Nerve regrowth after damage

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A user shared their experience of injuring their thumbnail with a #2 Robertson bit while drilling into hardwood, leading to a piece of nail embedded in the nail bed. After initial pain and bandaging, they noticed a lack of sensation at the tip of their thumb, describing the feeling as if a bandage were still present. This raised concerns about potential nerve damage and whether it could heal over time. Responses highlighted that while nerve injuries can be slow to recover, many minor nerve injuries do allow for some return of function. Users shared personal anecdotes of similar injuries, noting that sensation can gradually improve over the years, with nerve regrowth occurring at approximately 1 mm per day after an initial delay. The discussion also touched on the challenges of accessing medical care in Canada.
DaveC426913
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Can I expect feeling to return in my thumb after puncture damage?
I put a #2 Robertson bit through my thumbnail about a month ago*. After a week or so, it was still hurting, so I went in after the (perfectly square) piece of thumbnail that had been rammed into the nail bed**.

*trying to drill 4" deck screws into hardwood without a pilot hole tends to make a power drill wobbly
** I'm a popaholic, so is was in my wheelhouse - and my toolkit.

I've kept it bandaged - mostly so that I don't catch the ragged hole on anything, and bleed all over everything (again). It's healing up nicely now, so I've stopped bandaging it. Even the scab has gone, and nowe I just have a hole in my thumbnail with pink skin under it .

All the pain is gone, so it is only now that I am noticing that feeling has not returned to the tip of my thumb.

Ever heard of a phantom limb? Well I have a phantom bandage. My thumb feels exactly like there is still a bandage on it. When I touch things with my thumb tip it's as if I'm touching it through a bandage. (I suppose the same effect would be experienced if it were swollen and engorged with fluid, but again - no pain.)

So I am assuming this is nerve damage. Is this the kind of thing that can heal back?
 
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DaveC426913 said:
So I am assuming this is nerve damage. Is this the kind of thing that can heal back?
I've read somewhere lately that there is a pretty bad shortage of doctors in Canada now. Sorry that you are having to deal with that...

:wink:
 
berkeman said:
I've read somewhere lately that there is a pretty bad shortage of doctors in Canada now. Sorry that you are having to deal with that...

:wink:
I guess...

I have a GP. Far as I know she's not going anywhere.

But beyond my personal sitch, yes, many people are finding it hard to sign up for a doc.
 
jim mcnamara said:
Best answer: slow and incomplete return to recovering, still functioning tissue. This means size of wound forecasts "speed". smaller wounds generally reach whatatver end points faster.
I agree with this. I have a couple of spots like this. Some feeling has returned, but very slowly. I am still noticing improvement years later.
 
phyzguy said:
I agree with this. I have a couple of spots like this. Some feeling has returned, but very slowly. I am still noticing improvement years later.
Sixty years ago I cut my palm on glass - just below the lowest knuckle joint of my little finger at the top, outer part. It was sutured by a grumpy A&E nurse. The outside edge of my little finger was totally numb but, over the past years it is getting more and more 'normally' sensitive. Being past my sell-by date, I am constantly pleased by this recuperation. The same finger got dislocated (first joint, sticking right up in the air) The feeling is still improving, despite that. I'm a Wolverine.
 
Nerve re-growth speed of sensory nerves is approximately 1 mm/day + a 2 week initial delay when the body figures things out.

I once cut sensory nerves in my foot and had compromised feel from ankle to toes. This took a few years to recover.
 
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