What should you know about hand and wrist sprain?

Ligaments connect bones and help control a joint. A sprain can occur when the hand or wrist bends, twists, or receives an impact beyond its usual range. Pain, tenderness, swelling, bruising, and reduced grip are common patterns, but a small fracture can feel similar. [Wrist Pain](/symptoms/wrist-pain/) after a fall should therefore not be assumed to be a sprain without an examination when symptoms are marked or persistent.

The location of tenderness matters. Pain over a particular bone, visible change in shape, or pain that remains severe with gentle movement may prompt imaging or another assessment.

In the early period, stop the activity that caused the pain, elevate the hand when it is swollen, and use a cold pack wrapped in cloth for short periods if it feels helpful. Keep the fingers moving gently unless a clinician has told you to immobilise them. [Splinting](/treatments/trauma-and-fracture-care/splinting/) may protect the wrist, but a support should not cause numbness, colour change, or worsening pain. Once serious injury is excluded, [Physiotherapy](/treatments/physiotherapy-and-rehabilitation/physiotherapy/) can guide mobility, grip recovery, and a gradual return to loading.

Get prompt assessment after a significant fall or blow, or if the wrist looks deformed, pain is severe, swelling is rapidly increasing, or you cannot use the hand. Seek urgent help for a cold, pale, blue, or numb hand. Arrange review when pain, swelling, or weak grip is not improving, because an unrecognised fracture or more serious ligament injury may need different care.

How can we tell a sprain from a fracture? Do I need a splint, and when may I remove it? Which finger and wrist movements are safe now? When can I resume lifting, sport, or work tasks?