Management of Nerve Injuries
Management of Nerve Injuries
Nerve injuries cause considerable loss of function in many individuals. Therapeutic regimens have been developed to manage the pain associated with nerve injury, as well as to restore the normal functioning of the nerve. Analgesics, anti-inflammatories, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants all provide some degree of pain control. Effective neuroprotective growth factors have been developed, but their use is not without limitations. More recently, the focus has shifted to the neuroprotective pharmacologic factors L-carnitine and N-acetylcysteine, which have exhibited promising results. Surgery to repair the damaged nerve and maximize the number of axons that regenerate through the site of injury may be performed. Despite the availability of these options, there is room for more effective therapies that can restore nerve function.
Various types of trauma can result in nerve injury, a significant cause of functional morbidity. Because nerve trauma is the most common form of nervous system trauma encountered in clinical practice, neuronal death due to trauma is an important clinical issue. Many drugs used to manage pain due to nerve injury were developed as anticonvulsants and antidepressants, so it is important for pharmacists to be aware of the indication for which the drug is being used, as well as the recommended dosage for the particular indication. Injury grade is an important predictor of possible symptoms, as well as of possible repair.
Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
Nerve injuries cause considerable loss of function in many individuals. Therapeutic regimens have been developed to manage the pain associated with nerve injury, as well as to restore the normal functioning of the nerve. Analgesics, anti-inflammatories, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants all provide some degree of pain control. Effective neuroprotective growth factors have been developed, but their use is not without limitations. More recently, the focus has shifted to the neuroprotective pharmacologic factors L-carnitine and N-acetylcysteine, which have exhibited promising results. Surgery to repair the damaged nerve and maximize the number of axons that regenerate through the site of injury may be performed. Despite the availability of these options, there is room for more effective therapies that can restore nerve function.
Introduction
Various types of trauma can result in nerve injury, a significant cause of functional morbidity. Because nerve trauma is the most common form of nervous system trauma encountered in clinical practice, neuronal death due to trauma is an important clinical issue. Many drugs used to manage pain due to nerve injury were developed as anticonvulsants and antidepressants, so it is important for pharmacists to be aware of the indication for which the drug is being used, as well as the recommended dosage for the particular indication. Injury grade is an important predictor of possible symptoms, as well as of possible repair.
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