Bruised Wrist After Fall

The most common symptoms are: Bruising or swelling of the wrist after a fall or impact Loss of motion of the thumb or wrist Wrist pain associated with gripping the hand or lifting objects

A bruised wrist or wrist contusion may also be caused by a direct blow to the wrist. Bruised wrist could also be caused by falling down on outstretched hands. Fractured bone can also lead to bruised wrist.

After a wrist or hand injury, bruising may extend to the fingers from the effects of gravity. Injuries to ligaments, such as a skier’s thumb injury. Injuries to tendons, such as mallet finger. Injuries to joints ( sprains ). Pulled muscles ( strains ). Broken bones ( fractures ), such as a wrist fracture. Dislocations.

Signs and Symptoms of Bruised Wrist or Wrist Contusion Typically acute pain from an impact. Feeling of tenderness while touching the wrist. Development of bruising. Decreased range of motion in the wrist. Pain with movement of the wrist. Development of swelling.

This may damage the hand but not cause a bruise that you can see. Most bruises aren’t serious and will go away on their own in 2 to 4 weeks. But sometimes a more serious hand injury might not heal on its own. Tell your doctor if you have new symptoms or your injury is not getting better over time.

A bruise is the damage of the blood vessels that return blood to the heart (the capillaries and veins), which causes pooling of the blood. This explains the blue/purple color of most bruises. Bruises of the wrist are common, often due to minor injuries.

A swollen wrist is usually a symptom after a traumatic injury, including wrist sprains, bruising, or bone fractures. Other causes of swelling in the wrist can arise from overuse or arthritis which is caused by inflammation of the joints.

Bone bruise. That familiar discoloration is the result of blood leaking beneath the surface of your skin after you’ve injured a blood vessel. A bone contusion, or bone bruise, happens when you have a small injury on the surface of a bone. The discoloration appears as blood and other fluids build up.

Many wrist fractures occur during contact sports or sports in which you might fall onto an outstretched hand — such as in-line skating or snowboarding. Motor vehicle crashes. Motor vehicle crashes can cause wrist bones to break, sometimes into many pieces, and often require surgical repair.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It can affect hands and wrists, particularly the joints at the ends of the fingers or at the base of the thumb. It can cause pain and stiffness, and make it difficult to use your hands and wrists properly. Osteoarthritis can cause bony lumps to develop on the hands, particularly on the fingers.

The skin on or near your wrist or hand feels cold or turns blue or white. The skin on or near your wrist or hand is tight, raised, and swollen. You have new trouble moving and using your hands, fingers, or wrist.

Wrist injuries often occur when you fall forward onto your outstretched hand. This can cause sprains, strains and even fractures. A scaphoid fracture involves a bone on the thumb side of the wrist. This type of fracture may not show up on X-rays immediately after the injury.

The radial nerve runs through a band of tissue called the carpal tunnel on the inside of the wrist below the thumb. A wrist fracture can damage the nerve or cause scarring of the carpal tunnel during the healing process. The result is called carpal tunnel syndrome.

See Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment for Bone Fractures. There are a few telltale symptoms to detect a wrist fracture: deformity of the wrist or bone matter breaking through the skin are obvious signs of fracture.

A subjective and physical examination is performed to diagnose a bruised wrist or wrist contusion. A thorough neurovascular examination of the hand and the digits is performed to assess for injuries to the nerves and vessels. X-ray may be done to assess and rule out for any underlying fractures.

Therefore, a sprain would cause less pain than a fracture. This is not necessarily the case. Fractures can cause mild or dull pain, and sprains can often cause severe pain. There are a few telltale symptoms to detect a wrist fracture: deformity of the wrist or bone matter breaking through the skin are obvious signs of fracture.

There are eight small carpal bones in the wrist that connect to the hand and the forearm. These bones manage hand movement. If you can’t move your fingers, it’s a likely indicator that the wrist is broken. Ligaments stretch between these carpal bones, connecting one to another.

One way to help bruises fade is to stem the initial flow of blood quickly after a traumatic injury. Ice should be applied to a bruised area as soon as possible to reduce the number of small bleeders contributing to the injury. If possible, the injured area should be held above the level of the heart to encourage blood to flow away from the injury.

Most bruising is benign, and is very common. But here’s when you should perhaps worry about bruising and when you should see your doctor: If they persist for prolonged periods of time (not healing) If you have more and more bruises through time. If you experience bruising more frequently than your prior baseline.

Reasons Why Your Bruises Won’t Go Away. Bruises that won’t go away are concerning and could indicate a variety of things, which include: If you are low on some nutrients, you may have issues with healing and blood clotting. This can be caused by deficiencies in: Vitamin C – This vitamin speeds up wound healing and keeps blood vessels healthy.

A vinegar compress can also help make a bruise disappear by increasing blood flow to the area. Mix ¼ cup of vinegar in 2 or 3 cups of warm water. Then, soak a cotton ball, gauze pad, or wash cloth in the solution before gently rubbing the bruise with it.