We have billions of nerves in our bodies and most of them are like little branches which spread out all over and transmit messages back to the brain and spinal cord. If these peripheral nerves get damaged, you can experience unrelenting pain, or you could end up with serious injuries.
“Diabetes is the No. 1 cause. Bad luck [meaning you inherited an anatomical defect] is number two. Repetitive motion and Lyme disease follow,” says Andrew Elkwood, MD, a surgeon who specializes in nerve reconstruction at The Institute for Advanced Reconstruction in New York and New Jersey.
Other causes are including sudden trauma like aging, a car accident, heavy exposure to toxins, vitamin deficiencies, infections and autoimmune disorders like diphtheria, hepatitis C, HIV, rheumatoid arthritis. Fortunately, nerve damage develops slowly, so if you experience the following symptoms, visit your doctor.
