What are the symptoms of nerve injury?

Neuropathy—or nerve injury—can manifest in a wide range of signs and symptoms, depending on the type, location, and severity of the affected nerves. Common presentations include sensory disturbances such as numbness, tingling (paresthesia), burning or shooting pain, and reduced sensation to touch, temperature, or vibration—often beginning distally in the hands or feet in a “glove-and-stocking” distribution. Motor involvement may lead to muscle weakness, atrophy, cramping, or impaired coordination; for example, foot drop in peroneal nerve palsy or hand weakness in carpal tunnel syndrome. Autonomic dysfunction can also occur, resulting in orthostatic hypotension, gastrointestinal dysmotility (e.g., gastroparesis), urinary retention or incontinence, abnormal sweating, or sexual dysfunction. In acute traumatic injuries, patients may report sudden loss of function, sharp localized pain, or a complete absence of sensation or movement in the affected area. Importantly, symptom onset may be gradual—as in diabetic or chemotherapy-induced neuropathy—or abrupt—as in compression or laceration injuries. A thorough neurological examination, supplemented by electrodiagnostic studies (nerve conduction studies and electromyography) and imaging when indicated, is essential for accurate localization and characterization of nerve pathology.