The scientific name for a nerve is "neuron." Neurons are long fibers that transport impulses from the brain to the peripherals and back to the spinal cord and the brain. Neurons that carry impulses away from the brain, to the peripherals are called "motor" neurons. In the opposite direction, from the peripherals to the spinal cord or brain, transport is accomplished by what are known as "sensory" neurons. Each neuron is made up of several different sections or parts. Picture a nerve as a tree, which is what the cameo of a nerve cells looks like. The top part of the tree is called a "soma" or body. The branches of the tree are known as "dendrites," and the trunk of the tree is called the "axon." The trunk of the tree (axon) is covered by a bark we’ll call a "myelin sheath." Now, you know what a nerve looks like and what the main parts are called. This will help us in our explanation of nerve degeneration. The complete anatomy of the neurological system is way beyond this article; therefore, our examples and explanations will be brief and simple. For a more complex description of neurological anatomy, consult a resource such as Wikipedia.com. Just type in "neuron" and you’ll have an entire web site full of in depth explanations of nerves.

The human body is made of up two distinct physical nervous systems. Though both are connected forever, they have specific traits that are completely different. One system is the Central Nervous System (CNS) and the other is the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS). The CNS is comprised of the spinal cord and the brain. The PNS is made up of all the nerves between the CNS and the finger tips and toe tips. This site is concerned with Peripheral Neuropathies therefore, we will concentrate on PNS degeneration rather than attempting to address diseases of the CNS which would cover an entire book.

Peripheral degeneration occurs when neurons degenerate. The causes of the degeneration vary and it is rare that the cause can be pinpointed to one culprit. Usually, a peripheral neuropathy is caused by multiple factors. The degeneration can be caused by toxic exposure, trauma to the nerves, heredity or disease processes. One of the most prolific malefactors is diabetes. Diabetes affects every single system of the body because it causes a severe deterioration of the tiny blood vessels in the peripheral body areas. The longer the disease persists and the less it is controlled, the more damage that it does and eventually causes amputation and death. Toxins, when introduced to the body have a tendency to also breakdown and degenerate capillaries and other small blood vessels with the same results. Nerves do not degenerate spontaneously unless a severe disease affects them such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. Nerves are degenerated, in the vast majority of cases, by first, the degeneration of the tiny blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the peripheral nerves.

Often, the first part of the nerve to be affected is the bark of the tree or the myelin that covers the axon. This covering acts as an insulation much like the rubber of plastic around an electrical wire. If this covering is destroyed or degenerated off, the signals are not transported and often the result is a short in the wire. Same with the neuron. If the myelin sheath if destroyed, the signals just short out into the other fibers and the signals are not carried through. This results in severe pain and paralyzation. Anytime that the peripheral nerves begin to degenerate, the result is pain. When they are completely degenerated, the result is numbness. Numbness can be a terrible detriment to a diabetics health. If the diabetic or any other disease sufferer is injured in an area that is numb, the numbness prevents the person from knowing that he/she has been injured and the injury can result in severe infection, which often leads to gangrene, then to amputation of the affected part.

The most effective treatment for nerve degeneration is the control of the degenerative disease. If the disease affects are kept to a minimum, the chances of survival with minimal effects is increased significantly. The better a person takes care of their health, the higher the probabilities that they will live a healthier and more active life for a longer period of time.