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Wrist Sprain
A wrist sprain is damage to the ligaments that hold the small bones of the wrist together, almost always from a fall onto an outstretched hand. Most settle well. The important early step is ruling out a fracture — particularly of the scaphoid, which is easy to miss on an initial x-ray and causes serious problems if it goes untreated.
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Does this sound like you?
Most people have several of these, not all of them.
- Pain and swelling around the wrist after a fall
- Difficulty taking weight through the hand
- Reduced range, particularly bending back
- Bruising developing over the following day or two
- Tenderness in the hollow at the base of the thumb — which needs a fracture ruled out
Why it happens
- A fall onto an outstretched hand
- A sporting impact, particularly in contact and board sports
- A sudden forced bend of the wrist under load
- Repeated loading on an already irritable wrist
What we would do about it
Roughly in this order — each step waits for the one before it.
- Assessment for fracture first, with referral for imaging where indicated
- A splint or brace during the early painful phase
- Early gentle movement to prevent stiffness setting in
- Progressive strengthening and weight-bearing through the hand
- Proprioception and grip work before returning to sport
- Graded return to loading, pushing and gym work
See a doctor first if
- Your pain followed a significant injury
- It is getting worse rather than settling
- It comes with numbness, weakness or unexplained weight loss
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so the right treatment depends on an assessment.
Rule out a fracture before treating it as a sprain
A scaphoid fracture can look like a sprain and does badly if missed. If you fell on your hand and it is tender at the base of the thumb, get it checked. Ask a question first, or call us on 0403 907 587.
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Other wrist conditions we treat
Related reading: thumb-side tendon pain, thumb base pain and the equivalent injury at the ankle.
General information only, not advice about your own problem — nothing here replaces an assessment. Source: Wrist Sprain on Physiopedia.
