Recovery from Wrist Drop and Finger Weakness After Injection
You will likely recover from the wrist drop and finger weakness, but the timeline depends on whether the injection caused direct nerve injury versus simple inflammation—most injection-related nerve injuries show significant improvement within 3-12 months with conservative management, though complete recovery occurs in only about 36-64% of cases. 1
Immediate Assessment Needed
Your symptoms suggest possible radial nerve injury from the injection, which can occur through:
- Direct needle trauma to the superficial radial nerve at the wrist 1
- Chemical irritation from injected material 2
- Compression from local inflammation and swelling 3
Critical distinction: The presence of only "slight inflammation" at the injection site is reassuring—severe injuries typically show progressive worsening with marked swelling, warmth, and pain rather than improvement. 4
Expected Recovery Timeline
If Simple Nerve Irritation (Most Likely Given Mild Inflammation):
- Complete recovery within 3 months occurs in approximately 36% of injection-related radial nerve injuries 1
- Sensory symptoms (numbness, tingling) typically resolve faster than motor weakness 1
- The mild inflammation you describe suggests a better prognosis than cases with severe causalgia or progressive symptoms 1
If Direct Nerve Injury:
- Persistent symptoms beyond 3 months occur in 64% of cases 1
- Even with surgical intervention (neurolysis), patients show "significant improvement but with some functional loss" at 1-11 years follow-up 2
- Recovery is slower and may be incomplete if the nerve was directly injected with medication 2
Immediate Management Steps
Conservative treatment is appropriate initially since you have only slight inflammation without severe pain or progressive worsening:
Observation period: Monitor for 48-72 hours for any worsening of redness, warmth, or swelling that would indicate infection 4
Supportive care only:
Maintain gentle range of motion: Complete immobilization should be avoided to prevent muscular atrophy—tensile loading stimulates healing 5
Red Flags Requiring Urgent Evaluation
Seek immediate medical attention if you develop:
- Progressive weakness over the next 24-48 hours 1
- Severe burning pain (causalgia) that doesn't respond to oral analgesics 1
- Increasing redness, warmth, or swelling suggesting infection 4
- Fluctuant swelling indicating possible abscess 4
When to Consider Advanced Treatment
If symptoms persist beyond 2-3 months without improvement:
- Nerve conduction studies should be performed to assess the extent of nerve damage 1, 6
- Steroid infiltration injections (3-5 treatments) may be beneficial for persistent causalgia 1
- Surgical neurolysis with debridement is reserved for cases that fail conservative management and steroid injections 2
Prognosis Factors
Better prognosis indicators in your case:
- Only "slight inflammation" rather than severe swelling 1
- Immediate recognition of the problem 1
- No mention of severe burning pain (causalgia) 1
Concerning factors:
- Immediate onset of paralysis after injection suggests direct nerve trauma rather than delayed compression 1
- Middle finger weakness with grip impairment indicates motor nerve involvement, which recovers more slowly than pure sensory symptoms 1
Realistic Expectations
Most likely scenario: Given the mild inflammation and absence of severe pain, you have approximately a 36% chance of complete recovery within 3 months and up to 88% chance of significant functional improvement with conservative management. 1, 7 However, some residual weakness or sensory changes may persist long-term in 64% of cases. 1
The key is close monitoring over the next 2-3 months—if you're not seeing progressive improvement by that point, nerve conduction studies and possible specialist referral are warranted. 1