Please call 911 immediately if you are having chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding, sudden weakness or numbness, or if you think you have a medical emergency.
Wrist Injury Treatment
1. Get Immediate Help, if Necessary
If there is obvious deformity, severe pain, or the person cannot move the wrist or maintain a grip, see a doctor or go to a hospital emergency department. These are signs of a possible fracture.
Support the hurt arm and wrist with a makeshift splint, such as a pillow or sling, until you get help.
2. Rest Wrist
Minimize wrist motion to prevent further injury.
3. Control Swelling
Ice the area for 20 minutes at a time, 4 to 8 times the first day.
You may apply a compression wrap such as an Ace bandage.
Elevate the wrist above heart level.
4. Treat Symptoms
For pain and inflammation, give the person over-the-counter pain medication such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). Do not give aspirin to anyone under age 18.
5. Follow-Up
If pain and swelling get worse in 24 hours, see a doctor.
The doctor may order X-rays to rule out a fracture that was not obvious and examine the wrist to look for tendonitis, arthritis, gout, infection, or other conditions.
WebMD Medical Reference
SOURCES:
Children's Hospital Denver: "Hand and Wrist Injury."
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: "Sprains and Strains."
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: "Sports Injuries."