How to Fix Minor, Moderate, & Severe Nerve Damage

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A thorough guide to recovering from nerve damage

Co-authored by Chris M. Matsko, MD

Last Updated: December 1, 2024 References

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Minor Damage

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Moderate Damage

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Severe Damage

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Understanding Nerve Damage

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Nerve damage can occur because of autoimmune diseases, motor neuron diseases, cancer, infection, or diabetes. ^{[1]
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services
Go to source} It can also be caused by acute or progressive injuries, or nutritional deficiencies. Treatments will vary depending upon if the nerve was compressed, partially injured, or entirely severed. In addition to repairing the damage caused to the nerve, you may need to take additional steps to treat related pain, as well.

Things You Should Know

Take non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID) to manage pain from minor damage. Some minor nerve damage repairs itself. ^{[2]
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Research source}
Or, work with a physical therapist or get acupuncture to heal and repair nerve damage.
For moderate nerve damage, talk to your doctor about getting injections or minor surgery to heal the nerve. ^{[3]
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Research source}

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Repairing Minor Nerve Damage

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1
Be patient. If the nerve has been only partially compressed or severed, it can repair itself over time. This is because the nerve tissue beyond the damage point dies and the nerve must regenerate between healthy nerve endings.
- A pinched nerve can occur from a number of reasons including: bad posture, injury, arthritis, spinal stenosis, and/or obesity.
2
Take non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID) or acetaminophen. These medications should be used to treat acute pain sporadically or for no more than one to two weeks, unless recommended by a doctor. ^{[4]
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PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
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- NSAIDs treats swelling and possibly inflamed nerves, acetaminophen only treats pain.
- Be sure that these medications will not interact with any other medication. For example, avoid taking aspirin when on blood thinners.
- Long-term NSAID use can lead to gastritis and gastric ulcers. Be aware of your use of these medications.
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3
Try physical therapy. If a nerve was pinched, rather than severed, physical therapy (PT) is often used to repair the damage and increase strength and mobility. Check if your doctor will prescribe physical therapy. ^{[5]
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Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
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- Some insurance companies will not cover PT. Always check with your insurance company if you have a question about billing.
- You may need to wait several weeks or months after acute injury to start this phase of repair. The nerve may need time to heal and regrow.
- Try de-weighted training in the pool for problems with movement on land. After you build up your stamina try some strength and resistance training.
4
Sign up for acupuncture therapy. Some patients find that acupuncture calms the nerves and allows them to continue normal function while the nerves repair themselves. ^{[6]
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Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
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- Biofeedback can also be helpful. This is a technique you can use to control your body’s functions. You are connected to electronic sensors that provides information that will help you focus and relax. ^{[7]
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  Research source}
- Unfortunately, neither acupuncture nor biofeedback are typically covered under American health insurance plans.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Repairing Moderate Nerve Damage

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1
Undergo electromyography (EMG) or nerve conduction tests. These tests may find the location of the nerve damage and its severity. Your doctor may also prescribe a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test. ^{[8]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
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- Some of these tests, like an EMG can be done at your general practitioners. However, more invasive tests like an MRI may be conducted at a specialist or a hospital.
If your doctor determines that your nerve damage is not causing long-term damage, you may be a candidate for a numbing or steroid injection called a "nerve root block." Nerve root blocks are usually done by a trained anesthesiologist in pain therapy. Steroids can help your body heal more quickly from nerve damage. ^{[9]
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3
Consider minor surgery. Some types of nerve damage occur from compression or pinching. Minor outpatient surgeries are often sufficient to repair this damage. Criteria for surgery include symptoms of radiculopathy, evidence of nerve root compression on an MRI, persistent nerve pain last longer than six weeks, and progressive motor weakness. ^{[10]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}
- Minor surgery can be an arthroscopic surgery to unblock the pinched nerve or sew the damaged ends of the nerves together.
- Another minor surgery is a nerve release, which can help to fix nerve compression seen in nerve damage like carpal tunnel syndrome. ^{[11]
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  Johns Hopkins Medicine
  Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital
  Go to source} These may create more room for the nerve by dividing tissue, or by moving the nerve to a new location.
4
Engage in nerve “re-education” therapy. The nerves may need to be re-trained with this special type of physical therapy. This re-education therapy is generally completed in two stages: “early” and “late.” It is the process of “tuning” your nerves into feeling sensations normally. ^{[12]
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- The early stage of this therapy is making sure your nerves can feel a wide scope of sensations, while the late stage is fine tuning the sensations to manageable sensations.
- This type of therapy is generally done in outpatient physical therapy. The length of the sessions depends on the severity of the injury. Generally, this procedure does take some time, as it is essentially “retraining” the body to return to a normal range of function.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Repairing Severe Nerve Damage

