How long does it take for injured nerves to heal?

There’s no single fixed time that injured nerves take to heal. The healing time depends on a couple of different factors, mainly the type of nerve that is injured, the type of injury that the nerve sustains, and how seriously the nerve is injured. 

• A nerve that is bruised but not severed typically takes about 6 – 12 weeks to recover. 
• If the nerve is only mildly pinched but still functional, it can heal completely and recover function in a few days or even less than a day. 
• A nerve that is severed will grow at the rate of about 1 mm a day, starting after a 4 week period of rest following the injury.  
• If the nerve is severely compressed or if it has been compressed for a long time, it can take a few months to heal completely. 

Sensory nerves are more resilient and heal better than motor nerves. 

Nerve injury in older individuals takes longer to heal. This is because the body becomes less efficient in healing itself with age.  

Targeted physiotherapy exercises can help speed up the nerve healing process because of the increased blood flow. On the other hand, inactivity can slow down the healing process.