Watching for Nerve Problems with Children
- Posted on: Dec 15 2020
If you’ve been looking through this website, you’ve probably come across Dr. Seruya’s extensive involvement in the recent surge in acute flaccid myelitis, a devastating condition that creates sudden-onset weakness in one or more arms or legs in young children. But Dr. Seruya treats all sorts of nerve problems with his younger patients. That’s why his practice, the Los Angeles Nerve Institute, focuses on both adult and pediatric patients.
Sometimes it’s hard to know when a child is having pain associated with either nerve damage or other nerve problems. Some children just assume these feelings are “normal” and don’t mention them to Mom and Dad. But, as with adults, compressed or otherwise damaged nerves can eventually become permanently damaged if they are not treated. So, in this last blog of 2020, a year we’ll all be happy to put behind us, let’s get into things you should look for if your child could be having nerve issues.
Adult versus pediatric nerve pain
Adults are more accustomed to understanding when issues such as burning or tingling become common that there is a problem. We all experience these sensations at times, when we sleep in the wrong position, for instance. It’s when they become chronic that the body is signaling us there is a problem. Adults typically will then seek to have someone look into the pain or odd sensations.
Kids, however, don’t necessarily know a constant tingling in a hand isn’t normal. How would they? Or an odd sensation such as shower water hitting skin being uncomfortable may not be remembered by the time the child is dressed and getting ready to head off to school.
What to look for
As a parent, you need to pay attention to possible nerve pain in your child. This may arise especially after an injury at school or when otherwise playing. Of course, most of these falls off the monkey bars or other instances don’t lead to ongoing nerve pain, but they can. After such an injury you need to be attuned to any mention of ongoing pain.
Here are signs that the injury could involve the child’s nerves:
- Burning
- Numbness
- Difficulty with balance
- Tingling or prickling sensations
- Sensitivity to touch
- Muscle weakness
- Muscle atrophy
- Trouble standing
If you think your child may be experiencing nerve pain, please call Dr. Seruya at (310) 423-2129. Unlike most nerve specialists, Dr. Seruya has extensive experience with pediatric patients.
Posted in: Latest News, Nerve Damage
