A sprain is an injury to a joint that causes a stretch or tear in a ligament.
Ligaments are strong bands of tissue that connect one bone to another.
Your wrist is made up of eight bones that are attached to your hand bones and the bones of your forearm. The wrist joint is covered by a joint capsule and the bones are connected by ligaments. A wrist sprain can happen when you fall on your wrist or hand, when you are struck by an object, or during a forced motion of the wrist. You have pain, swelling, and tenderness in your wrist. Your health care provider will review your symptoms and examine your wrist.