Wrist Sprain Or Broken Wrist: How To Tell The Difference
Injuring your wrist can be as easy as trying to stop your fall with an outstretched hand. But how bad is your wrist injury? Did you simply sprain the wrist or do you have something more serious, like a wrist fracture?
A broken wrist is just as common as a sprained one. Both these injuries are caused by similar mechanisms. So, if youve hurt your wrist, heres how to tell if its broken or not.
Symptoms of a Sprained Wrist vs. a Wrist Fracture
Unfortunately, the symptoms of a broken wrist and a sprained wrist are relatively similar. These symptoms include:
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Swelling
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Tenderness
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Pain
Although its easy to assume these symptoms are worse with a fractured wrist, thats not always the case. For example, a broken wrist can cause dull or mild pain while pain from a wrist sprain is often more severe.
There is one unique symptom of a broken wrist, and that is deformity. If the wrist appears bent or twisted out of shape or out of place, its broken. A wrist fracture is also accompanied by a constant dull ache that is unrelenting whereas pain from a wrist sprain is intermittent with movement.
Because symptoms of wrist sprains and wrist fractures are so similar, an x-ray can be the only way to tell the extent of the wrist injury. Your orthopedic physician will examine the x-ray to make sure none of the bones in the wrist are broken and suggest a proper choice of treatment.
Treating an Injured Wrist
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When Should I Avoid Wrist Taping
Wrist taping should be avoided in the following instances:
- If you have certain injuries such as some fractures
- If you have a skin allergy to sports tape
- If the taping technique results in an increase in symptoms such as pain, ache, itchiness, discolouration, pins and needles, numbness, swelling or excessive redness of the wrist, hand or fingers.
- If you have sensory or circulatory problems
Weaning off wrist tape in general activity is usually recommended as strength, range of movement and function improves and symptoms reduce. In these instances though, taping during high-risk activity is usually still recommended.
What Are Casts And Splints
Casts and splints are orthopedic devices that are used to protect and support broken or injured bones and joints. They help to immobilize the injured limb to keep the bone in place until it fully heals.
Casts differ from splints because they provide more support and protection for a limb that is injured or broken. They are made from materials like plaster or fiberglass that can be easily molded to the shape of the injured arm or leg.
Splints, also known as half-casts, provide less support than casts, but are faster and easier to use. They also can be tightened or loosened easily if the swelling in the arm or leg increases or decreases.
Ready-made or off-the-shelf splints are available in many different sizes and shapes. In some cases, custom-designed splints must be used. Velcro straps make it easier for the patient or healthcare provider to put the splint on or take it off.
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What Is A Colles Fracture
A Colles fracture or distal radius fracture is often called a broken wrist. In France itâs sometimes called a âPouteau-Collesâ fracture. Technically, its a break in the larger of the two bones in your forearm. The bone breaks on the lower end, close to where it connects to the bones of the hand on the thumb side of the wrist.
Collesfractures are very common theyre the most frequently broken bone in the arm. In the United States, 1 of every 10 broken bones is a broken wrist.
How To Wrap A Wrist
This article was co-authored by Claire Bowe, M.Ed., PT, Cert. MDT. Claire Bowe is a Physical Therapist and the Owner of Rose Physical Therapy Group, a physical therapy clinic based in Washington D.C. Claire has over 20 years of patient care experience and specializes in a personalized, one-on-one therapeutic approach to physical therapy. Claire is certified in Mechanical Diagnosis & Therapy by the McKenzie Institute and is an Ergonomic Assessment Specialist under the United States Occupational Health and Safety Administration . She holds an M.Ed. in Special Education from Portland State University, an MA in Physical Therapy from Governors State University, and a BS from Oregon State University.There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, several readers have written to tell us that this article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 590,569 times.
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Managing Pain During Recovery
During recovery, these pain management techniques can be used for patients:
- Physicians may prescribe a short course of opioid pain medications after a reduction. The prescription period will usually be brief, since opioids can cause troubling side effects and addiction.
- Patients can use non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen to manage pain and inflammation. NSAIDs may cause mild side effects and should be taken as directed.
- Ice therapy is a simple, low-risk way to manage pain and inflammation. Icing sessions can be done for 5 to 10 minutes every hour. Patients should avoid placing ice directly onto the skin, which can cause damage.
Upper Extremity Splinting: Arm Shoulder Elbow Wrist Finger
- Using bandages to create a sling works for immobilizing collarbone, shoulder, and upper arm injuries extending down to the elbow. The arm sling is wrapped to the person’s body with a large bandage encircling the person’s chest.
