Compression Neuropathy Treatment

Nerve compression is a type of medical syndrome that occurs when an excess amount of pressure is applied to the nerve or is squeezed firmly.

Most commonly affected nerves by this syndrome might be situated in the extremities, limbs, or torso. Unbearable pain, numbness, the inability to perform routine tasks, and poor muscle strength could be a few possible signs and symptoms of Nerve Compression Syndrome.

The most common kind of Nerve Compression Syndrome is 'Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.' Even though the medical condition might not sound fatal, getting medical attention as soon as possible is advisable to avoid permanent damage.

What is nerve compression neuropathy?

Our bodies consist of a bundle of fibers that are responsible for passing messages throughout the body called the 'Nerves.' These nerves exchange impulses between the brain/spinal cord and muscle & organs. If you're suffering from Nerve Compression, your body may send distress signals to the mind. This syndrome can result in both long-term and short-term damage.

The nerve compression syndrome, also known as 'Nerve Compression Neuropathy, ' occurs when too much pressure is exerted on a nerve or when it's squeezed. There are different kinds of nerve compression syndromes.

Given below is a list of other names for nerve compression syndrome goes by:

• Trapped Nerve
• Compression Neuropathy
• Entrapment Neuropathy
• Nerve Entrapment Syndrome
• Nerve Compression Neuropathy

This medical condition usually occurs because of repeated injuries on a specific body part. In addition to that, other pre-existing problems like rheumatoid arthritis and hypothyroidism can also be held accountable for this medical condition.

Types of Compression Neuropathy

Some non-identical sort of nerve compression disease exists, with each one affecting a specific peripheral nerve.

The most usual kinds of nerve compression syndrome are listed below:

1. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: This is the most common type of nerve compression syndrome due to compression of 'the median nerve' at the wrist. The median nerve begins from the inside of the upper arm and stretches straight up to the thumb. A structure called 'carpal tunnel' exists in the wrist, and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome might occur when excessive force is exerted on the wrist.
2. Sciatic Compression: Sciatic compression, also known as sciatica, commonly occurs in the back or legs. It occurs in 'the sciatic nerve' located in the lower back and stretches down the back of the legs. A herniated disc is considered the primary reason for sciatic compression.

These discs exist in between two vertebrae that are responsible for the cushioning of the spine. When unwanted force is put on the spine, it can cause a herniation. This herniation could harm the sciatic nerve, resulting in compression.

1. Cubital Tunnel Syndrome: This is another frequent kind of nerve compression syndrome known as Ulnar Neuropathy or Ulnar Nerve Entrapment. It happens when excessive force is exerted on 'the ulnar nerve' at the elbow.

This nerve enables you to feel the sensation when you injure your funny bone. Lending excessive pressure on the elbow may lead to inflammation, which ultimately becomes the reason for Ulnar Tunnel disease.

These are the most common types of nerve compression syndrome, but that's not all. There are other types of nerve compression syndromes, too, such as Meralgia paresthetica, Radial nerve compression syndrome, and so on.

Causes of Nerve Compression

Nerve compression syndrome mainly occurs because of repeated injuries on the same body parts, which puts too much pressure on that body part and results in this medical condition.

Given below is a list of causes other than repeated injuries:

• Autoimmune diseases, namely rheumatoid arthritis.
• Hypothyroidism.
• Diabetes.
• Obesity.
• Tumors and cysts.
• High blood pressure problem.
• Neural disorders.
• Decreased blood circulation to the nerve.
• Inflammation in nerves and their surroundings.
• Structural changes in nerves.

Moreover, other factors, such as fractures and sprains, can also be responsible for nerve compression syndrome. Nevertheless, all these cause damage to nerves and their ability to transmit impulses, leading to nerve compression syndrome.

Nerve compression risk factors

The most common risk factors of nerve compression include:

1. Age: In most cases, individuals who are at age 30 or above are more likely to develop this disease.
2. Gender: The ratio of women is relatively higher when it comes to the development of different kinds of nerve compression syndrome; it even includes carpal tunnel syndrome.
3. Highly stressful routine: For people who perform physical activities that put too much stress on the nerves daily, the risk of developing the syndrome increases.
4. Other medical conditions: Patients who suffer from other medical conditions, such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, etc., are likely to develop nerve compression syndrome.

Symptoms of Compression Neuropathy

The symptoms of Compression Neuropathy vary as per its type and location. However, some of the most common symptoms of Compression

Neuropathy includes the following:

• Tenderness, inflammation, and pain.
• Redness and numbness.
• Lost potential of muscles.
• Declined flexibility.
• Inability/difficulty in making certain movements.

