Nerve Injuries 2

Nerve Damage

• Actual destruction of nerve cells

• Most nerve damage is permanent

• Nerve damage is usually caused by broken or dislocated bones.

Nerve Irritation

• Nerve FUNCTION is temporarily affected

  • motor function:  paralysis or weakness

  • sensory function:  numbness or paresthesia

• No actual destruction of nerve tissue

• Transient:  Not permanent. Function may return in hours, days, weeks, or months

• Can be caused by pinching, stretching, bruising, or pressure from swelling

Paresthesia

• Abnormal sensations such as stinging, burning, tingling

• Para=abnormal, esthesi/o=feeling

Stingers

• Stretching of nerves in the cervical or brachial plexus

• Caused by fall/blow on head and shoulder

• Motor symptoms

  • weakness in shoulder, arm, hand

• Sensory symptoms

  • numbness or paresthesia (burning, stinging, tingling)

Sciatica

• Pain, numbness, weakness, paresthesia in leg and/or foot

• Caused by compression from herniated intervertebral disk

Nerve Function

• Motor Function:  

  • Stimulate muscles to contract (move)

• Sensory Function

  • Bring sensory information to the brain (feel, see, hear, etc)

• Integrative Function

  • Think, remember, etc

Nervous System

• Central Nervous System

  • Brain and Spinal Cord

• Peripheral Nervous System

  • Nerves throughout the body

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