Why Can't We Reverse Nerve Damage?

Science has made incredible strides in improving the way our body heals, except when it comes to nerves. What makes nerves so hard to fix?


Read More:
Mind-Controlled Prosthetic Arm Move Individual 'Fingers'
"Physicians and biomedical engineers from Johns Hopkins report what they believe is the first successful effort to wiggle fingers individually and independently of each other using a mind-controlled artificial "arm" to control the movement."

The Many Ills of Peripheral Nerve Damage
"If you have ever slept on an arm and awakened with a "dead" hand, or sat too long with your legs crossed and had your foot fall asleep, you have some inkling of what many people with peripheral neuropathy experience day in and day out, often with no relief in sight."

Nerve Regeneration
"At the core of the human nervous system, a control system of the body, is the central nervous system (CNS), which is composed of the brain and spinal cord. Using electrical signals that travel from the CNS through the peripheral nervous system (PNS), the brain controls effector cells, which carry out the physiological responses 'requested' by the brain. Thus, the nervous system is a 'wired' communication system of the body."

Regenerating nerve tissue in spinal cord injuries
"Researchers are exploring a new therapy using stem cells to treat spinal cord injuries within the first 14 to 30 days of injury. The therapy uses a population of cells derived from human embryonic stem cells containing progenitor cells that support nerve cells and can potentially make poorly functioning nerves function better."

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[barthomleyburginson]

nerve damage is the most crippling, fustrating and strangest thing in life im 16 and after a accident it has left me almost housebound you don't know how much you can truly deal with until the problem is your own body it makes you see the world different and appreciate every little thing cause in a blink of a eye it could be all just ripped away it has made me realise what truly made me happy before

[EmilyJelassi]

i suffer from CRPS - Complex Regional Pain Syndrome - a nerve disease that's been labeled the most painful disease known to modern science. there's no cure and very poorly understood. anyone can get it and it's kicked off from an injury/surgery/bad needle stick. mine came from a severely sprained foot & ankle and a torn tendon. as noted in the video, it's incredibly difficult to treat, especially so because every patient is different and responds to the few treatments differently. because it's so poorly understood, patients usually see anywhere from 8 to 10 doctors before being diagnosed.
i would love to see a video on this. the more people are educated about it the better!!

[vwdarrin]

i had my arm reattached after a explosion it has been almost 4 years now and i am just starting to get some feeling back, also broke my neck in three places when the rim exploded, i am on surgery number two on my neck, Nerve damage has been the hardest thing to overcome

[Eysc]

Because scientists don't have the nerves to do it.

[androidbey]

we need more funding on research especially in military. since injured soldiers suffer nerve damage most.

[tamsinthai]

An MRI showed I had 'incomplete' nerve damage at my C5. This was caused by an auto accident 5 years ago. Physio was agony and not particularly helpful. An orthopaedic surgeon told me to swing both arms (for balance) backwards and forwards 1000 times per day (takes 20 minutes). I've been doing this for a year now and there's been a lot of improvement. I'm now incorporating band exercises every other day for strength. However, I can't drive or even ride a bike. I used to be a painter. This sucks.

[catherinepatin]

I have Autonomic Dysreflexia, which is spinal cord damage in the Thoracic cavity, which can be potentially life threatening. It disrupts my Autonomic nervous system continually and has caused nerve issues in my extremities, so I am constantly in pain. My accident was in 2002, and I will undoubtedly experience the effects the rest of my life. Nerve damage is seriously life changing.

[tetsubo]

As someone that suffers from neuropathy I would really love if they could heal nerves.

[bitkhtz]

Some people got nerver damage during dental implants and get numbness in their lips and chin.. but they were recovered with an year and for some people it took more than that. So nervers will recover and regrow.. but takes time.

[SirThanksalot_]

I had a sensory nerve cut off in the left arm when the surgeon removed a cyst, where the nerve was in the way. He asked me, I complied. It felt really weird (no sensation in the middle of the lower side of the forearm, VERY sensitive right along the zone). But after a few months it started feeling pretty much normal again :)

[casualbird]

I wish there were certain nerves that could be fixed, such as ones in certain parts of skin that were cut off at birth without consent....

[sandrabenham]

I have diabetic neuropathy and I am exercising and now I go to therapy to help me and I am praying 🙏🏾 it will heal me up.

[DigiSolz]

I'm only 13, and I'm suffering from nerve damage, I'm so depressed someone help me please, I'm in a deep hole I can't get out of

[_soupnazi]

After reading some of the other comments, my nerve injury seems comparatively insignificant. One thing that is common though is just how debilitating nerve injuries really are. My injury began about 14 months ago and there were no symptoms for the first couple of months. I had cubital tunnel syndrome which I had no idea even existed prior to this. My particular injury was considered to be rather severe, when I finally was able to get in with a specialist the muscle atrophy was already visible in my hand, and a nerve conduction study confirmed that there was almost no nerve activity on the ulnar half of my hand. My doctor thankfully did not waste what little time I had and recommended surgery as first treatment. That was four months ago and I cannot honestly tell if the surgery was successful or not. Like the video said, nerves grow very slowly, about an inch per month. My forearm is about 15 inches long. One would think that by 2022 we would be able to simulate nerve signals to the muscles to prevent them from wasting, but from what my doctor has said and the research that I've done this is not possible. So this is a race against time to regain whatever muscle is remaining. Doc said that after 16 months without nerve activity there's little chance of recovery.
One thing that doesn't appear to be discussed with nerve injuries is the mental challenges that are just as hard as the physical ones. I went through different stages with this injury and it did throw me into a deep depression which is bad for many reasons, most importantly when recovering from a nerve injury. What I have gained from this experience is real empathy for anyone that is suffering from any sort of nerve injury. My heart goes out to each and every one of you.

[dustinshadle]

t10 paraplegic, 5 years out. always hoping for a breakthrough. I lost everything when I got hurt. life shouldn't be over at 36

[evermojica]

Can this study on regrowing nerve cells be used to cure multiple sclerosis ?

[nenblom]

A few years ago, I suffered a blood clot in my left foot called acute ischemia. I was in the hospital for about a month in intense pain. They gave me very strong pain medications and actually started discussing amputation of the foot. Thank God, doctors decided to try physical therapy first. That saved the foot. However, I have had pretty debilitating nerve damage ever since and it will never go away. I am still going to physical therapy and will be for the foreseeable future (thank God for insurance). I have good days and not so good days. Having a weak foot is very frustrating. In fact, I am getting ready to go to a physical therapy session right now. Physical therapy really helps but there is no cure for this. I have to take blood thinners for the rest of my life along with about 18 other daily medications for other preexisting conditions that I am fighting. I get pain, numbness, stiffness and cold in my left foot. I have been hoping and praying that medical science will some day come up with a cure for this. Fingers crossed.

[VishalMody]

As a follow up, can you make a video about how illnesses such as MS and ALS attack the nervous system?

[davidmicheletti]

I had extensive nerve pain in both my feet and hands. It took nineteen years for the pain to go away. All though it hasn’t completely healed it has subsided enough for me to go about my dally activities without restrictions.
It was extremely painful to walk and sleep for many years after chemotherapy. It caused some depression too. But I was able to barely retain my job until I retired ten years after my treatments.

[workout]

New research into embryonic stem cells have found remarkable results in repairing nerves