The most common cause of a wrist sprain is falling and landing on the hand, which can stretch or tear ligaments. Sports and other activities that increase the risk of falling also increase the risk of wrist sprains. Wrist guards can provide protection during such activities.
The most common cause of a wrist sprain is the impact an individual’s hand makes on the ground when breaking a fall. People instinctively reach out when they trip and fall, often making the wrist the first part of the body to absorb the shock. When the wrist hits the ground or another object, the ligaments can stretch and even tear. Sprains occur when ligaments suffer such damage. Any activity that increases the risk of falling increases the risk of a wrist sprain. Most sports fall into this category as do other athletic activities, such as running.
Accidents or collisions while playing sports are the most common cause of a sprained wrist. Athletic activities, such as football, soccer, tennis, and skateboarding, greatly increase the chance of falling, and therefore the chance of sustaining a wrist injury. When the wrist strikes the ground, it is usually such that the bottom of the palm strikes first. This causes the hand to bend backwards, causing the ligaments in the wrist to stretch. As a result, the ligaments may be stretched to the point of minor damage, causing a Grade I sprain, or to the point of tearing, causing a Grade II or III sprain.
There are also many non-sports related accidents where people are more likely to fall and sprain their wrist. For example, people often dislocate their wrists from slips and falls in freezing conditions. Tripping and falling down stairs is another common cause.
There may also be situations where hitting the ground is not the cause of a sprained wrist. For example, a skier with poles may have fallen and sprained his wrist, but the sprain was not caused by impact with the ground. Instead, it came from the skier’s hand snagging on the pole straps, causing the wrist to bend too much in the wrong direction. Similarly, if an individual lifts a heavy object incorrectly, the weight can cause the wrist to bend too much or incorrectly, resulting in a sprain.
When engaging in athletic activities, there are ways to protect yourself from the possibility of a sprained wrist. In skateboarding and inline skating, for example, your wrists are almost guaranteed to regularly absorb falls. For this reason, participants in such activities often wear wrist wraps for protection. Wrist guards are convenient accessories that strap around the wrist and feature a hard plastic barrier that provides separation between the wrist and the ground in the event of a fall.
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