Published on May 15, 2026

A Physical Therapist’s Guide to Recovery After Nerve Injury

Image hand showing what the nerves would look like red and inflamed.

Peripheral nerves act like communication lines between the brain, spinal cord, and the rest of the body. They send signals back and forth and have three main jobs: helping you feel sensations, controlling movement, and managing automatic body functions like heart rate and breathing.

How do nerves provide movement throughout our body?

Motor nerves carry signals from the brain and spinal cord, also called the central nervous system, to the muscles. These signals tell the muscles when to contract and create movement. For example, when you pick up a cup, your brain sends a signal through the nerves to the muscles in your arm and hand, telling them to move and grab the cup.

How do nerves provide sensory?

Sensory nerves collect information from the body and send signals to the spinal cord and brain. This helps the brain understand what the body is feeling. For example, when you touch something cold, the sensory nerves send a signal to the spinal cord and then to the brain, which tells you the object feels cold.

How does a nerve heal after injury?

Nerves are quite complex; therefore, they take time to heal. The healing time for peripheral nerves is 1 mm a day, and that is under the right conditions. But it is also important to note that nerves may never heal due to increased damage. Depending on injury, surgery also may be used to assist with nerve growth. When nerves are healing you may feel pins and needles, burning, itching, hyper sensation, or muscle spasms. This is due to nerve fibers reconnecting.

What factors can influence or hinder peripheral nerve healing?

  • Nutrition plays a huge role in nerve repair, such as plant-based diet, water intake, Omega-3 and B vitamins.
  • Time can influence nerve healing. It may be frustrating, but nerve repair can take months to years depending on how and the amount of the nerve that was damaged.
  • Health can also be a factor in the healing process. For instance, smoking, diabetes mellitus, dehydration, sleep deprivation, stress, and decreased blood flow can delay healing time.
  • Low-impact exercise such as walking, swimming and yoga can assist with circulation which improves healing time.
  • Physical and occupational therapy can help improve movement and strength after a nerve injury. Therapists may use exercises, nerve glides, electrical stimulation to help prevent muscle loss, and massage to reduce swelling and inflammation. Therapy also focuses on building and maintaining strength. The goal is to help the peripheral nerves and the central nervous system work together better.

Peripheral nerves play an important role in helping the body move, feel sensations, and control automatic functions. After a traumatic injury, healing can take time and may require physical or occupational therapy to help restore strength, movement, and communication between the nerves and the brain. With proper treatment, exercises, and patience, many people can improve their function and continue making progress during recovery.

Jaclyn Cook, P.T., D.P.T., is a physical therapist at MyMichigan Health.