Nerve Damage (neuropathy) as a Side Effect of Surgery

How it happens.

Often, during the course of surgery it is possible that nerves may become damaged. This is called neuropathy.  A damaged nerve can cause pain, burning, numbness, tingling, pins and needles, and stabbing pain.

Causes of nerve damage during surgery include the scalpel, a bruise that occurs on the nerve, inflammation of the tissue around the nerve, forces caused by patient positioning during surgery, or prolonged contact with rigid surgical equipment. Prolonged stretching or compression of tissue surrounding a nerve hampers circulation and can deprive the nerve of nourishment. These effects can lead to nerve damage, which may be temporary or permanent especially if nothing is done to build back nerve health.

More information about this side effect

There have been studies done in 2010 by the Mayo Clinic that found that in some cases nerve inflammation may be the cause following surgical procedures saying that it was not the surgeon’s fault but the immune system attacking the nerves.

The Mayo Clinic study found that nerve inflammation may cause pain, numbness, and weakness following surgical procedures.

Although anyone undergoing surgery runs a risk of nerve damage, patients who have diabetes mellitus, cancer, a vitamin deficiency, or a history of previous nerve injury have an increased risk. Other risk factors include smoking, alcoholism, obesity, a preexisting limitation in joint movement, personal or occupational habits that cause repeated bending of an extremity, or a lengthy surgical procedure.

This damage can be the result of all types of surgery including back surgery,  knee replacement, deviated septum, hiatal hernia, kidney stones,l endometriosis, heart surgery, shoulder surgery, etc. etc.

In some cases, the nerve damage will go away over time, as the injured portion of the nerve heals or the inflammation goes away. In other cases, the symptoms are permanent unless the nerves can be made healthy.

Symptoms of surgical nerve damage:

Symptoms include tingling or numbness in one area of the body. It may resemble “pins and needles: It can result in pain, which is generally a severe burning pain.

These symptoms may occur at the actual surgical site, or in distant parts of the body as the damaged nerve may supply these parts.

These symptoms may become worse due to sudden movements or unusual body positioning, such as those that occur during sleep.

The pain that comes from post-surgical nerve damage will be treated by medical doctors with pain medication, even narcotics.

Treatment for the Nerve Damage of Surgery

You’ve probably read or heard about lots of different remedies for the symptoms of nerve damage (neuropathy). You just need to search on the internet under neuropathy to get pages and pages of remedies. The search will reveal many different viewpoints about what will help you get relief. I’ve talked to many people who have tried remedy after remedy.

There are many herbs that attempt to cover up the symptoms and there are many drugs that also try to cover up the symptoms.  You can go to Neuropathy Treatments to get the pros and cons of many of these.

There are many different anti-oxidants and formulas that will bring some relief. I know the things that will help – essential fatty acids, vitamin C, combination of acetyl l-carnitine and alpha-lipoic acid – etc. etc.  (more later)

The real cause of all these problems however is the unhealthy nerves. Healthy nerves aren’t painful, they aren’t numb, don’t burn…. and aren’t all the other symptoms that you feel with nerve damage.

Get Your Quality of Life Back

None of the various neuropathy treatments will restore nerve health. You can cover up the symptoms and you can increase circulation and you can make a person feel less pain, etc., but if you build healthy nerves, there will not be any symptoms (healthy nerves don’t hurt, tingle, burn, are not numb, etc.) and the relief will be lasting.

Restoring Health to the Nerves*   

We always recommend you take the approach of building health and nerves are no different.  The healthier your nerves are, the less the symptoms of nerve damage you will feel.

Nerves need to be healthy to function properly.

Pros: Healthy sensory nerves mean that they are not painful. Healthy nerves mean that they communicate and don’t send wrong signals such as burning, hot and cold, tingling when there is no reason for it. Healthy motor nerves mean that they relay messages from the brain to the muscle so that they move correctly without weakness.

The body needs specific nutrients (vitamins) to be able to restore health to the nerves. Getting bio-available special forms of B1 and B12 along with the other B Vitamins that activate them will promote and support healthy nerves.

Cons: It may not give immediate relief (although some people feel relief right away) as the vitamins are working at a cellular level, it may take longer, but it does address the actual problem and builds healthy nerves.

Find out what is needed to restore health to the nerves.

Natural Treatment & Building Healthy Nerves

RECOMMENDED: (This is where we have researched products and found one that we found will work for you)

There are several things that you can do to Build Healthy Nerves.   MCVitamins has been working with neuroipathy & nerve dmage sufferers for 18 years.  We can help.

What can you do:

Take a Quiz: Am I doing everything I can to daily help my neuropathy?

Find out what lifestyle changes will help, and what you need to help your nerves.  Take the quiz and we will answer so you get our assistance on what you can do.  There can be several things.

Take Our Quiz

You can also Contact us by email and get your questions answered.   You can also call 818 252-1038  

We can recommend what will work best for you

Studies & Research on Nerve Health

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