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Hand and Wrist Strains and Sprains

Treatment for Hand and Wrist Strains and Sprains in Cincinnati

Hand and wrist strains and sprains can be painful injuries and can impact a patient’s ability to engage in daily activities. The hand and wrist specialists at Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine provide effective treatment for strains and sprains.

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What is a Hand Strain?

A strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon, which is the cord that attaches bone to muscle. Strains can occur with varied severity, ranging from a mild muscle or tendon stretch to a partial or complete tear. Athletes in sports where gripping is necessary, like golf, tennis, rowing, or gymnastics, often suffer hand strains.1

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Symptoms of Hand or Wrist Strains

A strained hand or wrist may cause symptoms such as:

  • Swelling
  • Muscle spasms
  • Pain
  • Inflammation
  • Muscle weakness
  • Cramping2

What is a Wrist Sprain?

Strains and sprains are often referred to interchangeably, but they are actually different injuries. A sprain is an injury to a ligament, which is the tissue that connects joints to a bone. A sprain can range from a mild stretch to a partial or complete tear of the ligament. Wrist sprains are especially common, often caused by reaching out a hand to catch oneself during a fall or forcefully twisting or bending the wrist.

Doctors use a system of grading to classify sprains according to severity:

  • Grade 1 (Mild) Sprain: This is when the ligaments stretch but do not tear.
  • Grade 2 (Moderate) Sprain: This occurs when the ligaments tear partially. This could cause loss of wrist or hand function.
  • Grade 3 (Severe) Sprain: A severe sprain is when the ligament tears or pulls away from the point where it attaches to a bone. In some cases, this also causes a shard of the bone to tear away, known as an avulsion fracture. Grade 3 sprains may require surgery.

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Symptoms of Hand and Wrist Sprains

Symptoms of a hand or wrist sprain may include:

  • Pain
  • Tenderness
  • Stiffness
  • Bruising
  • Popping or tearing sensation
  • Sensation of warmth near the injury
  • Joint contracture

Sometimes, patients believe they have symptoms of a sprain when there is actually a fracture. If you experience symptoms like those noted above, it is important to have your injury examined by a hand and wrist specialist.

Treatment for Hand and Wrist Strains and Sprains

Non-Surgical Treatment

At Beacon Orthopaedics, we always recommend the least invasive treatment necessary to alleviate a patient’s symptoms. For hand and wrist strains and sprains, non-surgical treatment is the same and may include:

  • Rest
  • Ice
  • Compression
  • Elevation
  • Physical therapy

Surgery for Hand and Wrist Strains and Sprains

Severe hand or wrist strains or sprains may require surgery to repair a tendon or ligament that has torn. During this procedure, the torn tendon or ligament is grafted to the bone. Beacon offers surgery at our ambulatory surgery centers or our Clifton Hand Surgery Center in partnership with TriHealth.

Contact Beacon Orthopaedics

If you suspect you have suffered a hand or wrist strain or sprain, it is important that you have the injury examined by a hand and wrist expert. Please contact Beacon Orthopaedics to schedule a consultation with a specialist.

1 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Sprains, Strains and Other Soft-Tissue Injuries. Available: https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/sprains-strains-and-other-soft-tissue-injuries/. Accessed January 17, 2022.
2 National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Sprains and Strains. Available: https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/sprains-and-strains. Accessed January 17, 2022.
3 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Wrist Sprains. Available: https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/wrist-sprains/. Accessed January 17, 2022.