Duration
The duration until complete or extensive recovery depends strongly on the cause and extent of the damage. If the cause is a fracture of the humerus or a dislocation of the shoulder, the healing time is extended simply by the fact that the bone or ligament injury requires several weeks of immobilization. Although ergo- and physiotherapeutic exercises can be started during this phase to improve the symptoms of the drop hand, only to a much lesser extent.
If, on the other hand, there is only a palm without bone or ligament injuries, as is the case with “park bench paralysis”, intensive exercise of the hand can be started immediately after the diagnosis. Although a splint is usually made in this case as well, it is usually more flexible and can sometimes be removed to perform the exercises. In this way, the first therapeutic successes are usually achieved within a few days and after a few weeks the functionality is usually completely restored. In the case of a surgical nerve suture or transplantation, the nerve fibers must of course first grow together again. This can take several weeks, so you should not be discouraged if there is no immediate improvement in the first days after the operation.
Prognosis
The drop hand usually has a good prognosis, although this is of course strongly dependent on the cause and extent of the damage. “Park bench paralysis” as a result of chronic pressure on the nerves usually improves of its own accord within a few days to weeks, although physiotherapy and occupational therapy exercises can accelerate the course. However, if surgery is necessary, the healing process is prolonged.
Nevertheless, in most cases a complete restoration of hand and finger functions can be achieved after a few weeks to a few months. However, the completeness and speed of the healing process is highly dependent on the discipline with which the affected hand is immobilized and exercised!
