Swelling after falling on your wrist

A fall can stretch or tear wrist ligaments, bruise soft tissue, or break a bone near the wrist. A distal radius fracture may cause swelling, tenderness, bruising, and pain with gripping or turning the forearm. Pain on the thumb side can also occur with a small hidden fracture or tendon irritation. Numbness or tingling in the hand may point to pressure on a nerve; carpal tunnel syndrome is another possible cause of hand sensations, although a fall-related problem needs consideration first.

Swelling, pain, and reduced movement describe what is happening, not the diagnosis. De Quervain's Tenosynovitis and hand osteoarthritis can cause wrist or hand discomfort, but symptoms that began directly after a fall deserve injury assessment.

Remove rings and watches before swelling increases. Rest the wrist, keep it raised when practical, and use a wrapped cold pack for brief periods. Avoid massage, heavy lifting, and testing the wrist repeatedly. Support it in a comfortable neutral position without tightening a bandage enough to cause tingling or colour change. A clinician may recommend an X-ray or further imaging based on tenderness and movement. Do not drive if you cannot control the vehicle safely.

Get urgent care if the wrist is visibly bent, the hand becomes blue, pale, cold, numb, or unusually weak, or there is an open wound or uncontrolled bleeding. Arrange prompt assessment for severe pain, rapidly increasing swelling, or inability to move the fingers. If symptoms are milder but do not start settling, book an appointment; some fractures are difficult to recognise without examination and imaging.

Could this be a fracture or ligament injury? Does the tender area need imaging or repeat imaging? How should I support the wrist, and when can I use it normally? Which symptoms require urgent review?