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    Nerve Damage Treatment

    Dr. Keith Raskin regularly provides nerve damage repair for patients experiencing painful nerve issues in their fingers, wrists, or hands. Nerves play an important role in the body – they carry messages from the brain to different body parts and vice versa. Nerve damage to the hand should be addressed immediately to retain functionality. Sometimes nerves can get damaged due to injury, excessive pressure, or stretching. Injury can occur for reasons other than trauma – medical conditions like infections, illnesses, and repetitive use can lead to nerve damage as well.

    Major Nerves in the Hand

    There are three main nerves in the hand:
  • The median nerve helps a person flex their middle and index fingers and their thumbs.
  • The ulnar nerve is a pathway to carry sensations from the pinkie fingers, palms, and ring fingers. It is crucial for motor function for these areas.
  • The radial nerve is in charge of all motor functions related to the wrists and the fingers. It is the pathway for sensations to and from the brain for the index and middle fingers, as well as the thumbs.

    • Signs and Symptoms of Nerve Damage

    The symptoms of injury/damage are different based on the nerve injured, the type of injury, and the severity of the injury. Symptoms include numbness, weakness, and pain. These can be constant if the injury is severe, or they may be intermittent if the injury recurs.

    Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common nerve injury. This occurs when the median nerve is under pressure. Symptoms include hand numbness, weakness in the thumb, and pain in the wrist, hand, and forearm.

    Injury Diagnosis

    If you have problems with your hands, fingers, and/or wrists, Dr. Raskin will ask you questions to better understand the issues. He will also recommend tests based on your symptoms. You may have to undergo a physical and then get an X-ray, MRI, CT scan, or electrodiagnostic study. Once the cause has been determined, the next step is to treat and/or repair the injury.

    How to Treat Nerve Damage

    Most nerve damage may never be completely fixed. There are several treatments and medications that will help with symptom alleviation.

    Non-Surgical Therapies: Rest is typically the first recommendation for non-surgical treatment. If you experience pain and weakness in any of the nerves in your hand and wrist, try resting it first. Let the injury heal well. Medications may be prescribed to address pain. Once the nerve has healed and the pain has gone down, you will have to do hand, finger, or wrist exercises recommended by Dr. Raskin.

    Surgery: If the pain from a nerve injury is chronic, you may require nerve damage repair surgery. In instances where compression or pinching of a nerve is diagnosed, surgery will be able to help in releasing the nerve. This along with exercise will restore functionality. Success will depend on severity and on the length of time that the nerve was pinched or compressed.

    Doctors who specialize in Nerve Damage in West Palm Beach

    Dr. Keith Raskin

    Hand, Wrist, Elbow Surgeon
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