Wrist Pain Causes and Prevention

A sprained wrist is a very common injury most often caused by a fall on an outstretched hand. It causes pain, immobilization and if severely injured, chronic pain.

A sprain is when the ligaments that connect bone to bone are stretched beyond their normal limits. Those ligaments hold together eight small carpal bones that make up your wrist. This structure allows for a broad range of motion. If the sprain is severe the ligaments could be completely torn causing total loss of mobility when the carpal bones no longer fit together properly.

Sprains in other joints, is measured in degrees of severity. A first-degree sprained wrist causes little or no functional loss, some swelling and joint stiffness can occur. Second-degree wrist sprain causes moderate instability, pain, swelling and reduction in range of motion. Third-degree wrist sprain causes a total loss of motion, often extreme pain followed by no pain and swelling. You may also experience bruising or discoloration.

A wrist sprain tends occurs when we try to catch ourselves in a fall. Many wrist sprains occur after a fall on a slick surface. If you regularly engage in sports such as football, basketball, rollerblading or any activity that carries a risk of falling, you should wear a wrist guard to help prevent over stretching.

The pain it causes could go away in as little as a few days. It’s important to begin care immediately with the RICE method. It stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and elevation.

Make sure to rest your wrist for 48 hours. In addition to resting it, apply ice to the swollen part right away. You can an icepack to do this. This should allow you to immobilize the wrist. Do this for about for 15 minutes.

Wrapping the affected area usually seem to help reduce swelling and pain. Make sure not to warp too tight.

Place your arm on a pillow in order to raise it above your heart. This method helps reduce swelling.

If pain is severe, visit your doctor to rule out a fracture.