Peripheral nerve damage (neuropathy)

Proven content

Neuropathy, i.e. damage to the peripheral nerves, is a very common cause of sensory disturbances. The location of these disorders is strictly limited to the area of ​​innervation of a given nerve or nerves. Even small and difficult to locate with commonly used examination methods, peripheral nerve damage can cause pain, hyperalgesia, and parasthesia.

Symptoms of damage to peripheral nerves

Since most peripheral nerves contain both sensory and motor fibers, the symptom of their damage is not only sensory disturbances, but also motor symptoms. Most often it is weakness which ends in complete paralysis of the muscles innervated by the nerve. Deprived of nerve impulses, the muscles gradually begin to decline. Some peripheral nerves also consist of a large number of autonomic fibers, which causes abnormal perspiration and skin discoloration (turning pale, red, blue), warmth, and atrophy or thinning of the skin when damaged.

Types of peripheral nerve damage

Neuropathy can be confined to a single nerve (mononeuropathy) or many peripheral nerves (polyneuropathy).

Causes of damage to peripheral nerves (neuropathy)

The most common causes of damage to individual nerves are:

1. injury,
2. ischemia,
3. pressure.

On the other hand, damage to many nerves may result from generalized diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease, vitamin and other nutrient deficiencies, e.g. in the course of alcoholism.

The nerve can be pinched by a thickened muscle, ligament, or bone growth, especially while sleeping, after consuming a lot of alcohol, or during surgery with general anesthesia. This type of neuropathy is usually defined as pressure neuropathywhich usually occurs in people who are genetically prone to high nerve sensitivity to pressure and secondary hypoxia. They also quite often develop other diseases and conditions that predispose them to developing neuropathy, such as diabetes or vitamin deficiency.

Pressure neuropathies are:

• elbow neuropathy,

• Carpal tunnel syndrome,

• peroneal nerve injury.

Ulnar neuropathy

Injury to the ulnar nerve usually results from compression around the elbow where the nerve runs in a relatively shallow bone groove just below the skin. It is the most commonly damaged nerve in the body.

symptoms

The initial symptom is pare it from i on the XNUMXth and XNUMXth finger and the outer side of the hand and forearm. Gradually, weakening of the finger strength and atrophy of the glomerulus muscles and the interosseous muscles of the hand begin to appear. Considerable atrophy of the interosseous muscles causes the hand to take the shape of a “clawed”.

Compressive neuropathy of the radial nerve

This ailment also has a characteristic hand paresis. It is because of the prolonged pressure of the arm by the weight of one’s own body or by the head of another person, the extensors are paralyzed and the arm becomes drooping. This type of neuropathy is also jokingly referred to as “Saturday night paralysis” because it most often occurs after drinking a lot of alcohol and suddenly falling asleep.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is characterized by compression of the median nerve at the site of its course through a narrow canal of the wrist, built by bones and the transverse ligament of the wrist.

symptoms

The initial symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include:

1. edema,
2. pain,
3. numbness of the hand (mainly the first three fingers) that appears immediately after waking up and disappears during the day.

Subsequently, there is a weakening of the feeling and strength of the hand and muscle atrophy (in advanced cases). Carpal tunnel syndrome mainly affects women in the 50-60 years of age, but younger women can also suffer, especially those who are pregnant or perform work that requires constant movements in the wrist (typists, cleaners, cooks).

Any disturbing symptoms should be consulted with a doctor. If you do not have the option of a stationary visit, make an e-Visit. Sign up and you will receive advice, e-Prescription and e-Referral without leaving your home.

Peroneal neuropathy (damage to the peroneal nerve)

The peroneal nerve injury most often occurs around the arrowhead bone, often as a result of high footwear or damage in this area (e.g. a fall on a motorcycle). This type of ailment is manifested by foot drop forcing the knees to rise high while walking.

If you have severe pain in your elbow that may indicate neuropathy, you may opt to have an MRI scan, which will help your doctor diagnose the condition properly.

Damage to many nerves (polyneuropathy)

Polyneuropathy can be very slow or progressive. An example of a slowly increasing polyneuropathy is symmetrical, peripheral, sensorimotor diabetic polyneuropathy. It usually begins with an abnormal sensation in both feet in the form of hypoaesthesia or hyperalgesia in the typical sock range. It is often accompanied by disturbances in autonomic functions, such as decreased sweating or swelling. Then there is involvement of the upper limbs and movement disorders in the form of more severe paresis in the peripheral parts of the limbs.

Symptoms of polyneuropathy

A common symptom, sometimes from the very beginning of the disease ache having the characteristic features of the so-called neuropathic pain. He is:

1. stinging,
2. spilled,
3. intensifying under the influence of touch,
4. not susceptible to the simplest painkillers.

Guillain-Barré syndrome

A specific form of polyneuropathy is Guillain-Barré syndrome. It is a polyneuropathy caused by an abnormality in the immune system (rapidly increasing), which leads to the formation of antibodies against peripheral nerves, especially against the myelin that surrounds them. The first symptoms usually appear in connection with a previous viral infection. Then, limbs weaken, which affects various muscles in turn, leading to respiratory muscle failure. Patients should be hospitalized and treated immediately. The syndrome may be, in addition to an autoimmune disease, a complication of bacterial or viral infections.

Read also: Characterization of pain in peripheral neuropathy

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