NEWSLETTER Living Hands for Find Relief for Your Wrist Sprains & Strains SPECIALTY EXPERTISE For Shoulders, Arms, and Hands
Hand Therapy Can Help You Accomplish Pain-Free Daily Activities Once Again!
Have you noticed swelling or pain in your wrist that makes it difficult for you to do daily tasks with ease? Chances are you’ve suffered from a sprain or strain. Sprains and strains to the wrist can hinder your ability to accomplish daily tasks with ease. What’s the Difference Between a Sprain and a Strain? Before understanding how hand therapists can treat your sprain or strain, it is important to understand exactly what the difference is between the two. A sprain happens when a ligament (the tissue that connects one bone to another) is stretched or torn. A sprain can also happen when there is damage to a joint capsule, or the part of the wrist that adds stability to the joint. Symptoms of sprains include pain, inflammation, muscle spasm, and sometimes an inability to move your wrist.
While sprains happen when there is damage to a ligament, strains happen when there is damage to a muscle or tendon (the tissue that connects muscle to bone). Strains usually happen when the muscle suddenly contracts while it is stretched, such as falling on an outstretched arm. The symptoms of strains are similar to those associated with sprains, making them difficult to tell apart without doing a hand therapy examination. HowDo I Know If I Have aWrist Sprain or Strain? It can be confusing to determine whether your pain is a result of a sprain or a strain without having a professional assess your condition. Your doctor can diagnose a hand, elbow, or wrist strain or sprain. During a clinic visit, your doctor will perform a physical exam and take a full medical history. Theywill also rule out the possibility of breaks or fractures. In some
cases, your doctor will order imaging tests to determine what is causing your pain, such as MRI’s or X-rays. Some symptoms you may experience with either of these wrist injuries are as follows: • Sharp or stinging pains in your wrist • Uncomfortable “clicking” sounds with movement • Dull pain that runs alongside your arm • Sudden arm weakness • Inability to use the affected muscle Wrist sprains and strains are also common as a result of workplace injury and overuse. While it is sometimes possible to take action to prevent an injury from developing, it is especially important to be able to recognize when an injury develops and to understand ways that you can combat that injury by identifying what may have caused the pain to develop in the first place.
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