- Injury to the forearm and wrist requires a straight supportive splint that secures and aligns both sides of the injury. An open hardback book is a quick and handy, temporary immobilizer.
- An injured finger can be buddy-taped to the adjacent, unaffected fingers, or it can be splinted with small pieces of wood or cardboard until more sturdy splints can be applied.
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When Should I See A Doctor
If you are in excruciating pain, suspect a fracture, have significant numbness and tingling, or the wrist is clearly deformed, seek medical attention immediately at an urgent care or emergency department.
However, if pain and swelling are milder characteristic of a low-grade wrist sprain the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends trying rest, ice, compression, elevation, and pain medication. If symptoms persist for more than two days, a doctor should be seen.
In general, the complexity and delicacy of the wrist make home treatment without the aid of a medical professional unadvisable. Particularly in the case of a wrist fracture where blood flow to the joint can be cut off, causing bones to die and necessitating an implant medical attention is required.
Sprained Wrist Vs Broken Wrist
The wrist is anatomically complex. A wrist sprain occurs when a ligament in the wrist is injured. Ligaments are bands of connective tissue that stretch from one bone to another. Wrist sprains typically involve stretching or tearing a ligament.
In contrast, a broken wrist occurs when you actually fracture a bone in the wrist. The wrist consists of 13 different bones, and any of these could be fractured during an injury. This could be as small as a hairline fracture in the bone, but a broken wrist can cause major pain.
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Are You High Risk
You might find yourself being a high risk for a fractured or sprained wrist if youre active in sports, specifically ones like skateboarding or snowboarding. Another high-risk factor is if youve been diagnosed with osteoporosis, a bone disease that is characterized by low bone density.
53 million people in the United States either are already diagnosed with osteoporosis or are at high risk because of their low bone density. Otherwise known as the silent disease, many people do not know they have this disease until a slip or fall happens and they end up with an injury.
Even if you dont find yourself playing sports often, any type of activity that is high in contact increases your chances of experiencing a wrist fracture. Even something as small as jumping on a trampoline can make you more high risk.
Physical Therapy For Broken Wrist
Physical therapy for a broken wrist usually begins once the cast is removed about six weeks after the fracture has occurred. You might begin while your cast is still on if you have difficulty moving your fingers. Your therapist might fit you for a removable splint once the cast is off to help protect your wrist between exercise sessions.
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Dont Overlook Wrist Injuries
Wrist breaks, like virtually all broken bones, are better if treated early. This may be as simple as putting a brace on, which will freeze and protect the bone from pain and avoid displacement.
When treated late, some fractures, like the scaphoid fracture, have less of a chance of healing. Owing to the distinctive blood flow, scaphoid fractures have a greater chance of not healing or non-binding than most wrist bones. When this bone cannot heal properly, it will, over time, develop wrist arthritis.
Common Wrist Fractures And Sprains
A fracture is the medical term for a broken bone. The most common type of wrist fracture is a distal radius fracture, which is a fracture at the end of the long radius bone of the forearm.
See Diagnosing and Treating Scaphoid Fractures of the Wrist
Sprains occur when ligamentsthe fibrous bands of tissue that connect bones to each otherare stretched or torn. Wrist sprains are frequently caused by injury of the scapholunate ligament, which is a very important ligament that connects the scaphoid and the lunate carpal bones.
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Signs Of A Broken Wrist
While you will have pain in your wrist regardless of if its broken or sprained, you will have significantly more pain if you break your wrist.
Some of the signs of a broken wrist include:
- Swelling
- Tenderness to touch
You might also experience tingling in your fingers.
Another sign to consider is if you are completely unable to move your wrist either because you have so much pain or because of the swelling.
Exceptions To The Rules
There are major exceptions to these rules. For example, a fractured scaphoid bone may hurt for a few days and then stop hurting completely its the best imitator of wrist sprains out there. Many scaphoid fractures have been mis-diagnosed as wrist sprains over the years, leading to early arthritis and wrist pain.
In a similar way, if the wrong ligaments are torn in the wrist, it will lead to arthritis as the bones that used to be held together now move abnormally against one another.
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How To Put On A Wrist Splint
First, open the Velcro straps and secure your arm in place. Then simply tighten the splint until it is snug around the wrist, but not so tight that it is cutting off circulation. You can reuse a wrist splint as long as you need it, making it a handy recovery tool.
Learn About Different Wrist Splints Here
Types Of Splints And Casts
Casts are custom-made. They must fit the shape of your injured limb correctly to provide the best support. Casts can be made of plaster or fiberglass a plastic that can be shaped.
