Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy is a broad term for problems affecting your peripheral nerves. These nerves help control movement, sensation, and pain throughout your body. Symptoms can vary depending on which nerve is affected and what is causing the problem.

At WMCHealth, we evaluate and treat peripheral nerve problems in adults and children. Some conditions respond to nonsurgical care, while others may benefit from specialized nerve surgery. Our multidisciplinary team helps determine the cause of your symptoms and build a care plan around your needs.

Symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral nerve problems can cause different symptoms or signs depending on the nerve involved.

You may experience:

Tingling
Weakness
Arm or leg pain
Dropping objects
Loss of sensation
Muscle wasting, or atrophy

Because these symptoms can overlap with other conditions, an evaluation can help identify the cause. Worsening weakness or muscle wasting may be especially important to evaluate early.

Causes of Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy can have many causes. These generally include medical conditions or problems affecting a specific peripheral nerve:

Medical conditions: Diabetes can cause diabetic peripheral neuropathy, which is generally managed without surgery.
Nerve entrapment: Nerves can become compressed as they pass through narrow spaces. Examples include carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar neuropathy, and common peroneal neuropathy. Less common entrapments include thoracic outlet syndrome, meralgia paresthetica, and piriformis syndrome.
Injury or trauma: Trauma can damage peripheral nerves or the brachial plexus, a network of nerves serving movement and sensation of the arm.
Nerve tumors: Tumors can develop along nerves in the arms, legs, brachial plexus, or other areas.

Diagnosing Peripheral Neuropathy

Finding the source of your symptoms starts with your medical history and a physical examination. Your care team may then use testing to better understand how your nerves are functioning.

Diagnostic testing may include:

Ultrasound: Creates images of peripheral nerves and nearby tissues to help identify possible nerve problems.
Electromyography (EMG): Measures electrical activity in your muscles to look for changes related to nerve damage.
Nerve conduction studies (NCS): Measure how well electrical signals travel through your nerves.
MRI of the brachial plexus: Provides detailed images of the network of nerves that runs from your spine into your arm.

Your care team considers your symptoms, examination findings, imaging, and electrical testing together when making a diagnosis.

Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment

Treatment depends on the nerve involved, the cause of your symptoms, and how much they affect your function. Your care team will also consider whether your symptoms are stable or progressing.

Nonsurgical Treatment

For some nerve conditions, treatment may begin with less invasive options. Depending on your diagnosis, these may include:

Bracing
Injections
Pain management
Activity modification
Physical medicine and rehabilitation

For certain conditions, an injection can temporarily numb a nerve and help determine whether it is causing your symptoms.

Peripheral Nerve Surgery

Surgery may be considered if symptoms progress, weakness develops, or nonsurgical treatment does not help. WMCHealth offers specialized peripheral nerve procedures for adults and children.

Depending on your condition, surgical treatment may include:

Nerve decompression: Frees a compressed nerve from surrounding structures to create more space around it.
Nerve grafting: Bridges an injured section of nerve with a graft to support repair.
Nerve transfers: Uses part of a working nerve to help restore function to another nerve that is not working.
Traumatic neuroma resection and grafting: Removes an injured nerve segment or painful neuroma and uses a graft to support reconstruction.
Peripheral nerve tumor removal: Removes tumors that develop along a nerve. For some cases, surgeons use nerve monitoring and stimulation during the procedure.

Your surgeon will discuss the potential benefits, risks, and goals of any procedure with you.

Our Multidisciplinary Approach to Peripheral Nerve Care

WMCHealth’s Peripheral Nerve Surgery Program brings together specialists from several disciplines to care for complex peripheral nerve conditions. Your team can coordinate diagnosis, nonsurgical treatment, rehabilitation, and surgical care based on your needs.

Depending on your needs, your care may include specialists from: