Wrist Sprains in Children
I’m Ed Smith, a Roseville personal injury lawyer. When you fall, your first instinct is to catch yourself by reaching out your hands. Unfortunately in most cases, that is the last thing that you should do because you can run the risk of severely straining or spraining your wrists.
It is common for children to fall while they are running around, playing games, riding a bike or playing sports. In the event that they should fall and hurt their wrists, there are several things that you should know about wrist sprains, how to identify them, and what you can do when your child sprains their wrist or wrists.
How do Wrist Sprains Happen?
Usually, wrist sprains are caused when your child falls on an outstretched arm. In using the hands, wrists, and arms in absorbing the blow you cause a hyperextension of your wrist backward. That hyperextension can cause a tear to the soft tissues and ligaments in your wrist. Since those ligaments are what give your wrist stability, you will often experience pain and tenderness to the injured area.
Examination for Wrist Fracture
Your doctor will want to make sure that a wrist fracture has not occurred, especially if your child has significant swelling or pain over the injured wrist. A fracture could occur at the distal end of the radius, the bone on the thumb side of the arm, or at the styloid process, the most distal part of the ulnar arm bone. The carpal bones of the wrist are less commonly fractured.
Symptoms of a Wrist Sprains in Children
The most common symptoms of a wrist sprain are pain and tenderness around the area of the injury. There will often be bruising or swelling in the same area too, with a general weakness in the injured wrist. Sometimes you will get a burning or tingling feeling in your hands, and your wrists can occasionally pop.
What to do if You Suspect Your Child Has Sprained Their Wrist
If you suspect that your child has sprained their wrist, you should start treating the injury immediately with ice and plenty of rest. You can ice your wrists for 15-20 minutes using an ice pack or a bag of ice. Just make sure that you are using a washcloth or some kind of covering so that the ice contact is indirect. That will help prevent frostbite. And never apply chemical cold packs directly to your skin.
Preventing Wrist Sprains in Children
It is difficult or impossible to predict falls that occur entirely on accident. If your child is into extreme sports like skateboarding or rollerblading, having them wear wrist guards is one of the best ways to prevent a sprain. Otherwise, make sure that they are always aware of their surroundings.
For More Serious Cases
In case you are worried that it might be more than just a sprain, you should take your child to your doctor or physician. They will be able to give you the best recommendations on how to treat and care for a serious sprain.
Related Articles by Edward A Smith –
- Pediatric Wrist and Hand Fractures
- Fractures in Children
- Fractures and Other Serious Injuries to Children
Roseville Personal Injury Lawyer
My name is Ed Smith, and I’m a Roseville personal injury lawyer. If you, or your child has suffered a personal injury in an accident, please contact me at (916) 921-6400 for free, friendly advice. If calling long distance, give me a call toll-free at (800) 404-5400. During our telephone call, we will go over the specifics of your accident and discuss the best way to proceed. I take cases on a contingency basis. What that means is you don’t pay unless I have a successful outcome in your case. Give me a call today. It is free to call and talk to me. There is no obligation.
My client reviews are located at: Avvo (the service that provides lawyer ratings), Yelp! and Google.
I belong to the Million Dollar Forum. This is a fellowship of highly rated trial lawyers. The lawyers in the fellowship have settlements and verdicts in the Million and Multi-Million Dollar range.
Take a moment to look at some of my results at: Past Verdicts and Settlements.
Practice is limited to personal injury and wrongful death.
I founded www.AutoAccident.com, Northern California’s top site for car accident and personal injury topics.
Image Credit: Sterilgutassistentin – [Own work, GPL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6356597]
Source of Wrist Sprains in Children ~
:bass bw