An individual’s nervous system is the most active part of the human body and is involved in everything the body does, from regulating breathing, controlling muscles and sensing heat and cold. There are three types of nerves in the body,

• Autonomic nerves – These nerves control the involuntary or partially voluntary activities of the body, such as blood pressure, digestion, and temperature regulation.
• Motor nerves – These nerves control movements and actions by passing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles.
• Sensory nerves – These nerves transmit information from the skin and muscles back to the spinal cord and brain. The information is then processed to the individual to feel, pain and other sensations.

Since nerves are an essential part of the body’s function, nerve pain and damage can seriously affect an individual’s quality of life.

What are the signs and symptoms of Nerve Damage?

There are a variety of symptoms due to nerve damage, and nerve damage can occur in the brain or the spinal cord, or the peripheral nerves, which are located throughout the body.

Autonomic nerve damage may produce the following symptoms:

• Incapable of sensing chest pain
• Too much sweating or too little sweating
• Lightheadedness
• Dry eyes and mouth
• Constipation
• Bladder dysfunction
• Sexual dysfunction

Damage to motor nerves may produce the following symptoms:

• Weakness
• Muscle atrophy
• Twitching
• Paralysis

Sensory nerve damage may produce the following symptoms:

• Pain
• Sensitivity
• Numbness
• Tingling or prickling
• Burning
• Problems with positional awareness

What causes Nerve Damage?

There are several different types of nerve damage and they may require different types of treatment.

Here are some of the possible causes of nerve pain and nerve damage.

• Autoimmune diseases
• Cancer
• Compression or trauma
• Diabetes
• Drug side effects and toxic substances
• Motor neuron diseases
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Infectious disease

What treatments are available for nerve pain and damage?

There are a variety of various treatments that can help a patient suffering with nerve damage or nerve pain. Nerve damage is often progressive, therefore it is important to meet with a doctor when there are early symptoms. The team of Neurosurgeon’s at the Montreal Clinic in Dubai will help patient’s deal with the likelihood of permanent damage and go on a have healthy life.

The first goal of treatment is to address the underlying condition that’s causing nerve pain or nerve damage, some of the treatment options may consist of the following,

• Regulating blood sugar levels of patients with diabetes
• Correcting nutritional deficiencies
• Changing the type of medication when they are the cause of nerve damage
• Physical therapy or surgery to address compression or trauma to nerves
• Medications to treat autoimmune conditions

Furthermore, our Neurosurgeons in Dubai, may prescribe medications aimed at minimizing the nerve pain, which may include

• Pain relievers
• Tricyclic antidepressants
• Some types of anti-seizure drug
• Local anaesthetics that can minimize the pain
• Anticonvulsants or neuroleptic medications which are also considered effective and is generally well tolerated by most patients
• Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRI) are a newer type of antidepressant that seem to help with nerve pain.

Tricyclic Antidepressants and anticonvulsants are often the initial line of treatment, and the combination of the two medications is thought to be very effective as well. Most neurosurgeons may prescribe a combination of antidepressants, anticonvulsants and local anaesthetics. Additionally, topical creams may also be prescribed and applied to the skin for pain relief, although it may take multiple daily applications for a long period, for them to take effect.

Some of the complementary and alternative approaches may include

• Biofeedback
• Hypnosis
• Meditation

While medications are the initial choice for neuropathic pain, some other non drug-options also help relieve the pain, which includes,

• Electrical stimulation – When patients feel nerve pain, an electrical signal is being sent from a damaged nerve to the brain. Some treatments for nerve pain work by sending out their own electrical impulses. These charges will block or break up the pain signals, reducing the pain.

There are several different ways to deal with nerve pain. If some treatment options do not work, there are others that might. By working with our neurosurgeons in Dubai, patients can find total relief.