Nerve damage injuries typically come about from one or more of three sources: pressure, stretching, or cutting. The nervous system runs throughout a human body connecting each part of a person through the spinal cord to his or her brain. Any damage to this system, whether within the brain or spinal column or to the peripheral nerves outside of them, can result in serious physical impairment and long-term limitations or recovery. Such injuries are usually a result of compression or trauma such as a car accident, serious fall, or workplace accident.
Some of the most common, though often not very serious, injuries are pinched nerves in a person’s neck. This type of pinching can be the result of simply sleeping in a strange position or having excessive pressure or stress placed upon the neck and shoulders. While painful, a pinched nerve can usually be relieved through applications of heat and cold, massage, and proper readjustment over time.
Crush injuries that cause nerve damage can be far more serious and have long lasting effects on health, physical comfort, and functionality. A serious crush injury usually occurs during a vehicle collision or workplace accident. When nerves are crushed, the pressure can often damage the exterior of the nerve while leaving the interior intact. This often results in serious pain and can lead to some physical limitations due to the nerve damage. With physical therapy and treatment, however, the long-term damage can be minimized and recovery is often possible.
One of the most common types of pressure nerve damage injuries is carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which runs down the forearm into the palm of the hand, becomes compressed, usually at the wrist. It results in numbness, tingling along the hand and arm, burning pain, and often results in limited motion in the affected hand.
Stretching of nerves can also result in physical discomfort and require a great deal of treatment for recovery. Nerve stretching can cause the nerve to break or damage the exterior of the nerve, resulting in loss of sensation, difficulty moving limbs, and pain. Medical treatment is usually required to alleviate these symptoms.
Cutting is typically the most serious type of nerve damage injury and usually results from serious crush injuries that sever the interior nerve, or loss of limbs. Once a nerve is cut, a great deal of medical treatment, such as surgery and physical therapy, is required to begin to recover from such a serious injury. Catastrophic workplace injuries can result in this kind of nerve damage, in which case worker’s compensation can help alleviate some of the medical and personal expenses that come about.
If you or a loved one has suffered nerve damage in an accident, contact Jurewitz Law Group Injury & Accident Lawyers today at (888) 233-5020.
