Wrist Sprain, What Does It Consist Of?

A wrist sprain occurs when the ligaments in this joint are twisted or strained. Sometimes, it can be accompanied by the rupture of one of these ligaments or the muscle fibers in the area.

That is, generally, a wrist sprain occurs when a ligament in this joint is overstretched. It is very common that it occurs when falling on a hand. In the same way, it is also frequent in athletes who make repetitive efforts with this part of the body.

It is a pathology with a lot of incidence. The ligament that most tends to injure and cause this circumstance is the scapholunate; It is a ligament that joins two of the small bones in the wrist.

Also, sprains can have multiple causes and treatments. In this article we explain everything you need to know about a wrist sprain, how to identify its symptoms and how to relieve it.

What is a wrist sprain?

As we have already mentioned, a wrist sprain occurs when we make an inappropriate movement with this joint and one of the ligaments is excessively stretched.

It is an injury that can have different degrees of severity. This depends on the damage to the ligament itself. However, all grades cause pain and make normal movements difficult. The degrees, from less to greater severity, are:

• Grade 1 wrist sprain : It is the mildest injury, in which one of the ligaments has been stretched a lot without breaking. It can also occur in several ligaments at the same time.
• Grade 2 : The damage that has occurred is moderate. The ligaments are partially torn. In fact, they have almost 50% of their fibers broken.
• Grade 3 : In this case, the ligaments are completely torn. It is the most serious degree and the treatment is usually more complex.

What are the causes of this happening?

The most common is that the wrist sprain occurs when falling to the ground and leaning on one of the hands. When we extend our hand to cushion the fall, we cause the ligaments to extend more than normal, in a forced way.

The area that is most frequently injured is the scapholunate ligament. It is, to explain it simply, the one that contacts the scaphoid bone, which is under the pad of the palm of the hand, with the lunate.

However, it can also occur due to overexertion with this joint. For example, it is typical in those athletes who make repetitive movements with this area of ​​the body, such as tennis or paddle tennis players.

How is a wrist sprain treated?

A wrist sprain causes pain in those who suffer it and, in addition, limitation of movements with that joint. In fact, these types of pathologies are often complicated by not having been properly treated.

For this reason, in the first place, before a wrist sprain, rest is recommended. Avoid straining the joint so that it can heal properly. On the other hand, at the time the injury occurs, the ideal is to ice the area.

It is very common for bandages to be used for treatment. However, you have to try to make a suitable bandage, which does not compress the area too much. Otherwise, the blood will not arrive correctly and the recovery will be more complicated.

In other cases, a wrist sprain may even require surgery. In these cases, there are different ways to do it: through open surgery or arthroscopic surgery. The latter consists of making a small incision and introducing a camera that guides the surgeon.

In conclusion

A wrist sprain is something very common that can happen to all of us at any time, especially after a fall or overexertion. Therefore, it is important to know how to identify the symptoms : pain, inflammation and limitation of movement of the joint.

If you feel discomfort in this area and you think you may suffer a sprain, the ideal is that you go to the doctor as soon as possible. A sprain needs to establish an early treatment to avoid later complications.