Nerve damage is an unfortunate but common side effect of many different life-changing events. Whether it’s a car accident or a surgery gone wrong, the effects of nerve damage are often long-lasting. Thankfully, there are ways to manage and even reduce some of these effects with time and care. Here are some tips on how to handle it.
Getting Around
Having nerve damage can make it difficult for you to get around. Over time, you’ll become increasingly dependent on the use of a wheelchair or walker in order to move around. Hence, choosing the best lightweight wheelchair is something that should be considered to make propelling the wheelchair easier for you and your caregiver. Being able to move around is one of the many benefits that we have simply gotten used to overtime.
Give yourself some time and learn how to navigate with a walker or wheelchair before judging how well your body will adjust after developing nerve damage due to an accident or surgery. Remember, there are plenty of people who have had great luck getting back on their feet soon after becoming injured. Just because this hasn’t been true for you yet does not mean that it won’t be in the future! Being immobile is one of the many unfortunate side effects of nerve damage that you will have to get comfortable with.
Sensory Issues
One of the most troubling symptoms of nerve damage is having issues with your senses. Nerve damage can cause you to lose feeling in certain parts of your body, which can lead to dangerous injuries if you aren’t clued into just how bad an injury actually is. It’s also not uncommon for people who suffer from nerve damage to either have more extreme versions of their other senses or to develop new ones that they never thought possible before!
Some people will find themselves able to hear colors or see sounds like never before after developing nerve damage. Others will find that they are stricken with overwhelming smells or tastes (typically unpleasant ones) because their sense of smell has become so heightened. Don’t try and fight these new feelings; instead, learn how to control them and use them to your advantage. Being able to control your senses will help you stay safe for years to come!
Regular Exercises
You might think that exercising would be too hard after becoming paralyzed, but the truth is that staying active will do wonders for your recovery. Regularly working out will build up the muscles in your arms and legs, which can help keep you mobile even if you’re bound to a wheelchair. Not only that, but it’ll build the balance and coordination of your body, which is what will allow you to transition from a wheelchair into a walker or cane as time goes on!
Some exercises that are easy for a wheelchair user to upgrade to a walker or cane include leg lifts and wall sits. Push-ups are also a great way to build upper body strength, which will go a long way in helping you get off of your chair!
If you’re still able to move around on your own, try out simple exercises like yoga or tai chi. Both of these can be done from the comfort of your home, even if you don’t have enough space for exercise equipment.
Staying Positive
The best thing that you can do for yourself is to stay positive. Most peoples’ experience with nerve damage isn’t life-changing; it’s just something that you’ll need to get used to over time. Being able to work through the obstacles presented by nerve damage will help build your strength and determination, which will be hugely beneficial as you continue on into your future!
The most important thing that you can do after developing nerve damage from an accident or surgery is to take care of yourself as much as possible without pushing too hard. Even simple steps like showering daily and getting enough sleep at night can make a huge difference in how well you’re recovering from the initial trauma! The best way to move forward is by taking small steps every day, even if you’re not seeing any results immediately.
Your body will adjust to the damage that it’s received over time, so be patient with the healing process! It might take some work on your part, but soon enough you’ll find that living with nerve damage isn’t so bad after all!
It’s important to know all of the symptoms associated with nerve damage so you can get help as soon as possible. There are many ways that it manifests, including tingling in your extremities or a loss of feeling. This article has provided some helpful tips on how to handle these unfortunate events if they happen to you, but this is only scratching the surface when it comes to what’s available for those who suffer from nerve damage. It is best to talk to a doctor about this, and never lose hope that recovery is possible!