pinched nerve question?

jack · 08-13-2006, 08:54 AM

if one has a pinched nerve in the elbow area that affects hand and wrist, would i be able to tell gradually that it's getting better or would i only be able to tell after approx. a year when it heals all the way?
thanks
jack

noryn · 08-13-2006, 10:08 AM

Once the pressure is off of the nerve you should be able to tell a difference in a few weeks. Often the symptoms wont just completely go away once the problem is taken care of because the nerve is irritated and the symptoms may take a few weeks to resolve.

jack · 08-13-2006, 10:32 AM

its been 10 months. nothing has changed afer first month. will it now have to heal all the way to my hand to notice more improvement.

Wise Young · 08-13-2006, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jack

if one has a pinched nerve in the elbow area that affects hand and wrist, would i be able to tell gradually that it's getting better or would i only be able to tell after approx. a year when it heals all the way?
thanks
jack

Jack,

The recovery time depends on the damage to the nerve. Severely damaged nerves may require 1-2 years. However, if the damage to the peripheral nerve did not kill the axon but it is still quite severely affected, full recovery of sensation in your fingers might take 30-90 days. If you have just pinched the nerve and it has not been seriously damaged, recovery may occur days to a few weeks. Motor recovery may take longer.

The explanation for the slow recovery time is clear for injuries that require regeneration for recovery. If you have seriously damaged the nerve and it has to regenerate, you can estimate the recovery time by the location of the peripheral nerve injury to the end of your fingertips by giving 1-2 days of recovery time per mm of distance. Thus, if you have 300 mm distance from your elbow to your finger tips, it may take 10-16 months.

Wise.

alan · 08-13-2006, 09:35 PM

Dr. Young,

My sister has had three surgeries on her right ankle, due to the first two surgeons screwing up. The second one apparently also damaged a nerve down there, so she has neuropathic pain as well as nociceptive pain down there now (her ankle probably feels worse than mine, so she's naturally miserable.) That nerve is peripheral, so it can regenerate, but nobody can be sure it will, and, as you say, it could take years. If regeneration is occuring, is there any way to tell, such as different sensations, or some kind of test?

Wise Young · 08-14-2006, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alan

Dr. Young,

My sister has had three surgeries on her right ankle, due to the first two surgeons screwing up. The second one apparently also damaged a nerve down there, so she has neuropathic pain as well as nociceptive pain down there now (her ankle probably feels worse than mine, so she's naturally miserable.) That nerve is peripheral, so it can regenerate, but nobody can be sure it will, and, as you say, it could take years. If regeneration is occuring, is there any way to tell, such as different sensations, or some kind of test?

Alan,

Injury to a nerve at the ankle may not take as long for sensation to recover in the foot as injury to a nerve at the elbow. Depending on whether the injury occurred at a main trunk some distance from the innervation point or the injury occurred close to the innervation point, the recovery time and pattern may be different.

Peripheral deafferentation pain is frequent but it also appears to have something to do with inflammation at the injury site and activity of the spinal cord in the days that follow the injury. For example, as you know, amputation of a limb causes phantom limb pain which is a from of deafferentation pain. However, at the time of amputation, if one drips a local anesthetic onto the spinal cord or provide anti-inflammatory agents (such as steroids), it may be possible to prevent the onset of pain. Sometime ago, I chaired a study section that evaluated grant applications to treat neuropathic pain and this was a hot topic of research activity.

Wise.

Meg1 · 08-14-2006, 04:23 PM

Do you still have?

Was the feeling completely gone for a while? Pin/needles/pain?

What has come back so far?

Was it from an injury or did it 'just happen'?

Thanks,
Meg

jack · 08-15-2006, 08:48 AM

symptons are weak wrist with heavy feeling,
happened from injury, i think
feeling was completely gone for a few days.
no improvement the last 9 months.

08-13-2006, 08:54 AM	#1
jack Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Caruthersville, MO USA Posts: 284	pinched nerve question? if one has a pinched nerve in the elbow area that affects hand and wrist, would i be able to tell gradually that it's getting better or would i only be able to tell after approx. a year when it heals all the way? thanks jack

08-13-2006, 09:35 PM	#5
alan Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 6,169	Dr. Young, My sister has had three surgeries on her right ankle, due to the first two surgeons screwing up. The second one apparently also damaged a nerve down there, so she has neuropathic pain as well as nociceptive pain down there now (her ankle probably feels worse than mine, so she's naturally miserable.) That nerve is peripheral, so it can regenerate, but nobody can be sure it will, and, as you say, it could take years. If regeneration is occuring, is there any way to tell, such as different sensations, or some kind of test? __________________ Alan Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.

08-14-2006, 04:23 PM	#7
Meg1 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 225	Which Symptoms? Do you still have? Was the feeling completely gone for a while? Pin/needles/pain? What has come back so far? Was it from an injury or did it 'just happen'? Thanks, Meg

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08-13-2006, 10:08 AM	#2
noryn Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 353	Once the pressure is off of the nerve you should be able to tell a difference in a few weeks. Often the symptoms wont just completely go away once the problem is taken care of because the nerve is irritated and the symptoms may take a few weeks to resolve.

08-13-2006, 10:32 AM	#3
jack Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Caruthersville, MO USA Posts: 284	its been 10 months. nothing has changed afer first month. will it now have to heal all the way to my hand to notice more improvement.

08-15-2006, 08:48 AM	#8
jack Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Caruthersville, MO USA Posts: 284	symptons are weak wrist with heavy feeling, happened from injury, i think feeling was completely gone for a few days. no improvement the last 9 months.