how to rehab a pulled muscle in wrist

How long does a pulled muscle in wrist take to heal?

Wrist sprains usually take from 2 to 10 weeks to heal, but some take longer. Usually, the more pain you have, the more severe your wrist sprain is and the longer it will take to heal. You can heal faster and regain strength in your wrist with good home treatment.

What do you do for a pulled wrist muscle?

TreatmentRest. Try not use your wrist for at least 48 hours.Ice. Apply ice immediately after the injury to keep the swelling down. ... Compression. Wear an elastic compression bandage to reduce swelling.Elevation. As often as possible, rest with your wrist raised up higher than your heart.

How do you know if you pulled a muscle in your wrist?

If a muscle or tendon is strained or overstretched, it is considered a sprain. Tendons are tissues that connect bones to muscles. Symptoms of hand, elbow, and wrist sprains and strains are very similar and often include pain, swelling, reduced range of motion, and stiffness.

What does a pulled wrist tendon feel like?

Swollen and painful wrist. Limited movement of the wrist and/or hand. Feeling of popping or tearing sensation in the wrist. Warmth and tenderness around the injury.

How do you tell if you sprained or strained your wrist?

A doctor will provide a diagnosis by excluding the latter with a physical exam and may order an x-ray or MRI scan. A scan can show if there are breaks and tears in the joint and bone. If there is no injury to the bone, the diagnosis is likely a strain or sprain.

How do I know if I tore a ligament in my wrist?

If you have any of the following symptoms, you may have a torn ligament in the wrist: Pain when bending the wrist backward. Inability to move your wrist all the way around. Bruising.Jul 27, 2020

Can you tear a muscle in your wrist?

In a second-degree injury, you may notice prolonged pain, swelling, weakness, and a change in the range of motion at a nearby joint, such as the wrist. In a third-degree injury, the ligament, muscle, or tendon tears completely, causing pain and limited range of motion. You may even hear a “pop” as it happens.

Can wrist ligaments heal on their own?

Beware the fully torn ligament A fully torn ligament, or grade 3 tear, can cause chronic pain and joint instability. Complete tears rarely heal naturally. Since there's a disconnect between the tissue and any chance of blood supply, surgery is needed.

Will sprained wrist heal itself?

While wrist sprains may be painful, they are often easy to treat. Most of the time, a sprained wrist will heal on its own. There are a few ways to alleviate the pain of a wrist sprain and speed the healing process. Rest your wrist for a couple of days, icing it for 20-30 minutes every few hours.Jul 22, 2014

What is pulled muscle?

Jason DelCollo, DO, is board-certified in family medicine and on the faculty of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. A muscle strain, also called a pulled muscle, occurs when a muscle is stretched too far, and microscopic tears occur within the muscle fibers.

How to heal muscle strain?

Most muscle strain injuries will heal with simple treatment steps, but performing the right steps, at the right time, can be critical to ensuring the fastest possible recovery. As with many injuries, there is a balance between doing too much, or too little, early after the injury.

What are the symptoms of muscle strain?

The usual symptoms of this type of injury include pain, spasm of the muscle, swelling, bruising, and limited mobility. Often an athlete will feel a sudden grabbing or tearing sensation in the muscle, and then be unable to continue their activities. Muscle strain injuries are graded by severity: 1 .

How does temperature affect muscle stiffness?

Laboratory studies have shown that temperature can influence the stiffness of a muscle. 4  By keeping the body and muscles warm, the muscle is less likely to sustain a strain type of injury.

What happens after a muscle injury?

After injuring the muscle, it is important to regain strength before returning to athletic activities. Both the injury itself and the rest period following the injury can reduce the strength of the muscle. Stronger muscles are less likely to sustain a re-injury.

What is a grade 1 injury?

Grade I: Mild discomfort, often no disability, usually does not limit activity . Grade II: Moderate discomfort, can limit the ability to perform high-level activities. May have moderate swelling and bruising associated. Grade III: Severe injury that can cause significant pain. Often patients complain of muscle spasm, swelling, ...

How long does it take to recover from a pulled muscle?

Take a few days to recover from the pulled muscle before resuming the activity that caused it.

What is a pulled muscle?

A pulled or strained muscle is one that has been overstretched due to physical activity, resulting in swelling and pain. Pulled muscles are common injuries that can usually be effectively treated at home. Learn how to care for your pulled muscle and decide when medical intervention is necessary. Steps.

How to stop a muscle tear?

1. Rest the muscle. When you strain a muscle, stop doing the activity that caused it to be strained. Pulled muscles are actually rips in muscle fibers, and further exertion could cause the tear to grow larger and lead to a serious injury. Let the amount of pain you feel be your guide.

What does it mean when you pull a muscle?

You may think you pulled a muscle during a physical activity, but if you experience these other symptoms at the same time, make an appointment to see a doctor: Bruising. Swelling. Signs of infection, like itchiness and red, raised skin.

Can you drink water when you are thirsty?

Don't wait until you feel thirsty to drink water, as you're already getting dehydrated by the time you feel thirsty. If you exercise a lot, make sure you're drinking more water. You might also drink sports drinks, since low electrolytes can also increase your risk of pulling a muscle.

