Scarred Nerves

Scarred Nerves

  • Overview
  • Appointments
  • Diagnosis
  • Treatments
  • Locations
  • Doctors
  • Providers

    • What are scarred nerves?

    After a trauma, a large cut or surgery around the nerves, scar tissue forms. Scar tissue is both good and bad. It helps the nerve attach to nearby structures, but when the patient moves, pressure is placed on the nerve because the scar tissue can pull on the nerve. Even without movement, the scar tissue can reduce the nerve's blood supply. All of this can cause significant nerve pain.

    Appointment Information

    For Musculoskeletal-based back and spine conditions, call:

    Comprehensive Spine Program

    At the Comprehensive Spine Program, a nationally acclaimed team of back and spine care experts collaborates to deliver the most effective treatments, tailored to each patient, whether surgical or non-surgical.

    Learn about the spine program

    How are scarred nerves diagnosed?

    To diagnose your condition, we will take a medical history and conduct a medical exam. Based on our findings, we may use the following diagnostic tools:

    • Imaging, such as X-rays, CT scans or an MRI 
    • An EMG (nerve test) may be ordered to determine which nerves are functioning, which are not and the severity of the damage.

    How are scarred nerves treated?

    If non-surgical treatments such as medication and physical therapy do not help, or if the pain worsens, your options may include:

    • Spinal cord and peripheral nerve stimulation (known as SCS or PNS), which use electrical impulses to relieve chronic pain that may be originating from compressed nerves. It is believed that electrical pulses prevent pain signals from being received by the brain. SCS and PNS candidates include people who suffer from neuropathic pain and for whom conservative treatments have failed. 
    • Surgery to remove the scars. 
    • Nerve graft if part of the nerve is missing, in which a nerve will be taken from another part of your body or from a donor. 

    Post-surgery

    If you need surgery, you can do several things to keep up muscle activity and feeling while waiting for the nerve to heal after surgery:

    • Physical therapy
    • If a sensory nerve has been injured, you must be careful to not burn or cut the affected area because it may be difficult to feel anything there.
    • Sensory re-education may be needed to learn how to improve feeling in the affected area.

    Locations
    • Back & Pain Center | Burlington Building 325 E Eisenhower Pkwy
      Floor 1
      Ann Arbor, MI 48108-3364       Get Directions
    • Back & Pain Center | Canton Health Center 1051 N Canton Center Rd
      Floor 1
      Canton, MI 48187-5097       Get Directions
    • Back & Pain Center | Dexter Health Center 7300 Dexter Ann Arbor Rd Ste 110
      Floor 1
      Dexter, MI 48130-8598       Get Directions
    • Neurosurgery Clinic | Burlington Building 325 E Eisenhower Pkwy Ste 100
      Floor 2 Reception G
      Ann Arbor, MI 48108-3364       Get Directions
    • Orthopaedic Surgery Clinic | Northville Health Center 39901 Traditions Dr
      Floor 1
      Northville, MI 48168-9493       Get Directions
    • Orthopaedic Surgery Clinic | Taubman Center 1500 E Medical Center Dr
      Floor 2 Reception B
      Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5328       Get Directions
    • Spine Clinic | Chelsea Health Center 14700 E Old US Highway 12
      Chelsea, MI 48118-1185       Get Directions

    Doctors

     Search for a U-M Health doctor     Ilyas Syed Aleem, MD

    Ilyas Syed Aleem, MD

    Clinical Associate Professor

    Orthopedic Surgery

    Rita N. Ayyangar, MD

    Rita N Ayyangar, MD

    Clinical Professor

    Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Hospice & Palliative Medicine, Pediatrics, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

    Rishi Rai Bakshi, DO

    Clinical Associate Professor

    Pain Medicine, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

    Chad Michael Brummett, MD

    Chad Michael Brummett, MD

    Professor

    Interventional Pain Medicine, Pain Medicine, Anesthesiology

    Srinivas Chiravuri, MD

    Clinical Associate Professor

    Interventional Pain Medicine, Pain Medicine, Anesthesiology

    Miles O Colwell, MD

    Associate Professor Emeritus

    Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

    Anita S W Craig, DO

    Clinical Assistant Professor

    Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Electrodiagnostic Medicine

    Goodarz Micheal Golmirzaie, MD

    Clinical Associate Professor

    Interventional Pain Medicine, Pain Medicine, Anesthesiology

    Anne Griffith Hartigan, MD

    Anne Griffith Hartigan, MD

    Clinical Assistant Professor

    Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Electrodiagnostic Medicine

    Paul Edward Hilliard, MD

    Paul Edward Hilliard, MD

    Clinical Professor

    Interventional Pain Medicine, Pain Medicine, Anesthesiology

    Show All Doctors

    Providers

     Search for a U-M Health provider     Michael Edward Geisser, PhD

    Michael Edward Geisser, PhD

    Professor

    Clinical Psychology

    Kathryn Elaine Matulich, NP

    Kathryn Elaine Matulich, NP

    Advanced Practice Nurse

    Nurse Practitioner

    labcoat

    Maria Elise Powers, PA-C

    Physician Assistant

    Physician Assistant

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