If you have a particularly severe nerve injury, your doctor may suggest surgery to restore function to critical muscles by transferring tendons from one muscle to another. These procedures can help your nerves regrow. Your surgeon can remove the damaged section and reconnect healthy nerve ends (nerve repair) or implant a piece of nerve from another part of your body (nerve graft). Sometimes a section of a nerve is cut completely or damaged beyond repair. In these cases, your surgeon may enlarge the tight space or free the nerve from the scar. Sometimes a nerve sits inside a tight space (similar to a tunnel) or is squeezed by scarring. Doing an EMG test directly on the nerve is more accurate and reliable than doing the test over the skin. If your injury does not seem to be healing properly, your surgeon can use EMG testing in the operating room to assess whether scarred nerves are recovering.

Your surgeon can bypass a damaged section of nerve by connecting a healthy nerve to restore function. Your doctor may recommend physical therapy to prevent stiffness and restore function.In some cases, you may need corticosteroid injections for pain relief. Medications used to treat depression, seizures or insomnia may be used to relieve nerve pain. Depending on the type and severity of your nerve injury, you may need medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) to relieve your pain.If your injury is caused by a medical condition, your doctor will treat the underlying condition.You'll need regular checkups to make sure your recovery stays on track.Nerves recover slowly, and maximal recovery may take many months or several years. You may need to rest the affected area until it's healed. If your nerve is healing properly, you may not need surgery.Your doctor will determine your treatment based on the extent and cause of your injury and how well the nerve is healing. Injuries in which the nerve has been completely severed are very difficult to treat, and recovery may not be possible. If a nerve is injured but not cut, the injury is more likely to heal.

Does nerve testing hurt