Nerve Damage Injuries and Their Long-Term Impact on Daily Life

Your nervous system includes your brain and spinal cord, which control your musculoskeletal system and many other bodily functions. An injury that affects one of these vital parts of your body can prohibit or limit movement of a limb, cause pain, contribute to numbness or tingling, or throw off your balance, coordination, or autonomic functions. Unfortunately, an injury can impact your quality of life tremendously, but a personal injury lawyer may be able to help you receive compensation to ease the financial burden, cover medical expenses, and give you peace of mind.

Peripheral Nerve Damage

Sometimes, the nerve damage is outside of the central nervous system. Instead, the injury affects the peripheral nervous system. It’s the one that includes the arms and legs and connects to the central nervous system.

You could injure a nerve in the peripheral nervous system and experience chronic pain, numbness, tingling, or burning. You might even have muscle weakness or paralysis in the area. Moving that body part may become difficult. If it’s affecting your legs, for instance, you may have limited mobility.

In addition to the lost function, you may also suffer from issues at night. If you’re suffering from pain or other discomfort, you could have these symptoms at night, and it’ll affect your sleep. Sometimes, the symptoms will take an emotional toll on your life, leading to depression, frustration, and anxiety when you can’t live as you used to.

Depending on the location of the damage and its severity, you could drop items you’re holding frequently or fall. Falls can lead to major or minor injuries.

Sciatic Nerve Injuries

Your sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body, extending from the lower back down each leg. Sciatic nerve damage can cause muscle weakness, burning, tingling, numbness, or pain that extends along one or both sides of the body. You may have difficulty standing for prolonged periods. It’s also possible that you’ll have trouble climbing stairs or walking.

With chronic sciatica, you may lose certain physical abilities. If you have a job that requires you to stand for long periods, you may no longer be able to do it. The same applies if your job requires you to walk a great deal.

Like with peripheral nerve injuries, you could have symptoms at night. As a result, you may wake up throughout the night or have difficulty falling asleep.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Think of your spinal cord as the highway that connects your brain and your peripheral nervous system. A large amount of communication passes through this part of your central nervous system. For that reason, an injury to this part can disrupt movement, leading to full or partial paralysis. Moreover, damage to the spinal cord can also lead to pain, numbness, burning, or a loss of coordination.

Unfortunately, you may have no or limited use of whatever part of the body the spinal cord damage affects. For instance, let’s say the damage impacts an upper portion of your body. You could have trouble moving your neck, arms, or legs.

If it affects the lower part of the spinal cord, you may have difficulty moving your legs. When it only affects the arms or legs, it’s a condition known as paraplegia. Some people could have an injury that causes them to lose use of their arms and legs, which is known as being a quadriplegic.

The extent of the injury depends on how badly you damaged or severed the spinal cord. A mild spinal cord injury could heal within a few weeks or several months. Moderate injuries can take several months to heal or even a year or two for you to regain partial sensation or function.

In case you have a severe spinal cord injury, you may have little to no function or sensation. You may need to learn to adapt because this injury is usually long-term or permanent.​

Spinal cord injuries can affect your ability to be self-sufficient, take care of your family, manage your home, or work. You may no longer be able to drive, enjoy the same hobbies, or go out and live life as you once did without the use of a wheelchair, walker, or other assistance. Although you may have always cooked your own meals, you might no longer be able to complete all the steps without help.

Financial Problems Associated with Nerve Damage

The impact a nerve injury has on your daily life isn’t limited to how physically and emotionally taxing it is. It can also be a major financial burden. The medical bills, including for the initial medical care and rehabilitation, can cost you thousands, sometimes even more.

To help you live life normally, you may need to purchase or rent medical equipment.

You may not be able to work at your current job after the injury for a period of time, sometimes permanently. That’s money your household is no longer receiving. You could need to change careers after you complete your treatment, which could decrease your earning potential or cause you to need to complete new training.

Living alone may no longer be an option. You could need in-home care aides or placement in an assisted living or skilled care facility for short- or long-term.

If you’re still capable of living at home, you may need to pay to make upgrades to your home so you can live as normal a life as possible. For example, you may need to add a stairlift or install a ramp to get in the front.

Your entire life could change after a personal injury if you sustain a nerve-related injury. From the medical expenses to the possibility of losing independence to not having employment, this incident could affect various aspects of your life, anywhere from a few weeks to the rest of your life. A team of tireless medical malpractice attorneys, however, can fight to get you coverage for your expenses and pain and suffering if your nerve damage was caused by the negligence of a medical professional or team.