Injuries / disorders peripheral nerves

Nerve compression syndrome, compression neuropathy

The nerves of our body have to cover long distances from the brain or spinal cord to muscles and skin to some extent. Sometimes, they also have to pass anatomical bottlenecks, which may become too narrow over time and cause nerve compression. Firstly, pain and paresthesia (“tingling”) may occur and at a later stage even sensory loss and paralysis. This accumulation of symptoms is called nerve compression syndrome, compression neuropathy or sometimes entrapment neuropathy.

At Beta Klinik, we mainly focus on the treatment of the following nerve compression syndromes:

• carpal tunnel syndrome (wrist)
• meralgia paresthetica (groin)
• Morton´s neuroma/Morton´s metatarsalgia (foot)
• cubital tunnel syndrome/ulnar nerve entrapment (elbow)
• tarsal tunnel syndrome (ankle)

Injury of peripheral nerves

Different external forces can cause different kinds of injury. Sharp (penetrating) injuries, e.g., caused by cuts, can sever a nerve partially or completely. In case of complete severance of a nerve, the innervated muscles are paralyzed and the skin is numb. The detached ends of the nerves can be sutured during neurosurgery.

Acute blunt force trauma of a nerve or a strained nerve can lead to temporary or constant nerve injury, depending on the severity of the force. Permanent nerve damage can be treated surgically. The extent of the damage determines the extent of the surgical procedure. It is important that the kind and extent of neurosurgery is evaluated after a comprehensive physical examination, often including device-assisted diagnostic procedures.

Peripheral nerve sheath tumors

Tumors in peripheral nerves are very rare. Often, they are benign and can be removed microsurgically. Peripheral nerve sheath tumors like schwannomas are such benign tumors located at peripheral nerve fibers. These kind of cells (Schwann cells) form a layer of insulation (myelin sheath) that helps transmitting signals very fast. Schwannomas can generally occur in every nerve, also cerebral nerves (vestibular schwannoma). They can either be located next to the spine and spinal cord or in peripheral nerves. Normally, tumors have to be removed by a neurosurgeon.