Anyone with neuropathy from stretched nerves?
 

If so, I'm wondering if any relevant improvement with time from initial injury. I have damaged nerves from being stretched, and my Dr. told me they could heal in 5 years, 10 years, or not at all. I'm curious about others with this, and am interested if I should keep up hope or just faggitahboudit.

Thanks! Vanna

Hi Vanna. I'm curious as to how your injury occurred. I went to a chiro for awhile and I always wondered about that...

Hope and Kitt
 

I was in a head-on collision without my seatbelt on. My body was thrown onto the dash and in the process my chest was pushed into the steering wheel. I had EMG and SSEP tests done and they confirmed severe nerve damage (brachial plexus, TOS, and lumbar RSD). I do have some herniated discs, so my DR. performed a discogram to make sure the discs were not the source of the problem. He feels the discs are not such a problem, but moreso theorizes the nerves have been damaged from being stretched. My accident happened over 2 years ago, and as far as there being any improvement in my neuropathy..... there has been none.

Thanks!! Vanna

Stretch injury--
 

--can absolutely cause neuropathic symptoms, either through stripping away of myelin sheathing, if the nerve is myelinated, or through overextending the axon, whether the nerve is myelinated or not.

In a number of syndromes, such as pudendal neuropathy and tarsal tunnel, overstretch is thought to be a major component of the symptoms.

Recovery would seem to rest on many factors, but one would certainly be releasing any tethering forces on the nerve that stretch it, and or relieving any other compressive forces--the two go hand-in-hand. It's why intelligently applied physical therapy is worth an investigation (but one wants to get to an expert in nerve glide and release techniques, which not all PT''s have).