How to treat a sprained wrist
How to treat a sprained wrist/ For men or women who play regular sports activities, the chance of getting a wrist sprain can be quite high.
This seems to be more common in contact sports where a ball is in regular use. But good news is that most mild wrist sprains can improve with non-surgical treatment.
There are some common techniques that you can do at home to relieve pain from wrist if you experience a sprain. Here are just some that you can use which help promote healing.
How to treat a sprained wrist
- Always protect the joint to avoid further injury and avoiding activities that put stress on your wrist.
- Take time out and rest. This is vital as it gives your wrist time to heal
- Out with the ice pack. Ice therapy is always a good way to treat a mild sprain. By applying ice packs at regular intervals to the damaged area helps reduce swelling and numbs the pain.
- Wrap it up. By compressing your wrist with an elasticated bandage will help minimise swelling and to the joint and provide support.
- Raise your hands. By elevating your wrist in the air, above the level of the heart will prevent pooling of blood in the injured area.
Give it support
- Splint it. Depending on the severity of the sprain, wearing a wrist splint or brace may help reduce excessive joint movement and sudden or unintended use of the wrist.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These are available over-the-counter at your local chemist. They may help provide instant relieve to the pain and swelling. Some examples of Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are ibuprofen and naproxen sodium. These should never be taken unless you have consulted a GP.
Take things into your own hands
- Physical home treatment. Physical therapy exercises that can be tried at home help to build and strengthen your wrist. They improve flexibility and enable functional movements in the wrist.
- Remember not to overdo it. Your exercises must always be performed within tolerated limits. A qualified physical therapist will help design a treatment plan based on your injury.
- Take time out from work. It is always recommended that if you suffer a wrist injury that you give work a break.
This will help speed up the process as you won’t be performing any tasks that will delay the healing process. Extra stress on a healing ligament may prevent complete healing or lead to further injury.
A sprained wrist or most types of sprains for that matter can happen at any time to anyone. If the pain in your wrist continues more than 2-3 days it is recommended that you seek professional advice from your GP.
He/she will advise you on the next steps to take towards healing. If in doubt, get it checked out!
