Wrist pain can stop you from working and participating in routine life activities. Determining which injury you have experienced becomes difficult despite knowing the differences between a fracture and a sprain. Get the best help for your injured wrist with Dr. Leon Reyfman if your symptoms indicate a broken or sprained wrist. Call Pain Management NYC today and schedule an appointment with our board-certified specialist for the best pain relief and timely treatment. Dr. Reyfman can figure out if your wrist is sprained or fractured and what you need to do to feel better.
Our wrist is a complex joint made up of several parts arranged to help our hand move and perform activities, and these moving parts make the wrist vulnerable to injury. Wrist fractures and sprains are some of the most common orthopedic injuries people face during their lifetime. They can happen after you slip or fall, try to brace yourself as you fall with your hands and bent wrists or attempt to prevent a forceful hit.
Fractures and sprains are also common sports-related injuries.
What Is a Wrist Fracture?
A fracture is the medical term for a broken bone. It can be a non-displaced crack in the bone, meaning the bone has not moved out of place. However, they can also be displaced, disrupting the normal bone alignment, and have to be put back in place.
The most common type of wrist fracture is a distal radius fracture, which occurs at the end of the long radius bone of the forearm. Another type of wrist fracture affects one of the eight small, round carpal bones. This type of fracture is less common but more difficult to heal.
What Is a Wrist Sprain?
A wrist sprain refers to the damage to a ligament, the fibrous band of tissue that connects bones. When these ligaments are torn or stretched beyond their limits, it can lead to a sprain. Sprains are graded 1, 2, or 3, depending on how many ligaments are involved and if they are stretched, partially torn, or completely torn.
Wrist sprains are often caused by an injury to the scapholunate ligament, an important ligament that connects the scaphoid bones to the lunate carpal bones.
Both sprains and fractures need immediate care, but the treatment is not same. Your healthcare provider will be able to tell the difference between a break and a sprain, how serious it is, and what type of treatment is necessary.
Read on to learn the differences between a broken and sprained wrist and when you should see a pain management doctor.
What Is the Difference Between a Broken Wrist and a Sprained Wrist?
The difference between a break and a sprain depends on the type of injury you have suffered and what damage it has done. In case you have damaged one or more ligaments, you will have a sprain.On the other hand, a broken wrist means that one or more bones in your wrist have shattered or fractured. Your wrist joint is made up of eight small bones, the carpal bones and the end of the forearm bones, the radius, and the ulna. A fractured wrist is the same as a broken wrist.
How to Find out if You Have Broken or Sprained Your Wrist?
Broken wrists hurt a lot more than sprained wrists. If your wrist is broken, you will likely feel severe pain. Sprains can cause some tenderness and pain, but sometimes they do not cause much discomfort, and you can continue to move your hand as usual.
Fractured Wrist vs. Sprained Wrist
These signs tell the difference between a broken and sprained wrist:
- Sprains are often silent. Sometimes, there is a popping sound, but in most cases, you will not know until you feel the pain. When a fracture occurs, you may hear a grinding, crunching, or cracking sound.
- You can move your wrist in a normal range of motion with a sprain. It will be a little painful, but with a fracture, movement is not easy. You will only be able to move your wrist a little or not at all, and it may cause severe pain.
- You will notice quick and significant swelling on your wrist after a sprain, but there is only gradual and mild swelling after a fracture.
- Sprains do not cause noticeable deformity, but if your wrist is broken, it may look deformed or bend unnaturally.
Sometimes, it is hard to tell the difference between injuries since both come with bruising, swelling, and hand weakness. It is also possible to have both a fracture and sprain and the resulting symptoms at the same time. The only sure way to tell the difference between a fracture and a sprain is to consult a pain doctor.
What to Do After a Wrist Injury?
The most important thing to do after a wrist injury is to see a doctor. They will be able to determine if your wrist is sprained or broken and what you need to do to take care of it.
You need immediate medical attention if:
- Your hand is numb
- Your wrist is bent unnaturally or looks deformed
- You have intense or severe pain
- You notice swelling in your hand
The doctor will examine your wrist to determine how it moves and where you are having pain. He will take an X-ray to check if the bone is broken or if it is a ligament tear.
If your hand is sprained, you can wait and decide if you need to see a doctor or if you can treat it at home. However, if your wrist does not get better in a day, make an appointment with a doctor, or you may be at risk of permanently damaging your wrist.
How Long Does It Take for a Sprained Wrist to Heal?