Nerve Compression Diagnosis

It is mandatory to get proper medical attention while the symptoms are mild, as they can become severe and cause permanent damage if left untreated for a longer duration.

The doctor will ask about all the symptoms you're facing and consider them while choosing a method to confirm the diagnosis. They may also conduct a physical examination and other diagnostic tests to confirm the type and severity of the nerve compression.

Apart from asking the patient about the symptoms and conducting a physical exam, and others are used for diagnosis or confirming the diagnosis.

Other tests performed by the doctors include:

• MRI
• Ultrasound
• Electromyography

However, diagnostic tests aren't necessarily required for certain types of nerve compression, such as Cubital Tunnel and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. But some doctors conduct these tests anyway to know more about the underlying condition and select the most suitable treatment method for the patient.

Compression Neuropathy Treatments

There are numerous ways of treating nerve compression, and the selection of the best method of treatment depends on the type and severity of the nerve compression.

Some common methods of treatment that are usually opted for by people and doctors are listed below:

1. Avoid stressful activities: The best way to treat nerve compression is to eliminate the cause of it in the beginning. You should change the way you live and start avoiding physical activities that exert too much pressure on the body, leading to nerve compression. Eliminating such strenuous activities will reduce the stress on your nerves and eventually reduce your pain and other symptoms.
2. Physical therapy: Enrolling yourself in physiotherapy under the guidance of a professional physiotherapist can aid you in improving your scalability, strength, and overall body structure. In addition to that, it also helps in relieving symptoms, including pain, tenderness, and difficulty in movement.
3. Prosthetic devices: In several cases, the doctor provides a splint or cast to avoid putting pressure on it. A splint/cast helps you reduce the pain
   and other symptoms by the method of immobilization. As the movement of the injured body part is restricted due to the splint, it recovers faster. However, wearing a splint for a longer period could result in stiffness of the injured body part, which would require physiotherapy to regain its
   original potential and movement.
4. Drugs & medication: Nerve compression symptoms such as pain, numbness and tenderness can be easily treated with the help of over-the-counter drugs. These medicines release pain and swelling so that the injured body part can regain its actual movement, and it does not affect
   your routine. Doctors prescribe these types of medicines as per the extent of the injury. In
   addition to that, antibiotics and corticosteroids are also injected into a patient's body through injections.
5. Surgery: Doctors usually opt for a surgical procedure when other treatment methods fail to recover the injury. Not every nerve compression patient is eligible to undergo a surgical procedure to cure their disorder.

Different factors must be considered before opting for surgery, and all surgeries have pros and cons. Moreover, the most important thing to keep in mind is aftercare. It is necessary to follow all the instructions given by the doctor, consume all the medicines, and stop the incision from getting infected after the surgery, as it may have some dire consequences.

Tips to prevent nerve compression

A few tips that might help you in preventing nerve compression are as follows:

• Use comfortable methods of completing your tasks at home and the workplace.
  Stretching and performing therapeutic exercises with the affected area.
• Giving appropriate attention and treatment to underlying conditions such as diabetes and hypothyroidism.
• Restrict repetitive movements.
• Avoid movements that cause pain.

Why Cutis Hospital for Compression Neuropathy?

Accurate diagnosis
Doctors at Cutis possess complete theoretical knowledge and abundant field practice in treating patients suffering from Nerve Compression Syndrome. However, as this medical condition has numerous types compared to other medical conditions, it is important to conduct all mandatory diagnostic tests and select the most suitable treatment method for the patient.

Doctors at Cutis conduct all the mandatory tests in addition to the optional ones that are used to confirm the diagnosis and aid doctors in choosing the best treatment method for the patient.

Saves resources
As thorough and accurate diagnosis is done at Cutis, the process of opting for the best method of treatment becomes easier. Doctors at Cutis try to treat all medical conditions with a suitable treatment method that works best for both doctors and patients.

They try to treat all the conditions with non-surgical methods so that patients do not have to go through unnecessary pain and waste their time & money. Here, doctors only opt for surgery when it is inevitable.

Maintenance & Hygiene
At Cutis, the hygiene of patients and clean surroundings are two of the main priorities. All the advanced equipment and machinery are maintained and cleaned thoroughly after each use, preventing transmission of contagious diseases from the previous patient to the next one.

All the chemicals and disposable waste is cleaned out on a routine basis in order to maintain hygiene and clean surroundings for faster recovery of patients.