Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

A wrist sprain is a condition in which the ligaments in the wrist are excessively stretched and torn (partially or completely). In contrast, a wrist fracture means one of the wrist bones has been broken. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between a wrist sprain and a wrist fracture, as both of these injuries have the same symptoms and are caused by the same injuries - against a fall or a collision in the wrist. beat directly. In fact, wrist fractures are also very common, including a wrist sprain. Accurately identifying these two trauma cases requires a medical diagnosis (by X-ray), however you can sometimes also distinguish between a sprain and a wrist fracture at home before visiting the hospital. or medical facility.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Diagnosis of a wrist sprain

1. 

   
   
   Try wrist movements and evaluate. A wrist sprain can occur in varying degrees, depending on how elongated or torn one or more ligaments are stretched. In the case of mild wrist sprains (degree 1), the ligaments are stretched but not significantly torn; moderate case (degree 2) indicates substantial ligament tear (up to 50% of fibers) and some function may be lost; Severe sprains (grade 3) indicate heavier ligament tear or complete rupture. That way, you can still have relatively normal (albeit painful) wrist movements if you have a degree 1 or 2 sprain.Grade 3 sprains often lead to motor instability (excessive range of motion), because the ligaments attached to the wrist bone are completely broken.
   • In general, only certain degree 2 wrist sprains and all grade 3 sprains require medical attention. All first degree and most second degree wrist sprains can be treated at home.
   • Grade 3 wrist sprains can include fracture, where the ligament breaks away from the bone and pulls on a small piece of bone.
   • The most commonly stretched wrist ligament is the scapho-lunate ligament that connects the yacht and the menstrual bone.

2. 

   
   
   Determine the type of pain. Wrist sprains also vary widely in the severity and type of pain. A grade 1 wrist sprain is mildly painful, often described as aching and possibly stinging with movement. Grade 2 sprains have moderate to severe pain, depending on the ligament tear; pain level is higher than 1 and sometimes throbbing with more swelling. It seems paradoxical that a third degree sprain is usually less painful at first than grade 2 because the ligament has been completely broken and doesn't stimulate the surrounding nerves much. However, a grade 3 sprain will start to ache as swelling increases.
   • The case of a grade 3 sprain accompanied by a fracture causes immediate intense pain, a sharp and throbbing pain.
   • Sprains cause the most pain when moving; Symptoms usually improve with immobilization.
   • In general, you should see a doctor right away if your wrist is very painful and has difficulty moving.

3. 

   
   
   Apply ice and watch for reaction. Sprains of all levels respond well to ice or cold therapy by reducing swelling and numbing the surrounding nerves that cause pain. Ice therapy is especially important in Category 2 and 3 wrist sprains due to increased swelling around the site of the injury. Ice therapy on a sprained wrist after an injury about 1 to 2 hours after an injury, about 10-15 minutes each time is very effective after about 1 day and helps to reduce pain significantly, thanks to that movement also. easier. On the other hand, applying an ice pack to a wrist fracture may also help relieve pain and reduce swelling, but the symptoms often return after they have stopped working. Thus, in general, cryotherapy is more effective in wrist sprains than most fractures.
   • The more severe the sprain, the more swollen the wound will cause the pain to swell.
   • Fractures often respond better to cryotherapy than severe fractures that require medical attention.

4. 

   Check for bruising the next day. Note that swelling is not the same as bruising. Bruising is caused by blood flow from small arteries or veins into tissues. A grade 1 sprain usually does not cause bruising unless the impact breaks blood vessels under the skin. A grade 2 sprain is usually accompanied by swelling, but may not bruise much - depending on how the injury happened. A grade 3 sprain causes a lot of swelling and often bruises significantly because an injury that breaks a ligament is often severe enough to rupture or damage the way surrounding blood vessels.
   • The swelling doesn't change skin color much, except for the red heat generated by the heat.
   • Bruising that causes skin to turn dark blue is usually caused by blood leaking into the tissues just below the skin's surface. As the blood dissolves and withdraws from these tissues, the bruise also changes color (light green and eventually yellowish).

5. 

