OHSU Nerve Center

Dr. Myriam Loyo Li meets with Jarmila “Jarm” Hawes after facial reanimation surgery. Dr. Loyo Li, a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, oversees OHSU’s Facial Nerve Center, a key partner of the OHSU Nerve Center.
Dr. Myriam Loyo Li meets with Jarmila “Jarm” Hawes after facial reanimation surgery. Dr. Loyo Li, a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, oversees OHSU’s Facial Nerve Center, a key partner of the OHSU Nerve Center.

Patients come to us from across the U.S. for our expertise and advanced therapies for nerve disorders and injuries. At the OHSU Nerve Center, you’ll find:

  • A central place to get a fast and accurate diagnosis for any nerve condition.
  • Providers who understand that nerve conditions often need timely treatment for a successful outcome.
  • Access to teams of specialists across OHSU.
  • The only center in Oregon with nerve transfer surgery to restore muscle function and sensation.
  • Internationally recognized surgeons and minimally invasive options.
  • Expert rehabilitation services in state-of-the-art facilities.
  • Neurology and neurosurgery programs that are ranked among the nation’s best.

Conditions we treat

  • Bell’s palsy
  • Facial paralysis 
  • Blepharospasm (eyelid spasm or involuntary blinking) from facial nerve tumors 
  • Facial nerve disorders related to stroke or head trauma

Learn more about the OHSU Facial Nerve Center.

Learn about our care for trigeminal neuralgia (nerve-related facial pain).

  • Neurofibroma
  • Schwannoma
  • Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor

Learn more about our treatments for nerve tumors.

We provide expert diagnostic services and care for neuropathies including:

  • Neuropathies related to illness, including diabetes
  • Neuropathies related to infection, including HIV
  • Hereditary neuropathies, including Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
  • Autoimmune neuropathies, such as vasculitis and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)
  • Neuropathies related to chemotherapy, alcohol abuse, exposure to toxins, and lack of vitamins
  • Idiopathic neuropathies (unknown cause)

Learn more:

Our excellence

  • We see hundreds of patients a year. This gives us a deep understanding of complex nerve disorders. We’ll provide an accurate diagnosis and a treatment plan tailored to your needs.
  • We offer expert second opinions and treatment options when other approaches haven’t worked. We also favor the least invasive options first.
  • You’ll find team-based care, with any specialists you need working together. Your care team may include:
    • A neurologist
    • A neurosurgeon
    • A plastic surgeon
    • An orthopaedic surgeon
    • An ear, nose and throat surgeon
    • A pain expert
    • A rehabilitation specialist

Leading-edge treatment

  • We’re the only center in Oregon to offer nerve transfer surgery, which can restore muscle function and sensation lost because of nerve damage.
  • Our surgeons are experts in minimally invasive endoscopic surgery. This results in less pain and faster recovery.
  • Our neurotoxin injection specialists have advanced expertise in the use of therapeutic botulinum toxin, such as Botox, to relieve nerve pain.
  • We offer treatments that may avoid opioid use and provide more effective control of nerve pain.
  • You will have access to a full range of support services, including our Neurology Wellness Clinic with complementary therapies for neuropathic pain.

Research and clinical trials

As Oregon’s only academic health center, OHSU makes research a core mission. We’re committed to turning discoveries in the lab into better care for patients.

  • We’re studying whether our innovative nerve transfer technique can reverse paralysis.
  • Our scientists have published dozens of studies on medications that control nerve pain.
  • The OHSU Brain Institute offers patients access to clinical trials to test promising new therapies.
  • Researchers in OHSU’s Balance Disorders Laboratory are working to find ways to improve quality of life for patients with peripheral nerve and other disorders.

For patients

Referral: To become a patient, please ask your doctor for a referral.

Locations

Parking is free for patients and their visitors.

We offer clinics for nerve conditions on our Marquam Hill and South Waterfront campuses.
 

Refer a patient

Stay informed

News: Read about research breakthroughs, patient care and many other topics on the OHSU News site.