Why does my wrist hurt after a fall?

Wrestling is a form of entertainment that originated from Japan and is also recognized as one of the international sports. More and more children are beginning to participate in wrestling training and learning wrestling techniques, which can help exercise the body and enhance the body's resistance. However, you should also pay attention to sports safety during wrestling to avoid physical injuries. So what causes wrist pain after a fall?

After falling, many people's first reaction is to support themselves with their wrists, so wrist injuries, especially wrist fractures, often occur. How to determine if it is a wrist fracture? How to treat it if it is a fracture? What should I pay attention to if it is just a soft tissue injury?

Wrist fractures have three main characteristics

The most common wrist fracture is the distal radius fracture, because the distal radius is often the place where stress is concentrated and it is easy to fracture. Distal radius fracture - generally there are three signs. As long as one of them is present, you should highly suspect a wrist fracture and go to the hospital immediately for an X-ray examination.

Deformity: After the fracture segment is displaced, the appearance of the injured part will change accordingly. For example, the wrist joint is no longer flat when viewed from the front or side, but has a twisted deformity similar to a fork or a bayonet.

Abnormal movement: abnormal pseudoarthrosis-like movement occurs at the proximal end of the wrist joint after fracture.

Bone creak or bone friction: The slight sound and feeling produced when the two broken bones rub against each other, which can cause severe pain.

It is worth noting that abnormal wrist movements, bone friction sounds or bone friction sensations should not be repeatedly attempted on your own to avoid aggravating local injuries and pain. It is a wise choice to go to the hospital for an X-ray after an injury, so that even non-displaced fractures can be detected.

Wrist fractures can often be reduced manually

If you suspect a fracture after an injury, you should go to the hospital promptly. X-ray examination can clearly show the fracture and its type. According to the different mechanisms of injury, it can be simply divided into Colles fracture, Smith fracture and Barton fracture.

Colles fractures usually occur when the wrist is in dorsiflexion, the palm is on the ground, and the forearm is pronated.

The distal end of the fracture is displaced dorsally and radially.

Smith fracture is often caused by falling with the wrist flexed and the back of the hand hitting the ground. X-rays show that the distal end of the fracture is displaced toward the palm and ulnar sides.

Barton fractures are relatively rare, but because they affect the flatness of the joint surface, further CT examination is often required.

For most distal radius fractures, manual reduction can often achieve a relatively satisfactory reduction effect, followed by plaster fixation for six weeks. For some unstable distal radius fractures or fractures that affect the articular surface, surgical treatment with plate fixation may be a better treatment option.

Treatment of soft tissue injuries follows the RICE principle

If it is confirmed that there is no fracture after the injury, it can be preliminarily judged as soft tissue injury of the wrist, and treatment should follow the post-traumatic RICE principle.

Rest: Allow the injured part to rest to reduce further damage.

Ice: Lowers the temperature of the injured area, reduces inflammation and muscle spasms, relieves pain and suppresses swelling. Apply ice for 10 to 20 minutes each time, more than 3 times a day. Be careful not to apply ice directly to the affected area. You can wrap the ice with a wet towel to avoid frostbite. Ice compress is only limited to 48 hours after injury.

Compression: Wrap the injured wrist with an elastic bandage and apply appropriate pressure to reduce swelling. Be careful not to apply excessive pressure, otherwise it will become a tourniquet and aggravate swelling and ischemia of the limbs.

Elevation: Elevate the injured limb appropriately, above the heart level, to increase venous and lymphatic return, reduce swelling and promote recovery. When lying flat, you can place the injured limb on your chest or on a pillow.