Nerve Damage??

[PatEc]

Recently after two surgeries more then a year ago, my surgeon told me that it appears now that I have permemant nerve damage. I've had EMT test done about 3 different times.I have severe constant pain in both legs. A couple questions that I have.. do nerves regenerate if so how long does it take? Is there any surgery that can repair nerve damage? Is there any test that can tell exclusly if there is perment VS tempory nerve damage. Before surgery my surgeon almost gauarteed me complete pain free results. During second back surgery surgeon said he found that I had a condition know as IEL but said he removed tissue from nerves.. but now a year later my leg problems have gotten no better maybe even worse.He wants me to see a Chronic Pain specialist but I need to think about all my options...

Please Help if u can
Thanks

[shortyab]

I was in a car crash 15 months ago. I was driving, left leg hit the clutch on collision. Xray and MRI came back clear, turned away from physios, doctors and surgeons saying theres nothing else i can do that time will hea. But in the 15 months it has only slightly gotton better. I dance for a living so my whole life has come to a hault. Physio says it is nerve damage i have got injections, lazer treatment, accupuncture, herbal, tried everything. Im left with no answers to how long it will take to heal, going insane!

[Tigerjen]

If anyone has any information or experience with traumatic leg neuropathy.
I fell outside my home and landed on a cinderblock in my groin area.
xrays show no breaks but I am in terrible pain- which they say is like
a pinched nerve- almost a reverse sciatia in my groin area.
Pain is severe and burning from knee down to my toes. My foot/toes go numb
and it is unbearable to put weight on it.
I was told by the ER Dr- no ortho follow up needed, Just time but also dont rest
my leg keep in moving. What should I do? The pain is severe and not improving.
I would appreciate anyones input on this.
Thanks so much- Jennifer

[David E]

Thank you both so much.. Pixiangelj I look at that chart and according to what I see all nerve injuries are repairable. Am I right? What kind of Meds are u taking for your pain? My surgeon has me now on hydrocodine and Cymbalta but wants me to try Gabpentine which I'm getting soon..
Any Help you can provide would be greatly appreciated

[Pixiangelj]

Neurapraxia -- pressure on the affected nerve with no loss of continuity.

Axonotmesis -- neural tube intact, but axons are disrupted. These nerves are likely to recover.

Neurotmesis -- the neural tube is severed. These injuries are likely permanent without repair, and will likely only achieve partial recovery at best.

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:2tC1Xq0rSAQJ:www.eohsi.rutgers.edu/internal/classes/neuralinjuryrepair/AxonalInjury21507Lowndes.pdf+sunderland+class+6+nerve+injury&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=10&gl=us

Sorry that link is a mess.... that one is hard to understand, it has literally taken me years to understand, but I am very much into it now. What I have as a result from my surgery is a small increase in encephalomalacia (dead tissue that didn't repair itself) where the gliosis(scar) is. I mean if you think bout it as with anything you will have a scar and sometimes you won't always get 100% back unfortunately.. I have tried, Tegretol XR and the regular, worked well but I was non functioning just too tired, Neurontin(Gabapentin) which did nothing for me it's used more in neuropathy versus neuralgia, I have a neuralgia, verapamil, cytotec both off label i'm currently on topamax and it's going well it's helping but i have lost twenty pounds last month.If I force myself to eat, I physically get sick, or even if i try to eat. And with these medicine when i'm tired I get confused easily, not easy conditions to drive in!! So it's just adapting. I really am just afraid I will have to stay on this for a while, cause mine is increasingly getting worse. I hope those links, and those few short explanations help. I will be checking back, helps to vent when someone else understands... Take care till then

[Pixiangelj]

I'm sorry to hear that we are in the same situation (somewhat)....I had a brain tumor 2 and a half years ago. Stage I completely removed but left the left side of my face completely numb, but I have since then developed severe pain with the numbness.... trigeminal neuralgia. I have spent the countless nights searching and searching. I would recommend getting multiple opinions. Nerves do regenerate very slowly, however, there is a classification system on nerve injuries.
http://www.medstudents.com.br/neuroc/neuroc4.htm

My surgeon said it should come back and I have had four doctors say after a year it would practically be a medical miracle. Now obviously two different locations, and mine has been getting worse, I am on medication to help control the pain, but the numbness and the pain are still there, both of which show no sign of going anywhere. My point is Central Nervous System injuries are more fragile, the myelin sheath has a lot to do with it. I will check back if you have any questions, I'm a research guru if you would like me to help you look around... I know the frustration and would be more than happy to help

[patsy10]

Nerves repair very slowly.  The neurosurgeon told me something like 3mm a day starting at the spine.  It would take a very long time to get from the spine to the foot etc...He told me complete recovery from surgery was about 8 months.  I had neck surgery.  I'm not sure but I don't think there is any test to tell temporary from permanent nerve damage.  I would think that after one year what is there is permanent.  I have permanent problems since my surgery.