About Wrist Sprains

Wrist sprains are common injuries that that may occur when the wrist is bent forcefully, such as in a fall onto an outstretched hand. The wrist contains many ligaments that can be stretched or torn, resulting in a sprain. The most common symptoms of a wrist sprain are pain, swelling, bruising, tenderness and warmth around the injury, or a popping or tearing feeling in the wrist.

It is difficult to tell based on symptoms alone whether a wrist injury will “heal on its own” or if it requires specialized attention to avoid long-term pain, stiffness or weakness. Pain alone in the first 3 months is not indicative of a more severe problem.  There are also severe wrist injuries which are relatively well-tolerated in the short-term. There have been many innovations in the examination and radiographic analysis of wrist injuries in the past 10 to 20 years. A skilled hand surgeon can best determine the nature of a wrist sprain, and discuss treatment options.

Treatment options include rest, anti-inflammatory medications, hand therapy, injections, casting, and surgical modalities, among others. Treatments are tailored to the injury-type with the patient as a whole in mind. Many severe injuries are now treatable with minimally invasive techniques, including wrist arthroscopy.

If you are concerned regarding this problem, we can perform a detailed examination, ultrasound, x-rays and other tests as needed and discuss the options with you to find the option that best suits your needs. Contact us today.