In a nerve biopsy, your doctor removes a small piece of your nerve to diagnose certain conditions. The biopsy can help them see which part of the nerve may be damaged and what type of damage has been done.
Your doctor may order a nerve biopsy if you have symptoms of nerve damage like numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness, or if an imaging scan shows a potential issue.
Wrist biopsies are usually done on the risk or ankle. Your doctor will numb the area with a local anesthetic, then make a small incision and remove a piece of the nerve. You'll likely be awake during this procedure. Then they will send the nerve to a lab for testing.
Nerve biopsies have a risk of long-term nerve damage, but this is very rare. However, it is common for the area around the biopsy to be numb for up to 12 months after the biopsy.