nerve regeneration question

[rcphx]

I had an endoscopic laminoforaminotomy on 5/1 and had my first post surgery appt with doc yesterday. I told him i still have numbness, some pain in left triceps elbow ad wrist, as well as some burning sensation occasionally. he said that is to be expected for at least 2-4 months and most patients wake up one day and most of their symptoms are gone. he said nerve regenerates at a rate of 8mm per day and it takes a while to get to the tip of fingertips.
My question is:
1. has any one heard of that? nerve regeneration and its rate?
2. I have had this since Oct 2007 where I got weakness and it improved with rehab, my triceps and forearm area but never resembled the old way or the right side. and since i re-injured it in Feb. 2009 it is more mushy now and lost all the gains from rehab. Has any one recovered from weakness and back to old form?
Thanks
Rob

[trkdoc714]

I've heard/ read several articles and anecdotal stories about nerve regeneration. Although they all are similar I think it depends on the experiences the surgeon has had and/or the surgeon's training. As we are all different, I'd imagine we all heal differently and at a variety of speeds.

After only 2 weeks of PT, I've regained most of the muscle tone in my calves and thighs. After 3 years of "limping" around I thought I'd lost the muscle tone forever. It's a pleasant surprise. I'm hoping to return to the same physical condition I had before this ordeal began.

Now if I could only drop 15 - 20 years I'll be set.......

[rcphx]

Hi there
Thanks for the input and positive results.
I am now cleared to start low weight hi rep training so i will see if my left arm, shoulder, and trap recover. I will report if i see any improvement.
Mine have been weak since Oct 2007 and worse since Feb 2009. Best of luck in your recovery.
Rob

[Harrison]

Some folks have taken a B12 formulation called methylcobalamin, which may have other beneficial effects. You may find these related topics of interest:

Nerve support formula for nerve regeneration

Nerve Damage and Vitamin B12

Hope this helps!

[annapurna]

Richard and I have had slightly different information given to us by our sources. According to my doc who put me on it to help deal with my chemical allergies, oral B12 can only increase your blood levels of B12 so much. I'd consider trying to find a doc willing to prescribe injectable B12. I've been using it for about 6 months with fabulous improvements in my general health when the oral B12 didn't ever seem to do much for me. I didn't have neuropathy, though.

Laura, on the other hand, had the beginnings of neuropathy and got B12 in multiple micro-nutrient IVs over an extended period and showed a reversal with no lasting problems.

[Rob Wilson]

http://www.realfoodnutrients.com/NEU...nformation.htm

You might want to consider this variation of b vitamins for nerve regeneration.

[rcphx]

I went to my general doc today and asked him if he could prescribe B12 injections for nerve regeneration purposes. He said that would only help if it were from a B12 deficiency. I argued with him but he wouldn't budge stating that B12 has good oral absorption and i should just take it as part of a multivitamin. BooHoo ah well

[jchebert1979]

One of the most important nutrients for nerve regeneration and health, perhaps even more so than b vitamins, is omega 3 fatty acids. In particular the EPA and DHA. Although I had known about this for years, I was very surprised that the NS who performed my brain surgery recommended them specifically for this. He also went on to say that anyone with neurological issues can benefit from them.

Personally I don't even bother with the capsules. I get the pure oil high in DHA/EPA. You would have to take 15 one gram capsules to get the equivalent of 1 tablespoon. In my opinion it is easier and it is also much more cost effective. As far as I know, as long as you go with a reputable brand you are fine. To reduce the chance of heavy metal contamination you need to make sure that whatever brand you choose is molecularly distilled. It is usually a big selling point so it will probably be clearly on the label.

[Harrison]

J, thanks for posting this information. A while back, I read something about the criticality of the right ratios of fatty acids (either in supplements or in the diet). This article seems to validate this notion:

Omega Fatty Acid Balance Can Alter Immunity And Gene Expression
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/151995.php

J, what is the brand that you buy? Is it rich in Omega all 3-6-9 fatty acids?

[jchebert1979]

H, I buy Nature's Answer, Liquid Omega-3, Deep Sea Fish Oil EPA/DHA, Natural Orange Flavor, 16 fl oz (480 ml) from iherb.com. Here is a link.

iherb.com

It is only an omega 3 supplement and does not have high concentrations of 6 or 9. These are actually much easier to get in your diet.

I buy this brand because when I first started using it, it had the best cost to EPA/DHA ratio. The price has come up a little, but it is still a good buy. It has something called Quick-Sorb which is supposed to make the fats more bio-available. It's probably just for marketing though. As I said before, the important thing is that it is molecularly distilled. With the high content of mercury in the fish now, it is def. something you want in a product like this.

The flavor itself is not bad either. It has a citrus flavor that masks the real fishy-ness. I take a measured tablespoonful (3 teaspoonfulls) a couple times a day. If you take it on an empty stomach you will probably belch up some fishy taste later on but other than that it is fine.

When people read the nutritional info a lot of people are taken aback because it seems like it is high in fat. A lot of people forget that this is a fat supplement. It has the same calories and grams of fat as any other fat including butter, vegetable oil, etc.

Also, we have been talking about this in regards to nerves and nerve health. EPA/DHA has been studied and found to be great for brain function, to cardiovascular function and everything in between.

One thing I forgot to mention is that all of these studies are being done specifically with the omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA (there are others). While flax seed oil and other sources are good, the source with the absolute highest concentration is specifically fish oil.