Written by Jenny Wu - UPG Physiotherapist & Pilates Instructor
One of the most underrated but delicate parts of our bodies is the wrist. Your wrist is made up of 8 small carpal bones and 2 long bones in your forearm. Beyond the bony structure, the wrist is a complex network of ligaments, tendons, nerves, bones and cartilage. Although spraining a wrist is a common occurrence, it can wreak havoc in our day-day life, therefore in this blog, you find the importance and how to manage a wrist sprain correctly.
What is a wrist sprain?
A wrist sprain is an injury to the ligaments of your wrist. This means the ligaments connecting the carpal bones and/or the ligaments connecting your carpal bones to the bones of your forearm are stretched beyond their limits, twisted or torn.
“A wrist sprain can vary in severity depending on how badly the structures are injured.”
What causes wrist sprains?
A wrist sprain is often a result of an acute injury, the most common being a fall on an outstretched hand. Whether from our normal day-to-day activities such as working, cooking, writing, or playing sports, the wrist is forced too far back, and the supporting structures are stretched or torn. Another cause is when the wrist is over-twisted, especially when the hand is gripped, such as playing racquet sports.
Although less common, wrist sprains can also occur due to repetitive stress; excessive weight-bearing or twisting motions can gradually irritate structures in your wrist.
How do you know if you have a sprained wrist?
Many signs indicate a wrist sprain, but some of the common symptoms to look out for include:
Feeling a popping or tearing in your wrist
Pain weight bearing on your wrist
Pain with twisting and rotation motions
Pain with moving your wrist from side to side
Tenderness on touch
Warmth around your wrist
Swollen wrist
Difficulty moving the wrist
Difficulty and painful gripping
Weakness in your wrist
How do I manage my sprain?
Initially, it is essential to do no harm and manage the swelling and pain in your wrist. This can be done through the PEACE method (Protection, Elevation, Avoiding anti-inflammatory drugs, Compression, and Education).
After a few days, our tissues need LOVE (Load, Optimisation, Vascularisation and Exercise) which is important as it considers the ongoing management and continuum of tissue healing.
Depending on the severity of the injury, wrist sprains may need bracing, splinting or taping to help promote protection and healing. Once the swelling and pain have settled to a manageable level, it is essential to mobilise and strengthen your wrist to avoid long-term complications. It is worthwhile to also add proprioceptive exercises, especially if you play sports. As you do your exercises to improve the range, strength and stability of your wrist, it is imperative that you start with a manageable load and slowly increase the difficulty. Going too hard too fast will hinder the healing process.
The recovery time varies depending on the type of sprain and the management of the injury. It is important to have your wrist sprain examined if symptoms persist. A physiotherapist can help assess which structures are injured and the extent of the injury. This is important to guide treatment and can help set you up with an optimal treatment plan to meet your specific needs and ensure the best possible outcome.
In addition, a physiotherapist can help progressively load your wrist, modify activities to suit your current capabilities, and review improper form, equipment or training habits that may have contributed to or prolonged injury.
If this sounds familiar and you need help managing your wrist sprain, book here with one of our physiotherapists.
References
May Jr DD, Varacallo M. Wrist Sprain. [Updated 2022 Sep 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551514/
Avery, D.M., Rodner, C.M. & Edgar, C.M. Sports-related wrist and hand injuries: a review. J Orthop Surg Res 11, 99 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13018-016-0432-8
<a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/sad-frustrated-young-woman-striped-top-frowning-holding-hand-her-aching-wrist-massaging-pain-area-having-painful-facial-expression-suffering-from-joint-pain-arthritis-gout_11033367.htm#query=wrist%20pain&position=43&from_view=search&track=sph">Image by karlyukav</a> on Freepik