hand, foot, chest wall, abdomen, groin & amputation Neuroma Specialist in Pittsburgh, PA
Neuroma Pain & Targeted Muscle Reinnervation (TMR)
A neuroma is a disorganized growth of nerve cells at the site of a nerve injury. A neuroma occurs after a nerve is partially or completely damaged by an injury — either due to a cut, a crush, or an excessive stretch. The neuroma is a ball-shaped mass at the site of the nerve injury. On occasion, a neuroma can be painful and can cause significant loss of function for the patient.
Symptomatic neuromas can occur after trauma or after surgery in any region in the body since most areas have nerve fibers providing feeling. Painful neuromas can occur after cuts to the finger, hand, wrist, and arm or leg. They can form afteramputation of the finger, hand, arm or leg. They can also form after hand, wrist, knee, or ankle surgery. Reach out to Dr. Spiess at Pittsburgh Hand & Nerve if you are ready to address treatment options for your painful neuroma.
Pittsburgh’s Top Targeted muscle reinnervation Specialist for amputaTION Nerve Damage
Limb Amputee Neuroma Pain/Phantom Limb Pain/Targeted Muscle Reinnervation
The peripheral nervous system is defined as the nerves outside the spinal canal. When nerves are injured, cut, or pinched, the brain interprets that as pain. Carpal tunnel is one example of a pinching of a peripheral nerve. Neuromas are the result of injury to a peripheral nerve. The nerve tries to heal, but instead develops disorganized nerve and scar tissue. For amputees, the loss of the limb creates many cut or damaged nerves in the amputated stump. Like a live electrical wire, the neuromas that form can cause severe pain in some patients. In amputees, the loss of connectedness of the end of the nerve can also cause unpleasant phantom limb pain.
A procedure called Targeted Muscle Reinnervation, or TMR, gives the injured nerve somewhere to go and something to do. TMR involves rerouting severed or injured nerves to new muscle targets using microsurgical techniques to provide the nerve endings with a new muscle to innervate. The new muscle target encourages the nerve to regenerate in an organized fashion, with improvements in both neuroma pain and phantom limb pain.
neuroma pain Specialist in Pittsburgh
Painful Neuroma Conditions
In addition to treating painful nerves in amputated limbs, Dr. Spiess is an expert at treating a number of other conditions resulting from NeuromaPain, including:
- Painful Hand or Foot Nerves: It is not uncommon for patients to have injured nerves around the wrist and hand or ankle and foot. Nerves can be compressed around the ankle, a condition called Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome, which is very much like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, seen in the wrist/hand. Nerves can be injured with severe trauma such as a broken wrist or dislocated elbow, or a sprained or broken ankle or dislocated knee. Dr. Spiess treats painful nerves of the hands or feet by trying to reconstruct the nerve with a nerve graft, and uses TMR when reconstruction is not possible.
Schedule now at at Pittsburgh Hand & Nerve to get expert advice for treatment of your painful neuroma condition. Just use our online scheduling tool, or call our office at 412-679-4263.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if TMR will work for me?
Alexander Spiess, MD is a specialist in Targeted Muscle Reinnervation, and he has the expertise to determine whether TMR will help you find relief from pain due to nerve damage. When you have your first consultation with Dr. Spiess, he will review your medical history, your condition, and your unique needs and goals in order to help you decide whether or not to pursue TMR.
How can I get started with the best nerve injury specialist near me?
You can schedule your first appointment with Dr. Spiess at at Pittsburgh Hand & Nerve online. Just use our online scheduling tool, or call our office at 412-679-4263 if you’re more comfortable scheduling over the phone.