Common Conditions
Wrist Sprain
Symptoms, Common Causes and Treatments
Wrist sprain is often caused by a traumatic event like falling on an outstretched hand, leading to injury of ligamentous structure or other soft tissue around the wrist. The four ligaments supporting the wrists connecting the forearm and carpal bones, alongside with bands of fibrous tissue, all provide necessary stability and movement. Radial wrist pain is usually caused by injury of the scapholunate and the radioscapholunate ligament, whilst the ulnar wrist pain usually involves the injury of the triangular fibrocartilaginous complex (TFCC) or the luno-triquetrum complex.
Understanding The Causes of Wrist Sprain
Wrist sprains are typically the result of sudden falls or missteps that cause hyperextension or stretching of the ligaments in the wrists. They can also occur with extreme twisting motions and direct forceful impacts to the wrist which put pressure on the ligaments. In some cases, underlying health conditions can also cause pain around the wrist. These include:
- Infections
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Psoriatic arthritis
Signs and Symptoms of Wrist Sprain
As wrist sprain usually occurs following a traumatic injury, it is important to rule out fracture around the wrist. The most common complications among wrist injuries are fractures, muscle strains, tendon injuries or nerve damages. According to the Amsterdam wrist rules, if you find yourself having the following symptoms, then it is likely that you might have a wrist fracture. Medical imaging is advised to rule out fractures or other serious pathologies:
- a swollen wrist
- a swollen anatomical snuffbox (near the junction between the base of thumb and wrist)
- visible deformities
- tenderness upon palpation of distal radius and painful during radial deviation