Splints or half-casts can also be custom-made, especially if an exact fit is necessary. Other times, a ready-made splint will be used. These off-the-shelf splints are made in a variety of shapes and sizes and are much easier and faster to use. Some have Velcro straps which make the splints easy to put on, take off, and adjust.
To allow room for swelling, the rigid part of a splint or half cast does not wrap all the way around the injured area. It is held in place with an elastic bandage or other material .
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How To Treat A Sprained Wrist
Initial evaluation and diagnosis of a wrist sprain injury may be done in urgent care or emergency department or by a primary care provider in an office.
If the sprain is minor, a primary care provider may continue care and subsequent follow-up. If the injury is more severe, care is often provided by an orthopedic surgeon or sports medicine specialist. An orthopedic surgeon or hand surgeon will be involved if surgery is required. Physical therapists are often involved in care and rehabilitation even if no surgery is needed.
Should I Sleep With A Bandage On My Wrist
Step 4: Do not wrap the wrist too loosely as the bandage will come off while you are sleeping or going about your day. A loose bandage is like having no bandage at all as it does not support the joint. Inversely, if you wrap the bandage too tightly, it might obstruct the flow of blood to the injury.
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Indications For Wrist Taping
It is generally beneficial to tape a wrist in the following instances:
- Following certain wrist injuries Wrist strapping may be beneficial following certain wrist injuries . This should be discussed with the treating physiotherapist as certain wrist injuries should not be taped such as some fractures.
- To prevent injury or injury aggravation Wrist strapping may be beneficial during sports or activities that place the wrist at risk of injury or injury aggravation .
How To Wrap A Broken Or Fractured Wrist
Wrist sprains are common physical injuries that occur when the wrists are subjected to trauma that bends the joint too far in any direction. If trauma is severe enough, the bones in the wrist can be broken or fractured. Initial treatment of a broken wrist should include resting the wrist, elevating the hand above the level of the heart, icing the injury and wrapping the wrist to prevent swelling. Wrapping a broken wrist can help provide some stability and compression before seeing a doctor to get a cast or brace.
Things Youll Need
- Bandage clamps
Tips & Warnings
- If the wrap feels too tight, unwrap the wrist and start over.
- Wrist wrapping is also useful to compress and support sprained wrists.
- Wrapping wrists is good for the initial treatment of an injury, but for most wrist fractures, a cast or other more permanent stabilizing measure should be applied.
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Signs Of A Fracture Vs A Sprain
People may assume the level of pain an injury causes is directly related to the extent of an injury. Therefore, a sprain would cause less pain than a fracture. This is not necessarily the case. Fractures can cause mild or dull pain, and sprains can often cause severe pain.
There are a few telltale symptoms to detect a wrist fracture: deformity of the wrist or bone matter breaking through the skin are obvious signs of fracture. When these occur, individuals need to seek medical care right away.
However, other wrist injury symptoms are common for both fractures and sprains. These can include:
- Swelling in the wrist
- Bruising over the wrist or surrounding area
- Pain when moving the wrist or hand
- Weakness or inability to grasp or pick up objects
Athletic Tape Vs Kinesio Tape
Athletic tape and kinesiology tape are similar, although its important to understand their differences to make the best use of them.
Athletic tape
Athletic tape is wrapped around the wrist injury and limits movement. It is the more straightforward of the two options, with no adhesive backing and limited to no elasticity. Since it is not as flexible, it is a good choice for short-term recovery, early in the healing process.
Kinesiology Tape
With an adhesive backing, highly elastic material, and many different types to choose from, kinesio tape offers plenty of unique benefits. Since it doesnt restrict movement, its a good option for athletes or those who want to stay active during their recovery.
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Recovery Time For Distal Radius Fractures
Since there are several types of distal radius fractures and treatment methods, the recovery time can be different for each patient. Our Coastal Orthopedics specialist can work with you to formulate a recovery plan that can help you narrow down a time frame in which youll be able to resume normal activities.
Your recovery plan can encompass pain management suggestions, which help with relieving the pain of your fracture. Well discuss, cast and wound care, since the caster and splinter are instrumental to the healing process.
Promising wrist arthroscopy treatment measures means that more than likely patients can expect a favorable outcome in distal radius fractures. For the best results, be sure to communicate with our orthopedics specialist and adhere to your recovery plan.
How To Care For A Broken Wrist At Home
Fact Checked
A broken wrist often results from an accidental fall, as your natural instinct is to try to use an arm to brace yourself against the impact. This type of injury requires treatment from a trained medical professional who knows how to properly set the bone. You can take at home to help prevent the injury from worsening while you await treatment, as well as to speed your recovery.
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