Wrist injuries are extremely common. They’ll occur after a fall, a tough blow or a sudden twist of the wrist. For instance, you would possibly slip on the ice within the driveway and break a bone when falling onto your outstretched arm. Or your little hockey player might block the goal and unfortunately get a sprained wrist.
But when a wrist injury occurs, it may well be hard to tell how serious it’s. So how do you tell a fracture from a sprain?
Each sprains and fractures require immediate care, however the treatments they need should not at all times the identical. Your wrist may require more or less attention depending on the severity of the injury. Below are the important thing differences between broken and sprained wrists and when to see a health care provider.
What’s the difference between a broken wrist and a sprained wrist?
The difference between a fracture and a sprain is said to your anatomy. If you might have a sprain, it means you might have damaged one or more of your ligaments – the tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect your bones together.
If you might have a broken wrist, it signifies that one or more bones in your wrist have broken or shattered. Your wrist joint is made up of eight small bones across the wrist (wrist bone) and the tip of the forearm bone (radius and elbow).
So what’s a broken wrist? A fracture is the medical term for a broken bone – meaning a broken wrist is similar as a broken wrist.
How can I tell if I even have broken or sprained my wrist?
For starters, broken wrists often hurt greater than sprained wrists. In case your wrist is broken, you’re likely to feel severe pain. Sprains may cause some tenderness and pain, but sometimes they could not cause much discomfort in any respect.
One other difference is how much you’ll be able to move your hand. With a sprain, it is best to have the opportunity to move your wrist through its normal range of motion (but it should be painful). If you might have a broken bone, you most likely won’t have the opportunity to move your wrist much.
Even so, it may well be difficult to tell the difference between injuries, as each involve bruising, swelling, and weakness within the hands. It is usually possible to fracture and dislocate at the identical time – and the resulting symptoms. The one sure way to tell the difference between a fracture and a sprain is to talk to your doctor or hand specialist.
Wrist fracture symptoms vs wrist sprain symptoms
Rupture | Sprain | |
---|---|---|
The sound your wrist makes when it’s injured | Grinding, crunching or cracking | Often silent, sometimes a crackling sound |
Hand strength after injury | The hand might be weak | The hand might be weak |
Range of motion after injury | You could move your wrist only just a little or under no circumstances. Finger movements may also be affected. | Can move the wrist (but it should be uncomfortable) |
Edema | Gradual and mild | Fast and meaningful |
Wrist deformity after injury | The wrist may look deformed or have an unnatural bend (but it’s also possible to break it without noticeable deformity) | Thread |
What should I do if I injured my wrist?
One in all the primary things to do is resolve for those who need to see a health care provider or for those who can treat your injury at home.
In case your hand is numb or your wrist is bent in an unnatural way, seek urgent orthopedic help. If you happen to think your wrist is sprained, you’ll be able to wait to see your doctor and treat it at home. But in case your wrist doesn’t feel higher inside a day, make an appointment with a hand specialist or head to certainly one of our convenient orthopedic urgent care facilities.
Uncertain? Make an appointment with a hand specialist – they are going to have the opportunity to tell in case your wrist is sprained or broken and what you wish to do to take care of it.
How long does it take to heal a sprained wrist compared to a broken wrist?
The more pain you’re feeling out of your injury, the longer it should take to get better. Sprained wrists take 2 to 10 weeks to heal.
Broken wrists can take several months (or more) to fully heal, with most healing occurring inside 6-12 weeks.
How to take care of an injured wrist at home
If you might have a wrist injury, there are a number of things it is best to do to reduce pain and get on the trail to recovery. If you might have a light sprain, these home treatments could also be all you wish to get better. But for fractures and more serious sprains, you will likely need medical attention.
- Immediately “Stop doing all the things that hurts you, and never only for a day. For instance, if you might have a sports-related wrist injury, you have to to stay on the sidelines until you’re healed. Also, don’t remove jewelry until the swelling is totally gone.
- For the primary 24 hours – Apply ice for 15-20 minutes at a time. Also, wrap a pressure bandage around your hand to help with swelling.
- For the primary three days – Raise your arm as high as possible, also at night. This reduces blood flow to the hands and may reduce swelling.
Treating broken wrists and major fractures
To diagnose an injury, your doctor will perform a physical examination and possibly take an X-ray. Your doctor might also perform other imaging tests, reminiscent of a CT or MRI scan, to get more information before making a diagnosis or recommending the treatment that is best for you. Possible treatment options include:
Plaster or splint
Movement makes it harder for bones to heal. A forged or splint holds the wrist in place so the broken bone can heal. What’s the difference between a forged and a splint and the way do you already know which one you wish?
In case your fracture isn’t too severe, a splint could also be enough to protect your wrist. The splints are ready and may often be removed and adjusted. Casts provide more support within the event of great injuries. They’re custom made – often of plaster or fiberglass – to fit across the wrist and protect against injury.
How long you have to to wear a forged or splint is determined by your injury. For a light fracture, it might take every week or two. For more serious injuries, it may well take months.
Need a forged for a sprained wrist?
No, you do not often need a forged for a sprained wrist. The doctor more often recommends wearing a splint for 2-10 days. After this rest period, it is best to start moving your wrist as often as possible (so long as it isn’t painful). Movement brings fluids to and from the injured area – something that is crucial for healing.
Still, there are occasions when your doctor may recommend a forged for a sprain. For instance, if moving a damaged tendon or ligament causes severe pain or the doctor is worried that improper healing may cause everlasting changes within the function of the wrist.
If you happen to wear a forged for a sprained wrist, it often takes 3-4 weeks, but it may well take so long as 8 weeks.
Medicines
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reminiscent of ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen sodium are great for temporary pain relief. If you might have an open fracture and the bone has damaged the skin, your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics.
Hand rehabilitation
Because the wound heals, you may have the opportunity to move around more. At this point, you’ll be able to start some exercises. Our hand therapists can enable you develop a customized plan to help your hand regain the strength and talent it had before the injury. As a part of the therapy, your hand therapist can use ultrasound, manual therapy, kinesiology taping or neuromuscular reeducation techniques.
Surgery
Your hand surgeon may have to implant plates, screws, or rods to hold the bones in place while they heal. This is generally only mandatory if:
- Your bone has broken in lots of places
- The bone pierced through the skin
- The injury has damaged or is probably going to damage surrounding ligaments, nerves, blood vessels, or joints
You could also need surgery if the bone doesn’t heal properly after the break.
Get the enable you need on your injured wrist
Mild wrist sprains can often be treated at home, but broken bones and severe fractures are best healed with the assistance of a health care provider.
If you might have symptoms that may very well be due to a broken or sprained wrist, make an appointment with a hand therapist or GP. They are going to have the opportunity to tell in case your wrist is sprained or broken and what you wish to do to get better.
In case your wrist is visibly broken or your hand is numb, go to urgent orthopedic care to be checked out immediately.