Can the body self-repair nerve damage?

Can the body self-repair nerve damage?

The human body is good at healing itself, but some things can’t be fixed.


Asked by: Brian Shimell, Surrey

Up to a point. If the body of the neuron is still intact, the branches that extend out from the cell body can regrow at a rate of about 2cm per month. If the surrounding membrane of a nerve bundle is still intact, the neuron can grow along this, to its original target. But muscle cells left disconnected for too long won’t accept new nerve connections.

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