How to get rid of a sore muscle?

2. Ice the muscle. Icing the area reduces swelling and helps ease the pain. Fill a large food storage bag with ice cubes. Wrap it in a thin towel, to protect your skin from getting damaged by direct ice. Hold the ice pack to your sore area for 20 minutes at a time 4 to 8 times a day until the swelling has gone down.

What does it mean when your muscles are pulled?

Warm up. Pulled muscles happen when your muscles get overstrained, which can often occur as a result of exerting yourself before you've properly warmed up. Take the time to stretch and get your muscles warmed up before you participate in a physical activity.

What to do when your wrist hurts?

While you heal, you might want to take up a new activity that won't irritate your wrist. For instance, skiers could put down their poles and try jogging or stationary biking. Whatever you do, don't rush things. Do not try to return to your old level of physical activity until:

How long does it take for a wrist sprain to heal?

Recovery time depends on how serious your wrist sprain is. These injuries may take from two to 10 weeks to heal. But that's a rough estimate. Everyone heals at a different rate, but generally, time to heal depends on the grade of sprain and proper management.

What happens when you slip your wrist?

A wrist sprain is a common injury for all sorts of athletes. All it takes is a momentary loss of balance . As you slip, you automatically stick your hand out to break your fall. But once your hand hits the ground, the force of impact bends it back toward your forearm. This can stretch the ligaments that connect the wrist ...

How to tell if you have a sprained wrist?

Tenderness and warmth around the injury. Feeling a popping or tearing in the wrist. Bruising. Loss of motion. Weakness. To diagnose a wrist sprain, your doctor will give you a thorough physical exam.

What is a MRI of the wrist?

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) Arthrogram, a special type of X-ray or MRI done after a dye is injected into the wrist. Arthroscopy, a minimally invasive surgery in which a tiny camera is inserted into the wrist. Sprains are usually divided into three grades: Grade I: Pain with minor damage to the ligament.

How long does it take for a swollen wrist to heal?

They just need a little time. To speed the healing, you can: Rest your wrist for at least 48 hours. Ice your wrist to reduce pain and swelling. Do it for 20-30 minutes every three to four hours for two to three days, or until the pain is gone. Compress the wrist with a bandage.

What are the grades of sprains?

Sprains are usually divided into three grades: Grade I: Pain with minor damage to the ligament. Grade II: Pain, more severe ligament damage, a feeling of looseness to the joint, and some loss of function. Grade III: Pain, a completely torn ligament, severe looseness of the joint, and loss of function.

Why do I have a pulled muscle in my arm?

A pulled muscle in the arm can be caused by excessive, repetitive activities or exercises as well as playing sports with monotonous movements such as golf. Generally, playing without proper warm-up and stretching of the muscles can result to muscle tears and strains. Muscles that are stiff and tight are prone to injury.

How to treat a swollen muscle?

Use hot or cold balms to lessen the pain in the muscle. When the swelling lessens, apply a warm compress ...

What causes muscle strains?

Quick twists and sudden pulls cause muscle strains. A swift motion or force against the muscle causes it to overstretch and forcefully contract unexpectedly. This leads to a tear in the muscle tissue. These injuries affect the tendons or thick bands that attach muscles to bones.

How to reduce swelling from a sprained ankle?

Wrap the affected area with an ace bandage to ease the swelling. It should be a snug fit, but not too tight. Elevate your strain or sprained injury above heart level. Raising your injured area or body part helps to reduce pain and swelling.

How to tell if you have a sprain or strain?

Pain is undeniably the most common symptom of a strain or sprain. Depending on the degree of injury that’s occurred, you may notice accompanying symptoms such as the following: 1 Swelling 2 Bruising 3 Redness 4 Weakness of the muscle or tendons 5 Inability to use the muscle at all 6 Inability to move the joint 7 A “pop” or tear when the injury happens

What are the symptoms of a sprain?

Depending on the degree of injury that’s occurred, you may notice accompanying symptoms such as the following: Swelling. Bruising. Redness. Weakness of the muscle or tendons. Inability to use the muscle at all. Inability to move the joint.

What is grade 1 sprain?

A grade I sprain – overstretched ligament or a mild tear, with little to no joint instability. It hurts, but you’re still able to move your sprained joint and bear weight in the location. A grade II sprain – more serious but still incomplete ligament tear, with some joint looseness. It definitely hurts and there will be prolonged pain and swelling.

Can you sprain your ankle?

You can fall and sprain a body part. You can step wrong and twist an ankle, which is a sprain. You can get hit or accidentally hit a body part and get a sprain. The ligaments on the outer part of your joint become overstretched sometimes to the point of tearing.

Does a sprained wrist hurt?

Whether you’ve strained or sprained your wrist, it hurts either way. The pain may feel similar, but there’s a difference between a strain and a sprain. These two injuries can vary in degree of damage. Both injuries are used interchangeably to signify damage to muscles and joints in various parts of the body – most commonly the wrist, ankle, hand, ...