Hi, i woke up one morning with left arm numbness from the elbow down with hand weakness and wrist drop. my doctor ordered a head ct and neck mri to rule out anything life threatening. it turned out to be saturday night palsy. how long to recover?

Palsy: Even though the initial nerve damage is serious, the palsy generally heals within several weeks. Treatment involves resting the injured nerve often by wearing a splint. I believe that a neurologist should direct your care and dictate when to start proper physical therapy.

Once the maximum damage has occurred, about 24-36 hrs., recovery proceeds steadily depending upon the extent of the original event. If the "nerve coverings" have been predominantly affected, re-growth occurs over 3-4 weeks, BUT if the central axon has been injured, regrowth might proceed at 0.1 mm daily, speed of fingernail growth.