A sprained wrist is an injury that affects theligaments, which are soft tissue structures connecting bone to bone.
This article discusses wrist sprainstypes of sprains, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
How Are Wrist Sprains Diagnosed?
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A healthcare provider will diagnose a wrist sprain based on your symptoms and how the injury happened.
They might also performX-raysto rule out fractures that often occur with wrist trauma.
Additional imaging is sometimes performed to determine how severely a ligament has been damaged after a wrist sprain.
These tests can include:
How Are Wrist Sprains Treated?
Additional treatment for wrist sprain depends on the severity of the injury.
Theremovable brace or splintshould be worn when you use your arm.
Your healthcare provider may also recommend certain stretching exercises to overcome stiffness and regain wrist mobility.
Treatment for grade 3 sprains is more involved and often requires surgery.
Severe wrist sprains might also require surgery to repair the injured ligament.
If the original ligament can’t be fixed, a piece of thetendoncan be used to reconstruct it.
How Long Does a Sprained Wrist Take to Heal?
you could ask a healthcare provider for help and advice on quitting smoking.
Summary
Wrist sprains are injuries that affect ligaments that attach bone to bone.
They occur after a fall, during sports activities, or with other direct trauma.
Sprains can be diagnosed with a physical exam, but imaging might be required to rule out a fracture.
Treatment includes ice, NSAIDs, compression, elevation, splinting, and hand therapy.
Severe ligament injuries may require surgery.
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