort of nerve damage, while nerve entrapment, or pinched nerves in the foot or ankle is also a possible cause.

Nerve Injury Resulting in Peripheral Nerve Damage

Nerve damage throughout the body can also be caused by accidents, sports injuries, work-related injuries, and lacerations that stretch, compress, or cut nerves. Unrelated surgical procedures can also result in peripheral nerve damage due to stretching or inflammation of a nerve occurring during the procedure. It is therefore important for patients to seek medical care if they experience any form of nerve pain after surgery. Peripheral nerve damage is common and affects people from all walks of life.

Why Choose The Atlas Institute Peripheral Nerve Care?

At The Atlas Institute Peripheral Nerve Care, we understand the importance of diagnosing nerve damage or injuries quickly and accurately. Our team uses sophisticated imaging techniques as well as neurological tests that help us pinpoint the exact location, extent, and underlying cause of your condition. This ensures our patients have access to custom-tailored treatment plans that address their needs and benefit overall health.

Symptoms of Peripheral Nerve Damage

Symptoms of peripheral nerve damage can range from mild to severe, depending on the condition and the affected nerve fibers. Motor nerve damage usually leads to muscle weakness or painful cramps, while sensory nerve damage can cause numbness and tingling in the hands and feet as well as difficulties in sensing pain or temperature changes.

Autonomic nerve damage can lead to excess sweating, changes in blood pressure or neuropathy. It is important to seek medical help if any of these symptoms occur since they will tend to worsen without treatment and early diagnosis can prevent complications or permanent damage.

Diagnosing Peripheral Nerve Damage

Diagnostic tests such as CT scans, electromyography studies, MRIs and nerve conduction studies help confirm peripheral nerve damage and determine the best course of treatment. Treatment options may include medication, physical therapy or massage therapy for mild injuries, and reconstructive surgery for more serious cases.

How is Nerve Damage or Injury Treated?

The severity of the condition will determine the appropriate treatment path. If the injury is mild, no surgery may be required. In this case, non-surgical treatments such as medication, physical therapy, and massage therapy could be used to help with recovery over time – sometimes up to a few months.

On the other hand, if the nerves are severely compressed, cut, or not healing on their own, reconstructive or repair surgery may be necessary. Similarly, if the nerve damage is caused by an underlying medical condition, it must first be treated before dealing with any symptoms from the damage itself.

Surgical Treatment Options

When nerve damage necessitates surgery, we work closely with the patient to identify the best possible treatment option given their specific condition, aiming to improve their hand or foot function and quality of life. Procedures may include brachial plexus surgery to repair a network of nerves in the shoulder, nerve decompression to alleviate carpal tunnel syndrome or cubital tunnel syndrome pain and numbness, neurolysis for releasing a nerve from a restrictive scar tissue, nerve grafting for reconstructing a severed nerve either from one's own nerve or from cadaver, nerve transfers for borrowing redundant motor nerves and plugging them into damaged but more impactful nerves, as well as thoracic outlet decompression between the first rib and collarbone to reduce shoulder and neck pain and numbness in fingers.

What to Expect

Outcomes for peripheral nerve repair or reconstruction are promising. Depending on the procedure and degree of nerve damage sustained, relief can be felt immediately after your nerve damage treatment in Denver. More involved reconstructions require a longer timeline of recovery. Nerve healing after injury also takes a significant amount of time. Physicians explain this process based on the recommended procedure.

Experts in Nerve Injury Treatment and Repair

Our medical center is renowned for treating all types of peripheral nerve injuries ranging from common to complex cases. A multidisciplinary team comprising plastic surgeons, orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons work together to determine optimal treatment plans. Many of our physicians are trained in microvascular surgery which allows them to perform intricate procedures with accuracy. We are also an academic medical center committed towards research aimed at advancing existing treatments as well as developing novel methods for managing peripheral nerve issues.