Peripheral Nerve Injuries

This is an injury to any nerves in the body that are not in the brain or spinal cord. These nerves come from the spinal cord or the brain and go to the muscles or skin, or they leave from the skin and muscles and go to the spinal cord or brain. If these nerves are injured then muscles cannot get the information from the brain and therefore they are weakened or paralyzed. The difference between an injury to a peripheral nerve and an injury to the spinal cord is that peripheral nerves can heal.

Peripheral nerve injuries can occur by:

• an extreme stretch of the nerve as seen when joints dislocate and pull the nerve
• decreased blood supply to the nerve as seen when someone falls asleep in a position that puts extreme pressure on the nerve
• electrical burn
• cut of the nerve from a wound or bone fracture near the nerve

Some injuries may require surgery and others just need time to heal. Healing of a peripheral nerve takes a very long time (it heals about 1 inch per month). In the mean time, the muscles that are paralyzed need to keep their normal length and health. If a muscle is not maintained then when the nerve finally heals, the muscle will no't be able to move properly anymore. Physical therapy is important to avoid this from happening. Physical therapists also help to control swelling and decrease pain in patients who have had a peripheral nerve injury.

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