Broken arm: symptoms, treatment and how long it takes to heal

The NHS says you may have broken your arm or wrist if you have injured it and it suddenly became painful, swollen, bruised or difficult to move. It may also change colour, change shape (look bent or twisted) or feel numb.

It also notes that it can be hard to tell if a wrist is broken, dislocated or badly sprained, so you will probably need an X-ray.

The NHS says it is important to get medical help as soon as possible if you think you have broken your arm or wrist. Which service to use depends on your symptoms.

The NHS suggests using a towel as a sling to support the arm, gently holding an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas) wrapped in a tea towel to the injured area for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours, stopping any bleeding by applying pressure with a clean pad or dressing, removing jewellery such as rings or watches because your fingers, wrist or hand could swell, and taking painkillers such as paracetamol. It advises not eating or drinking in case you need surgery, and not using the affected arm or wrist.

If you need to go to A&E, the NHS says not to drive yourself: ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

The NHS says that when you get to hospital the arm may be put in a splint to support it and stop broken bones moving out of position, and you will be given painkillers. An X-ray is then used to see if there is a break and how bad it is. A plaster cast can be used to keep your arm in place until it heals, sometimes applied a few days later to allow swelling to go down first, and you may be given a sling.

A doctor may try to move the broken bones back into place with their hands before applying a splint or cast, after giving you medicine to reduce or stop the pain. If you had a very bad break, surgery may be carried out to fix the bones back into place. Before leaving hospital you will be given painkillers to take home and advice on cast care, and asked to attend follow-up appointments.

NICE says a non-complex fracture is usually managed in a local hospital rather than a specialist centre, whereas complex fractures, which include open fractures where the bone has broken through the skin, usually need care by a specialist team and some need a major trauma unit or centre.

The NHS says it usually takes around 6 to 12 weeks to recover from a broken arm or wrist, and can take longer if your arm or wrist was severely damaged. You need to wear your plaster cast until the bone heals, and the skin under the cast may be itchy for a few days. The hospital will give you advice about exercises to do.

Your arm or wrist may be stiff and weak after the cast is removed. A physiotherapist can help, although the NHS says sometimes these problems can last several months or more.

The NHS says to get help from NHS 111 if, while recovering, the pain in your arm or wrist gets worse, you have a very high temperature or feel hot, cold or shivery, your cast breaks or feels too tight or too loose, your fingers, wrist or arm feel numb, look swollen or turn blue or white, or there is a bad smell or discharge of liquid from under your cast.

The NHS compartment syndrome page says it can start suddenly after an injury or if a bandage or plaster cast is too tight, with severe pain in a muscle, swelling, numbness, weakness or pins and needles, and that sudden severe pain needs a 999 call or A&E.

The NHS says that if you are over 50 and have broken your arm or wrist, a fracture liaison service can help you prevent further broken bones and keep your bones healthy, and you can ask your GP surgery whether there is one in your area.

On the NHS, a broken arm is usually assessed through A&E or a minor injury unit, followed by fracture clinic review. Private orthopaedic care can offer quicker follow-up or surgical choice, but the first assessment and any emergency should still go through urgent NHS services. Ask who will arrange cast removal and physiotherapy.