Table of Contents
What is the best thing to do for a sprained wrist?
What’s the Treatment for a Wrist Sprain?
- Rest your wrist for at least 48 hours.
- Ice your wrist to reduce pain and swelling.
- Compress the wrist with a bandage.
- Elevate your wrist above your heart, on a pillow or the back of a chair.
- Take anti-inflammatory painkillers.
- Use a cast or splint to keep your wrist immobile.
Do you need a brace for a sprained wrist?
You might need a splint or brace if you have a moderate sprain. This will immobilize your wrist as it heals. Most wrist sprains get better with immobilization and rest. Typically, surgery is only needed for severe injuries.
How long should you wrap a sprained wrist?
Some doctors suggest that you go back and forth between hot and cold. If you have an elastic bandage, keep it on for the next 24 to 36 hours. The bandage should be snug but not so tight that it causes numbness or tingling.
Did I sprain my wrist or break it?
If you have a wrist sprain, you may be able to move the wrist in a range of motion. It may be painful, but you will still be able to do it. That usually means the bones are not broken, and you have a sprain. Another sign of a wrist sprain is that there are swelling and redness around the sprained area of the wrist.
What does a fractured wrist feel like?
Severe pain that might worsen when gripping or squeezing or moving your hand or wrist. Swelling. Tenderness. Bruising.
Should you keep a sprained wrist wrapped at night?
Your injury may be wrapped in an elastic bandage. This is to help decrease swelling and pain. Remove the bandage before sleeping, unless it’s used to keep your splint in place.
How can you tell if wrist is sprained or broken?
When the bones of the wrist are broken, they cause the joint to look crooked or misaligned. In contrast, a wrist sprain results in swelling but does not typically cause crookedness. In very severe cases, a broken wrist may have bone protruding through the skin.
How do you tell if your wrist is broken or just bruised?
A broken wrist might cause these signs and symptoms:
- Severe pain that might worsen when gripping or squeezing or moving your hand or wrist.
- Swelling.
- Tenderness.
- Bruising.
- Obvious deformity, such as a bent wrist.
Does a sprained wrist hurt to touch?
When to use a sling for hand injury?
When a person injures their hand, wrist or forearm, resulting in a wound or bleeding injury, a sling helps to keep that injury elevated and immobilized, promoting healing. Strains and sprains are painful injuries that can result from a number of different situations, such as slips and falls.
Do you need a brace for a wrist sprain?
You might need a splint or brace if you have a moderate sprain. This will immobilize your wrist as it heals. Most wrist sprains get better with immobilization and rest. Typically, surgery is only needed for severe injuries.
What are the different types of Wrist sprains?
The types of wrist sprains include: In a grade 1 wrist sprain, the ligaments are overstretched. There are no tears. If the ligament has partly torn, it’s a grade 2 wrist sprain. You may lose some mobility and need a splint or brace. This is the most serious type of wrist sprain. The ligaments have completely torn.
How to treat a mild wrist sprain at home?
At home, you can treat a mild wrist sprain with the RICE method: Rest. Avoid using your wrist for 48 hours. Try not to do activities that involve your wrist, like writing with a pen. Ice. Apply an ice pack for 20 minutes, two or three times each day. Never use ice without wrapping it first, as this can damage your skin.