Wrist and Hand Injuries Information

Of orthopedic injuries, sprains and strains are among the most common. While wrist sprains involve an injury to the ligament, wrist strains involve injury to the muscle. Both injuries are very common among athletes and those at a high risk of falling.

Wrist Sprain / Strain

The wrist is made up of eight carpal bones: the lunate, capitate, triquetrum, scaphoid, pisiform, trapezium, trapezoid, and hamate. It’s also comprised of the radius and ulna forearm bones. There’re multiple ligaments connecting the bones to each other.

What Causes Wrist Sprain?

Falls account for a large percentage of wrist sprains. As the person becomes unbalanced or slips, they usually inevitably stick their hand out to break the fall or try to catch hold of something. When the hand strikes the ground or nearby object under the force of the fall, it bends the hand back toward the forearm. This action can stretch the ligaments connecting the wrist and bones of the hand beyond the normal range of motion and possibly cause tearing or breaking of the ligament. Being hit in the wrist, applying extraordinary pressure to it, or twisting it can also cause a wrist sprain.

Grades of Wrist Sprains

Grade 1 - minor damage to the ligament or microscopic tears with pain.
Grade 2 - more severe ligament damage or partial ligament tearing that causes pain, looseness in the joint, and mild loss of function.
Grade 3 - the ligament is completely torn and results in severe looseness in the joint and severe loss of function.

The symptoms of Wrist Sprain include bruising, pain, swelling, warmth, tenderness and a popping or painful stretching sensation in the wrist area.

What Causes Wrist Strains?

A wrist strain is an injury to the muscles and/or tendons of the wrist. The bones at the wrist and soft tissue, including nerves and blood vessels, around the wrist may also be involved in the injury. This injury is usually caused by a blunt force injury, extraordinary pressure or stress, or long-time overuse of the muscles and tendons in the wrist or forearm.

Grades of Wrist Strains

Grade 1 - slightly pulled muscle with no muscle or tendon tearing and no loss of strength.
Grade 2 - tearing of muscle or tendon fibers with some diminished strength.
Grade 3 - rupture of the muscle or tendon with separation of fibers.

The symptoms of Wrist Strain include redness, swelling, pain upon stretching or movement of wrist, forearm muscle spasms, loss of wrist strength and crackling sound or feeling when the area has pressure applied to it.

TREATMENT FOR WRIST SPRAIN / STRAIN

Acute Stage Treatment

1. Use the Acute Sinew Liniment during the inflammatory phase of the sprained or strained wrist. Massage the Acute Sinew Liniment into the affected hand and wrist. Begin just underneath the swelling and bruising with a deep rubbing motion. Rub outwardly and more gently over the actual area of swelling and bruising.

2. Apply the Sinew Herbal Ice directly over the sprained or strained wrist. You may repeat the application as needed for the next three days.

3. If you’ve only suffered a mild sprain or strain, then you may still be able to perform basic range of motion exercises if they don’t aggravate your wrist. In cases of a severe sprain, you’ll need to delay range of motion exercises until pain and inflammation substantially lessens.

Chronic Stage Treatment

1. Once the inflammation and swelling subsides, you can now use the Chronic Sinew Liniment to help breakup stagnant fluids and allow them to be reabsorbed by the body. Using the palm and thumb of your unaffected hand, you’ll apply the liniment over the injured tendon, muscle, or ligament. Gently depress into the tissue and propel your fingers or palm from the lower edge of the injured area down to your fingertips and then from the upper edge of the injured area up toward your arm.

2. If your suffering from spasms with the injury, the Sinew Relaxing Soak can be especially beneficial to help lessen the spasms and improve range of motion.

3. Massage the Chronic Sinew Liniment into the sprained or strained wrist. The warming properties of the Chronic Sinew Liniment are especially beneficial when cold and wet weather conditions cause stiffness and pain to worsen.

Strengthening Exercises

These Wrist Exercises are ideal to build strength and flexibility.


Massage Treatment

These Wrist Massage Techniques are of great value in pain relief; circulation stimulation; dispersing blood and fluid accumulations; swelling reduction; and relaxing muscle spasms, especially when used alongside the Sinew Therapeutics liniments and soaks.