Restoring Function

A number of treatments can help restore function to the affected muscles.

• Braces or splints. These devices help hold the affected limb, fingers, hand or foot in the proper position to improve muscle function.
• Electrical stimulator. Stimulators can activate muscle served by an injured nerve while the nerve regrows. However, this treatment may not be effective for everyone. Your doctor will discuss electrical stimulation with you if it's an option.
• Physical and occupational therapy. Therapy involves specific movements or exercises to keep your affected muscles and joints active. Physical therapy can prevent stiffness and help restore function and feeling.
• Exercise. Exercise can help improve your muscle strength, maintain your range of motion and reduce muscle cramps.

Treatments

Restoring Function
A number of treatments can help restore function to the affected muscles. • Braces or splints. These devices help hold the affected limb, fingers, hand or foot in the proper position to improve muscle function. • Electrical stimulator. Stimulators can activate muscle served by an injured nerve while the nerve regrows. However, this treatment may not be effective for everyone. Your doctor will discuss electrical stimulation with you if it's an option. • Physical and occupational therapy. Therapy involves specific movements or exercises to keep your affected muscles and joints active. Physical therapy can prevent stiffness and help restore function and feeling. • Exercise. Exercise can help improve your muscle strength, maintain your range of motion and reduce muscle cramps. View

Restoring Function

View

Surgery
If one of your peripheral nerves fails to heal properly, your surgeon can use electromyography (EMG) testing in the operating room to assess whether scarred nerves are recovering. Doing an EMG test directly on the nerve is more accurate and reliable than doing the test over the skin. Sometimes a section of a nerve is cut completely or damaged beyond repair. Your surgeon can remove the damaged section and reconnect healthy nerve ends (nerve repair) or implant a piece of nerve from another part of your body (nerve graft). These procedures can help your nerves to regrow. Sometimes your surgeon can borrow another working nerve to make an injured nerve work (nerve transfer). If you have a particularly severe nerve injury or one that has been untreated for a long time, your doctor may suggest surgery to restore function to critical muscles by transferring tendons from one muscle to another View

Surgery

If one of your peripheral nerves fails to heal properly, your surgeon can use electromyography (EMG) testing in the operating room to assess whether scarred nerves are recovering. Doing an EMG test directly on the nerve is more accurate and reliable than doing the test over the skin.

Sometimes a section of a nerve is cut completely or damaged beyond repair. Your surgeon can remove the damaged section and reconnect healthy nerve ends (nerve repair) or implant a piece of nerve from another part of your body (nerve graft). These procedures can help your nerves to regrow.

Sometimes your surgeon can borrow another working nerve to make an injured nerve work (nerve transfer).

If you have a particularly severe nerve injury or one that has been untreated for a long time, your doctor may suggest surgery to restore function to critical muscles by transferring tendons from one muscle to another

View