How Long Can I Expect To Be Off Work After Wrist Surgery?

Wrist Sprain

A wrist sprain is a common injury for all sorts of athletes. All it takes is a momentary loss of residual. Every bit you slip, you automatically stick your hand out to break your fall. But one time your manus hits the ground, the force of impact bends it back toward your forearm. This can stretch the ligaments that connect the wrist and hand bones a little too far. The issue is tiny tears or -- even worse -- a complete interruption to the ligament.

woman putting on wrist support

While falls cause of a lot of wrist sprains, you tin besides get them by:

Being hit in the wrist.
Exerting extreme pressure level on the wrist or twisting it

Wrist sprains are common in:

Basketball game players
Baseball players
Gymnasts
Divers
Skiers, specially when they fall while still holding a pole
Skaters
Skateboarders
Inline skaters

Wrist sprains as well can happen to anyone who takes a autumn or gets striking on the wrist.

What Does a Wrist Sprain Experience Like?

Symptoms of a wrist sprain are:

Pain
Swelling
Tenderness and warmth around the injury
Feeling a popping or tearing in the wrist
Bruising
Loss of movement
Weakness

To diagnose a wrist sprain, your doctor volition give yous a thorough concrete test. You might also need an:

X-ray
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
Arthrogram, a special blazon of Ten-ray or MRI done later on a dye is injected into the wrist
Arthroscopy, a minimally invasive surgery in which a tiny photographic camera is inserted into the wrist

Sprains are usually divided into three grades:

Grade I: Pain with small-scale damage to the ligament
Grade Ii: Pain, more severe ligament damage, a feeling of looseness to the joint, and some loss of function
Grade III: Pain, a completely torn ligament, astringent looseness of the articulation, and loss of function

What's the Treatment for a Wrist Sprain?

While they can bench you lot for a while, the proficient news is that minor-to-moderate wrist sprains should heal on their ain. They just need a little time. To speed the healing, you can:

Residual your wrist for at least 48 hours.
Water ice your wrist to reduce pain and swelling. Do information technology for 20-30 minutes every three to iv hours for two to three days, or until the pain is gone.
Compress the wrist with a bandage.
Elevate your wrist above your heart, on a pillow or the back of a chair. as often every bit you lot can.
Take anti-inflammatory painkillers. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like Advil, Aleve, or Motrin, will assist with pain and swelling. However, these drugs tin can have side effects, like an increased gamble of haemorrhage and ulcers. They should exist used but occasionally, unless your md specifically says otherwise.
Utilize a cast or splint to keep your wrist immobile. This should merely be for a short fourth dimension, until you run across the doctor. Then follow the doctor's advice about whether or not to proceed using a splint. Using a splint for too long can outcome in more than stiffness and muscle weakness in some cases.
Practice stretching and strengthening exercises if your doctor recommends them. It is best if you run into a physical or occupational therapist to guide a plan specific to your status.

More astringent Grade III wrist sprains, in which the ligament is snapped, may crave surgery to repair.

When Will I Feel Better Afterward a Wrist Sprain?

Recovery time depends on how serious your wrist sprain is. These injuries may take from two to x weeks to heal. But that's a rough gauge. Anybody heals at a different rate, but mostly, time to heal depends on the grade of sprain and proper direction. Grade1 typically takes 2-4 weeks as opposed to grade 3 which may take as long every bit 3-6 months.

While y'all heal, you might want to have up a new activity that won't irritate your wrist. For instance, skiers could put downward their poles and try jogging or stationary biking.

Whatever you do, don't rush things. Do not try to render to your old level of concrete action until:

Yous feel no pain in your wrist when it's at balance
You tin piece of work out and grip and motion objects -- like a ski pole, bat, or racket -- without hurting
Your injured wrist, likewise every bit the hand and arm on that side, feel as stiff as the uninjured wrist, hand, and arm.

If you kickoff using your wrist before it's healed, you could crusade permanent damage.

How Can I Prevent a Wrist Sprain?

Wrist sprains are hard to prevent, since they're normally acquired by accidents. Fifty-fifty the best-trained athlete can skid. But ever brand an endeavor to do safely.

Some athletes benefit from using wrist guards or tape. These may prevent the wrist from bending backward during a fall.