What is a sprained wrist?
The wrist is a complex joint that connects multiple hand bones to the bones in the forearm, with ligaments (fibrous structures connecting your bones to each other) bridging the gap. Because of this, the wrist can be injured in lots of different ways, from fractures of the various bones involved to ligament damage. That can make it hard to determine what the cause of pain is when you’ve injured your wrist.
In this article, we explore what a wrist sprain injury actually is, as well as highlighting how this injury can come about through different activities. Keep reading to learn more.
What is a wrist sprain?
The term ‘sprain’ is often used as an umbrella term when talking about minor injuries, but it actually has a specific medical definition. A wrist sprain occurs when an injury causes tiny tears in the ligaments holding together your wrist bones. None of the bones are broken, and usually no ligaments are torn completely.
Sprains only affect the ligaments, not the bones, tendons or muscles. However, an injury that causes a sprain may also cause damage to other tissues. A doctor or pharmacist can help you to understand the nature of your injury and which treatments are best for you.
Since there are no broken bones involved in a wrist sprain, it’s often considered to be a minor injury , and in fact, many sprains can be treated at home. The injury can start to feel better in as little as two weeks, though this can vary depending on how serious the sprain was. Some severe sprains could take months to heal fully.
To avoid further damage, you should steer clear of using your wrist for anything strenuous for at least eight weeks, and longer if advised to by a doctor. In the meantime, painkillers such as Naprosyn® Pain Relief can help to ease any discomfort you may be feeling as well as following the PRICE method.
Important! If you’re in a lot of pain or the injury is taking longer than expected to heal, you should get medical attention. This may mean that the injury may be more serious than originally thought.
What causes a wrist sprain?
If you’ve sprained your wrist, then you probably know about it, or at least you know that you’ve suffered some kind of wrist injury even if you’re not sure which. Sometimes, the way the injury happened can shed some light on the severity of your injury - though the best way to be sure is to seek medical attention.
Even if you haven’t been injured recently, it’s good to know the different ways a sprain can happen so you can be more aware of hazards and risks around you. It might even help you to avoid a sprain in the future.
Falls
Most commonly, sprains happen when you fall onto an outstretched hand or arm. It’s an instinctive response to falling to put out your hands to try to stop the fall or soften your landing, but it can cause your wrist to stretch enough to partially tear the ligaments .
As well as what you might call natural falls (i.e., slips and trips), similar injuries may be caused by accelerated falls seen in contact sports, such as when two players collide and are knocked to the ground .
Falls can be more common among older adults, young children and athletes.
Other direct impacts
Any direct impact that causes the wrist to move forcefully in a single direction has the potential to cause a wrist sprain. As mentioned above, this can be common in contact sports such as rugby or football. However, other sports can also lead to sprains. For example, batting movements in sports like cricket may cause injury .
Additionally, an impact such as the wrist being forced into the door by an airbag deploying in a car crash may lead to sprains or other soft-tissue injuries.
Excessive twisting or stretching
Sprains can occur in situations that involve over-stretching (hyperextension) or twisting of the wrist. Wrist pain is common in gymnasts, for example, especially for those who perform pommel horse routines.
Twisting movements are common in sports such as basketball and cricket, and may cause a sprain in certain circumstances. Everyday tasks like opening jars or using a screwdriver also require twisting motions.
At the end of the day, it’s not always possible to prevent a sprain, or to know how your own injury came about. But by knowing what to expect from a wrist sprain and when to get help if your symptoms aren’t lessening as they should, you can help to ensure you get the proper care for a soft tissue injury!
Naprosyn® Pain Relief 250 mg gastro-resistant tablets. Naproxen. For the relief of short-term muscle and joint pain. Always read the label.
Resources:
https://www.bssh.ac.uk/patients/conditions/1018/wrist_sprains
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/softtissue-injuries
https://www.hacw.nhs.uk/miu-faqs/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sprains-and-strains/
https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/wrist-and-hand-sprains
Avery, Daniel M 3rd et al. “Sports-related wrist and hand injuries: a review.” Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research vol. 11,1 99. 16 Sep. 2016, doi:10.1186/s13018-016-0432-8 Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5025579/
Appeadu MK, Bordoni B. Falls and Fall Prevention in Older Adults. [Updated 2023 Jun 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560761/
https://mss-ijmsr.com/non-dominant-leading-wrist-injuries-in-indian-professional-cricketers/
Mandelbaum, B R et al. “Wrist pain syndrome in the gymnast. Pathogenetic, diagnostic, and therapeutic considerations.” The American journal of sports medicine vol. 17,3 (1989): 305-17. doi:10.1177/036354658901700301 Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2729480/
Lin, Eugenia et al. “Strains/Sprains and Fractures Are the Most Common Hand and Wrist Injuries in National Basketball Association Athletes Who Return to Preinjury Player Efficiency and Equal or Greater True Shooting Percentage Within Two Years of Injury.” Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation vol. 5,6 100829. 25 Nov. 2023, doi:10.1016/j.asmr.2023.100829 Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10724484/
https://sma.org.au/resources/sport-fact-sheets/cricket-fact-sheet/