A wrist sprain is stretching or tearing of the ligaments that support the wrist.
It is treated with home care, exercise, and medicine.
To ease swelling and pain:
You may need to wear a brace, splint, or cast. Use them as you were taught by your care team.
You will be given exercises to strengthen muscles and improve range of motion. Keep in mind:
Medicine may be given to ease pain.
If you are taking medicine:
Your doctor may need to check on your progress. Go to all appointments.
Call your doctor if you are not getting better or you have:
If you think you have an emergency, call for medical help right away.
American College of Sports Medicine
http://www.acsm.org
Ortho Info—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
http://www.orthoinfo.org
Canadian Orthopaedic Association
http://www.coa-aco.org
Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation
http://www.canorth.org
Derry S, Moore RA, et al. Topical NSAIDs for acute musculoskeletal pain in adults. Cochrane Database of Syst Rev. 2015;(6):CD007402.
Heat and cold therapy: understanding rationale for use. EBSCO Nursing Reference Center website. Available at:https://www.ebsco.com/products/research-databases/nursing-reference-center-plus. Updated June 15, 2018. Accessed July 23, 2019.
Sprains, strains, and tears. American College of Sports Medicine website. Available at: https://www.acsm.org/docs/default-source/files-for-resource-library/sprains-strains-and-tears.pdf?sfvrsn=5b229fcf_2. Published 2011. Accessed July 23, 2019.
Wrist sprains. Ortho Info—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons website. Available at: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00023. Updated April 2018. Accessed July 23, 2019.
Last reviewed June 2019 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Laura Lei-Rivera, PT, DPT