Broken Wrist: How Long Does It Take to Heal?

If you’ve recently broken your wrist, one of the first questions you’ll ask is: how long will it take to heal? The answer isn’t always straightforward.

A broken wrist might seem like a relatively minor injury at first, but for many people, it’s anything but. Daily tasks like driving, working, cooking, or even getting dressed can become frustratingly difficult — and recovery doesn’t always follow a predictable timeline.

Typical Recovery Time

For most people, a simple wrist fracture may start to improve within 6 to 8 weeks. That’s often the point when a cast is removed or splinting ends, and light movement can begin again.

But here’s what many aren’t told:

Just because the bone has healed, doesn’t mean you’ve recovered.

Pain, swelling, and stiffness can linger for several months. In more complex breaks — especially those involving surgery, multiple bones or joint surfaces — recovery can take much longer. You may also need physiotherapy to regain strength, grip, and mobility.

Healing vs. Recovery: Not the Same Thing

There’s a big difference between your wrist healing on an X-ray and feeling normal again in real life.

• Healing is what your doctor sees in scans.

• Recovery is what you feel when you try to lift a pan, drive, or hold your child.

It’s completely normal for pain to flare up weeks after your fracture is "technically" healed. Stiffness, weakness, and loss of confidence in your wrist can all delay your return to normal.

Why It Matters (Especially If You’re Making a Claim)

If your broken wrist happened in an accident, it’s important to know that compensation isn’t based on how quickly your bone knits back together — it’s based on how long you live with the consequences.

That includes:

• The level of ongoing pain

• How much the injury interferes with work or hobbies

• Whether you needed help at home

• Whether symptoms will continue long-term

That’s why it’s vital to have your injury properly assessed by a medical expert who specialises in orthopaedic injuries — not just a general doctor.

A Word from Experience

As someone who’s personally dealt with serious upper limb injuries — including breaking both elbows and undergoing surgery — Personal Injury Solicitor and company founder Chris Hutchinson knows the worry about feeling dismissed or rushed through your recovery. Good rehabilitation takes time, and so does getting back to the life you had before the accident.

Need Help Moving Forward?

If your injury happened through no fault of your own and you're still struggling weeks or months later, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Inson Legal Limited helps people across the UK get the support and compensation they deserve — with a process that’s simple and stress-free.