   Watch your progress after a few days. Basically, every degree 1 wrist sprain and some degree 2 sprains will improve significantly after a few days, especially if the wound is immobilized and frozen. That way, if your wrists look better, are not markedly swollen, and can move without pain, no medical intervention is needed. If the sprain is more severe (grade 2) but feels much better after a few days (even though the swelling and pain is still present), you may need to wait a while to recover. However, if the wound does not improve much or worsens after a few days, medical examination is required as soon as possible.
   • Grade 1 sprains and some grade 2 sprains heal fairly quickly (1 to 2 weeks), while grade 3 sprains (especially when bone fractures) have the longest recovery time (sometimes up to several months). .
   • A fracture can also heal fairly quickly (a few weeks), whereas severe fractures can take months or more, depending on whether surgery is performed.
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Part 2 of 2: Diagnosis of a wrist fracture

1. 

   Watch for deviation or curl. The type of accident or injury that causes a sprain to the wrist can also cause a wrist fracture. In general, the bigger and stronger the bone, the less likely it is to fracture from trauma - dilated and torn ligaments instead. However, if the bone is broken, there is often a deviation or scoliosis. The eight wrist bones are quite small, so wrist deflection and scoliosis can be difficult (or impossible) to recognize, especially in the case of a fracture, but a more severe fracture is easier to know.
   • The most common fracture in the wrist is the spinal bone, which is the forearm bone attached to the small bones in the wrist.
   • The most commonly fractured wrist bone is the yacht bone; this is usually less likely to cause a pronounced wrist deformation.
   • When a bone is punctured through the skin and exposed, it is called an open fracture.

2. 

   Determine the type of pain. The severity and type of pain associated with a wrist fracture also depends on the severity of the injury, but is commonly described as pain with movement and pain with motion. Pain from a wrist fracture is often increased with the grip or squeeze of the hand; This condition usually does not occur with a sprain. Compared to a sprain, a wrist fracture is more likely to cause hand symptoms, such as stiffness, numbness or inability to move fingers, due to the greater likelihood of nerve injury / damage. There is also a cracking sound when moving a broken wrist; This does not happen in the case of a wrist sprain.
   • Pain from a wrist fracture often (but not always) comes after a "crack" sound. By contrast, only a degree 3 sprain produces a similar sound or sensation, and sometimes there is a "pop" sound when the ligament is broken.
   • In general, pain from a wrist fracture increases at night, while pain from a sprain will be stable and not throbbing during the night if the wrist is held in place.

3. 

   Keep track of if symptoms get worse the next day. As mentioned above, mild-to-moderate sprains can get better after a day or two with rest and cold compresses, but not in fractures. In addition to a possibly exceptionally fractured bone, most broken bones take significantly longer to heal than a sprain. That way, a few days of ice and rest won't do much to help with symptoms in most fractures. In some cases, you may feel worse when your body has passed the initial "shock" from the injury.
   • If a wrist fracture is pierced through the skin, the risk of infection and blood loss is very high. You need to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
   • A broken wrist bone can completely cut off the blood flow to the hand. Swelling caused by bleeding is called "chamber compression syndrome" and is an emergency. When this happens, the hands will be cold (due to anemia) and pale (bluish-white).
   • A broken bone can also clamp or rupture nearby nerves, resulting in total numbness in the hand area where nerve is distributed.

4. 

   X-rays are prescribed by a doctor. The information above can guide you in predicting whether your wrist injury is a sprain or fracture, but only diagnostic imaging methods such as X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or imaging The new computerized tomography (CT scan) can accurately determine in most cases - unless the broken bone is punctured through the skin. X-rays are the most common and economical way to look at the tiny bones in the wrist. Your doctor may refer you to have a wrist X-ray so that the radiologist can read the results before consulting you. The X-rays show pictures of the bones are not Soft tissues such as ligaments or tendons are visible.Broken bones are difficult to x-ray due to their small size and limited space, and can take several days to see clearly on the radiograph. To see more ligamentous lesions, your doctor will recommend an MRI or CT scan.
   • MRI scans, a method that uses magnetic waves to provide detailed pictures of the body's skeletal structure, may be necessary in detecting broken wrists, especially broken boats.
   • The wrist fracture is difficult to see on a normal x-ray image until the swelling is gone. This may take about a week for the fracture to be identified, although by then the wound may be healing on its own.
   • Osteoporosis (brittle bones due to lack of minerals) is a major risk factor for wrist fractures, but it does not actually increase the risk of wrist sprains.
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Advice

• Sprains and wrist fractures are often caused by falls, so be careful when walking on wet or slippery surfaces.
• Skateboarding and skiing are activities with a high risk of sprains and wrist fractures, so you should always wear a wrist protector.
• Some wrist bones don't get a lot of blood under normal conditions, so recovery can take months to heal if broken.

Warning

• If left untreated, a broken wrist can increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis.