Have you lost sensation in your hand, arm, foot, or other body part? Losing feeling in an area you use to accomplish everyday tasks can make life difficult.
Our board-certified orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Jonathan Shults, with Coastal Empire Orthopedics, performs nerve repair surgery, which helps restore function to the injured area, increasing movement and relieving frustration.
Dr. Shults makes a small incision to reach the damaged nerve. The first step is removing damaged nerve tissue. If enough tissue is left to reconnect the ends of the nerve, Dr. Shults connects them.
If not enough nerve tissue is left, he performs a nerve graft, taking nerve tissue from another area of your body to reconnect the broken nerve.
Your nerves grow about one inch every month. Depending on the amount of nerve damage you have, you’ll start to regain feeling in a few weeks to months. You may experience tingling or a sensation like pinpricks in the area Dr. Shults has repaired while your nerves heal.
The following are ways that nerve repair aids in well-being.
Do you have pain caused by nerve damage from a traumatic accident or a compressed nerve that hasn’t improved with physical therapy? If you’re living with chronic pain, you’re seeking a solution. The pain may have diminished your quality of life. Nerve repair can reduce or eliminate chronic pain from nerve damage.
Have you lost feeling in part of your hand or foot? Loss of feeling can endanger your health. You can’t feel a cut on the sole of your foot that could turn into a hard-to-heal infection. You might burn yourself when you touch a hot pan on the stove that you thought was cold. Being able to feel a temperature change prevents accidents.
Nerve damage may impair your ability to button a shirt or pick up a coffee cup. Having difficulty performing daily tasks is a constant frustration. Nerve repair helps you regain the ability to perform fine and gross motor tasks, from walking better to using a pen, pencil, or keyboard.
Having a physical disability is frustrating. It takes longer to perform daily tasks. You may need to rely on someone to help you at times. You may feel depressed. Nerve repair can improve mental health by relieving constant frustration and lifting mood.
Call Coastal Empire Orthopedics or book an appointment through our online portal today to see if you’re a candidate for nerve repair.
