A wrist injury can involve either a sprain or a strain. Sprains result from suddenly stretching or tearing the ligaments that hold the bones together. A strain is an injury to the muscles or the tendons that connect the muscles to the bones. In most cases, either type of injury will take about 6 to 8 weeks to heal. Causes Sprains are usually caused by an accident.
Strains usually result from over-use.
Typically, there will be pain, tenderness, swelling, or bruising of the injured wrist. If the injury is serious, you may have trouble moving the wrist. You'll probably need to wear a splint or ace bandage to keep the wrist from moving. DO Put ice on the injury for 15 to 20 minutes each hour for the first 1 to 2 days. Place the ice in a plastic bag and place a towel between the bag of ice and your skin.