Healing time depends on the type of injury you have suffered and how much pain you have. The more pain you have with your injury, the longer it will take to heal. While sprained wrists can take anywhere from 2 to 10 weeks to heal, broken wrists can take a few months or even more to mend fully. Most healing takes place between 6 to 12 weeks.
How to Care for Your Injured Wrist at Home?
If you have injured your wrist, the first line of treatment is to reduce pain and get on the path to healing. A mild sprain can be treated with at-home treatments, but more serious sprains and fractures require medical attention. Both injuries should be treated as soon and as comprehensively as possible to avoid complications.
You must give up all activities that cause pain. Whether it is a sports-related injury or you have injured your wrist in an accident or from a fall, avoid lifting things or moving your wrist. Also, keep your jewelry off until the swelling is completely gone.
Apply ice for 15 – 20 minutes at a time, for the first 24 hours. You can also wrap a compression bandage around your hand to keep the swelling down. Try to keep your hand elevated as much as possible for the first three days, even at night. It reduces the blood flow to the hand, which decreases swelling.
Medical Treatments for Broken Wrists and Serious Fractures
Doctors diagnose your injury with the help of a physical examination and an X-ray. They may also do other imaging tests, such as a CT scan or an MRI, to make an accurate diagnosis before recommending a treatment that would work best for you.
While wrists with mild sprains can usually be treated at home, broken bones and severe fractures will heal best with medical attention.
Treatment options include:
- A cast or splint
- Movement delays healing. A cast or splint holds your wrist still so the broken bone can stay in place and heal properly. Your doctor will recommend a splint or a cast, depending on your injury.
If your fracture is not too bad, a splint may be sufficient to protect your wrist. Splints come ready-made and can be removed and adjusted. On the other hand, casts provide better support for severe injuries. They are custom made from plaster or fiberglass, fit your wrist and ensure proper healing.
You may have to wear a cast or splint for a week or two for a mild fracture. Serious injuries take longer to heal, and it might take months.
Do You Need a Cast for a Sprained Wrist?
No. Casts are usually not needed for a sprained wrist. Your doctor may recommend a splint for 2 to 10 days. After giving your hand the time to rest, start moving your wrist as much as you can, as long as it is not painful. Movement brings fluids to and from the injured area, which helps in healing.
However, if moving the injured tendon or ligament causes severe pain or the doctor is concerned that improper healing could cause permanent changes in wrist function, you may have to wear a cast.
For a sprained wrist, you may have to wear a cast for 3-4 weeks, but it can be for as long as 8 weeks in case of a severe injury to ligaments.
Medications
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen sodium, help to keep the pain down. If you have an open fracture or the bone has broken the skin, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics as well to prevent infection.
Hand Therapy
As your injury heals, your hand can move easily. At this point, your doctor will recommend light exercises to improve its function. They will develop an exercise plan to ensure your hand regains the strength and abilities it had before injury.
Surgery
Your doctor may need to implant plates, screws, or rods to keep your bones in place as they heal. This is usually necessary if:
- Your bone has broken in multiple places
- The bone has pushed through the skin
- The injury has damaged or could damage the surrounding ligaments, nerves, blood vessels, or joints
Surgery also becomes necessary if your bone does not heal properly after a break to avoid any lasting, chronic pain or malformation of the joint.
Not sure if your wrist is broken or sprained – Visit Pain Management NYC today and get your injured wrist checked by Dr. Leon Reyfman, our top-rated pain relief doctor for a quick diagnosis and best-in-class treatment options. He specializes in treating pain-related issues and uses the most advanced pain relief therapies and techniques to provide the highest level of care to his patients. With his extensive experience in the non-surgical and surgical treatment of wrist injuries, Dr. Reyfman ensures your wrist is completely healed, and you are back to your routine activities in no time.
Leon Reyfman, MD, is a top-rated, best-in-class interventional pain management doctor. He is a nationally recognized pain relief specialist and is among the top pain care doctors in New York City and the country. He is an award-winning expert and contributor to prominent media outlets.
Dr. Leon Reyfman has been recognized for his thoughtful, thorough, modern approach to treating chronic pain. He has been named a “top pain management doctor in New York” and one of “America’s Top Doctors™” for advanced sports injury treatments. Among other accolades, he was voted by peers as a “Castle Connolly Top Doctors™” and “New York Super Doctors™”. Dr. Leon Reyfman was a part of the medical team at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.