Finding a Clear Answer for Your Nerve Pain. 

Widespread symptoms like burning, tingling, and numbness in your hands can be confusing and distressing, leaving you searching for a cause. A specialist evaluation is the critical first step to understanding your symptoms, getting an accurate diagnosis, and exploring your potential treatment options. 

What is Peripheral Neuropathy? 

Peripheral neuropathy refers to damage or dysfunction of the peripheral nerves, which are the nerves outside of your brain and spinal cord. When the nerves in your hands are affected, it can disrupt the signals to and from your brain, leading to a range of frustrating sensory symptoms, including: 

• Numbness or a “pins and needles” sensation 

• Burning or sharp, electrical pains 

• Loss of coordination or a feeling of clumsiness 

• Muscle weakness in the hand 

Identifying the Cause is Key to Finding the Solution. 

When Surgery Can Help 

• In many cases, neuropathy-like symptoms in the hand are not caused by a systemic disease, but by a focal nerve compression—a specific “pinched nerve” in your wrist or elbow. Conditions like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or Cubital Tunnel Syndrome are common examples. If an evaluation determines that your symptoms are caused by a compressed nerve, a surgical procedure can provide significant, lasting relief. 

When Surgery May Not Be the Answer 

• Peripheral neuropathy can also be caused by systemic medical conditions, such as diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, or as a side effect of chemotherapy. In these cases, the nerve issue is widespread, and a surgical procedure on the hand is not the primary solution. Treatment is typically managed by a neurologist or your primary physician. 

The First Step is a Definitive Diagnosis. 

The most critical step in addressing your symptoms is getting an accurate diagnosis. As a specialist in hand and peripheral nerve surgery, Dr. French can perform a comprehensive evaluation, including a detailed physical examination and review of any nerve studies. The goal of this consultation is to determine if there is a compressive element to your neuropathy that can be surgically corrected. This provides you with the clarity needed to pursue the right path to treatment, whether it’s surgical or non-surgical. 

Neurolysis: Freeing the Compressed Nerve 

For neuropathy symptoms that are caused by a specific “pinched nerve,” the surgical solution is a procedure called Neurolysis. This means “to free the nerve.” The surgery involves carefully releasing the tight ligament or tissue that is compressing the nerve, giving it more space. This relieves the pressure, allowing the nerve to heal and function normally again, which leads to the resolution of your pain, numbness, and tingling.