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1
Seek medical attention. Go to the emergency room immediately if you have had an acute injury and you are experiencing numbness or tingling in your extremities. If you have cut yourself on something sharp, try to staunch the bleeding as you go to the emergency room. ^{[13]
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Johns Hopkins Medicine
Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital
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- Nerve damage due to knives in the kitchen or broken glass is fairly common.
- Visit the emergency room if you have had recent contact with lead, arsenic, mercury or other toxic substances. They need to be flushed from your body before repair can start.
2
Consider surgery to reconnect or graft nerves. If the nerve has been completely severed, this may be necessary in order to start repair. If the surgery is successful, the nerve will grow and repair at a rate of approximately one inch per month. ^{[14]
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Johns Hopkins Medicine
Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital
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- Nerve grafts often require the removal of nerve fiber from another part of the body. The area from which it was taken may remain numb after the surgery. ^{[15]
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  Research source}
3
Retrain your body. Your body will typically go through four phases of repairing nerve damage. ^{[16]
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PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} This repairing requires the cells to heal and “retune” themselves to properly send signals to the brain.
- This may require physical therapy. A professional will help you train your body to heal properly by doing incremental range-of-motion exercises.
- This may require time. Nerve repair may not happen overnight. It may take weeks, months, or years to heal. In severe cases, nerve function may not repair fully. Your doctor should be able to give you a prognosis about how long it will take to heal from a specific injury.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Educating Yourself on Nerve Damage

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1
Recognize the symptoms and pain of nerve damage. There are a few signs and symptoms of nerve damage. If you are experiencing any of these, please contact your doctor. ^{[17]
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MedlinePlus
Collection of medical information sourced from the US National Library of Medicine
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- Pain or tingling in arms, legs, fingers, or toes
- Loss of muscle control. This may cause weakness. If you find yourself having trouble with everyday tasks like buttoning a shirt, or twisting a doorknob, these may be signs of nerve damage.
- Difficulty digesting food. This may be accompanied with bloating or fullness. You may vomit partially digested food, or have trouble using the bathroom.
- Peripheral neuropathy affects that brain’s ability to receive pain signals from your nerves . It is a common disorder and the symptoms include pain or numbness in the extremities. You may feel tingling or burning in your arms or legs, which may be an early sign of nerve damage.
Some medications, especially those used to treat cancer and HIV, are known for creating nerve damage in some patients.
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have a disease that can cause nerve damage.These diseases may include diabetes, cancer, alcoholism, or an autoimmune disease. ^{[18]
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services
Go to source} Nerve damage should be included in the treatment plan for these conditions.
Call your doctor to arrange for an emergency appointment if a back condition or disease has progressed to include numbness or tingling. These symptoms are indicative of a pinched or damaged nerve. ^{[19]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source} In some situations emergency surgery is recommended.
Talk to your doctor about using tricyclic antidepressants or anti-seizure drugs to control nerve pain. These medications are used for patients with chronic nerve pain in order to interrupt the pain signals in the brain. Make sure to discuss side effects of long-term usage. ^{[20]
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Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
Go to source}

Expert Q&A

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Question

Are there any treatments available for damaged nerves in the feet and legs due to Guillain Barré syndrome?

Chris M. Matsko, MD
Family Medicine Physician
Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of medical research experience, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. He holds a BS in Nutritional Science from Cornell University and an MD from the Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) in 2016 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017.

Chris M. Matsko, MD

Family Medicine Physician

Expert Answer

Doctors prescribe physical therapy for isotonic and isometric movements. There is also research that shows that plasma exchange may shorten the length of time it takes to see improvement and walk unaided.

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Question

If you have nerve damage to the penis from being cut during surgery will it repair itself?

Chris M. Matsko, MD
Family Medicine Physician
Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of medical research experience, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. He holds a BS in Nutritional Science from Cornell University and an MD from the Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) in 2016 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017.

Chris M. Matsko, MD

Family Medicine Physician

Expert Answer

Unfortunately, no. If a nerve is cut during surgery, it will not repair itself.

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How to Fix Minor, Moderate, & Severe Nerve Damage

Things You Should Know