Nerve Damage | Symptoms & Treatment | MedStar Health
Nerve damage is a broad category that includes any injury or trauma that has occurred to the body's nerves. Certain conditions can also cause nerve damage, including:
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Motor neuron diseases, like Lou Gehrig's disease
- Nutritional deficiencies, including lack of B6 and B12 vitamins
- Infectious disease
- Medication side effects
Symptoms
Symptoms of nerve damage include:
- Weakness
- Pain
- Twitching
- Tingling or burning pain
- Inability to sense pain
A physician will want to conduct a thorough examination, including a full medical and family history and neurological exam to assess nerve function. He or she may also recommend the following diagnostic tests to better assess the origin of the damage:
- Nerve conduction tests, to ascertain how the nerves react to different kinds of stimuli.
- EMG test, a test of the electrical activity of the nerves.
- Nerve biopsy
Treatments
Depending on the cause, a treatment plan may include one or more of the following:
- Medications, to control the symptoms
- Physical or occupational therapy
- Surgery, to release the compression around the nerves
Our providers
Expert neurology care
Getting the care you need starts with seeing one of our neurology specialists.