Nerves 101

Is nerve damaged graded?  Are the symptoms, ie; burning, tingling, shooting pain, throbbing, etc; happen in any progressive order? Or are they random? Can nerves,ie; sciatica be seperated motor from sensation?

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hi.

Grossly, there are 3 grades of Nerve Injury - (in increasing order of severity)

1) Neuropraxia - This is the mildest form. There is an interruption of the nerve conduction. There is no break in continuity. This is mostly a chemical disturbance.

2) Axonotmesis - Loss of continuity of the axon (long part of the nerve cell), but the framework of the nerve cell is preserved. Regeneration occurs in a few weeks.

3) Neurotmesis - Here, not only the axon, the connective tissue framework also loses their continuity.

The symptoms of nerve injury appear according to these grades of severity. Acute damage may give the shooting pains first and then burning,etc. But a slowly progressive damage (like compression) may start with burning, tingling numbness first.

There are some pure motor nerves, and pure sensory nerves. And some nerves carry both the fibres. Sciatic has both.

Hope that helps.

[Kenny51]

Thanks, that is exactly what I wanted to know.  I have tried looking it up thru the net without luck.. again thank you.  Kenny51

[smily5200]

can you explain your answer in laymans terms?
I cut my hand just right under my left thumb. I have normal feelin on one side of my thumb, but the side where my wound is, I have sharp shooting pain, numbness and a burning feeling like I burnt my thumb.
I had to get seven stiches.
When should I see a hand doctor? Specific symptoms to look for?