How long does it take to recover from a slip and fall?

Updated on January 22, 2022

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https://pixabay.com/photos/slip-up-danger-careless-slippery-709045/

After a slip and fall accident, you may realize that your injuries greatly diminish your livelihood. You probably aren’t able to perform actions you normally would, such as jogging or bending to pick up heavy objects. Slip and fall injuries can take anywhere between a few weeks to months to recover based on how bad the accident was. If you are suffering from financial damage due to a slip and fall injury that wasn’t your fault, you may consider looking for legal help. Based on your unique situation, you can find out more information on how long it may take you to recover from your personal injury. 

Minor Injuries 

If you wound up with minor injuries after your accident, such as scrapes, bruises, cuts, or sprains, you can expect your recovery time may not be more than two to three weeks. While bruises, cuts, and scrapes take about two weeks to heal, sprains take about three to four weeks. Still, even if you only have superficial wounds, get medical attention after a personal injury to be sure you don’t have soft tissue injuries that can create lingering pain for weeks. 

Serious Injuries 

Serious injuries include broken bones, fractures, punctured organs, torn ligaments, and open wounds. In general, broken bones can take between six to eight weeks to heal, but this can vary based on the wound. Fractures take about the same time, but some fractures take longer. For example, a tibia fracture requires about 20 weeks to heal. Organs that were punctured, such as a lung or liver, take around the same time to heal as a broken bone, meaning six to eight weeks of recovery. Open wounds usually heal after two weeks with the help of sutures or stitches. Torn ligaments can take longer and may require six weeks to fully heal. These injuries can be more painful and debilitating, resulting in limited movement until you fully recover. 

Partial or Permanent Disabilities 

Injuries that result in disability are ones that you typically can’t recover from and can create a massive impact on your life for years to come. Some may require physical therapy, while others require an entire modification of your lifestyle. Traumatic brain injury can be devastating and range from a mild concussion to permanent brain damage. Based on the type of injury you experience, you may have a disability that prevents you from functioning the way you typically did. This injury may reduce your ability to speak, see, hear, and solve problems. You may even be unable to perform tasks like writing. 

Even if the disability doesn’t influence your motor skills, some brain injuries can change your behavior. For example, socialization problems and depressive temperament are common negative behavioral traits resulting from traumatic brain injury. Brain injuries can require up to two years of recovery, but some individuals don’t improve until five to ten years after their personal injury. 

If you suffer a spinal cord injury, this also can harm your motor skills. Based on where the injury occurred along the spinal column, the effects can be mild or devastating. Injuries in the lumbar region can result in lower back pain or paralysis of the lower body, for example. In other instances, injuries around the neck or the cervical region can result in whole-body paralysis. This may be unrecoverable, but ultimately your prognosis is entirely dependent on your specific case, according to your doctor. 

What Can You Do to Help Your Recovery?

When you are recovering from your slip and fall accident, there are some ways that can help accelerate your recovery. 

Try Physical Therapy

You can work with a physical therapist who helps you improve the motor function of your injured body parts. They help you gradually expand your ability to move again with regular sessions that train you over time. 

Get Rest

This may seem obvious, but it is important to get lots of rest instead of skipping sleep. Your body has to heal, and rest can help. Injured body parts can heal faster while you sleep. You can try to put yourself in more comfortable positions while sleeping to make it easier. 

Occupational Therapy

These therapists can help you learn how to regain your ability to do work-related tasks again. They train you and help you recover so that you can overcome your injuries. The specific groups of muscles that were injured that are related to your occupation are targeted by the therapist, who will help you redevelop hand-eye motor coordination. 

Seek a Chiropractor

Personal injuries often result in terrible neck, back, and spinal pain. Even lower back pain, while minor compared to other injuries, can leave you feeling fatigued, uncomfortable, and miserable. You can work with a chiropractor who will help you relieve this pain by stretching and moving the vertebrae in the spine. They evaluate your injury, review your x-ray scans, and provide natural and alternative medicine to help figure out a solution for your physical pain and lack of mobility. 

Other Information on Recovering From Slip and Fall Injuries

Recovery isn’t easy and can be a several-step process that takes several weeks. Because it can require a big chunk of time for you to get your life back to normal, you may have to take time off of work. It can also be expensive to work with therapists that have to meet with you on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. If you don’t believe you were at fault for your slip and fall injuries, you can consider working with an attorney who can fight for your right to a settlement. 

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.