A wrist strain is an injury to one of the tendons in the wrist. Tendons attach muscles to bone and help move the wrist and hand. However, “wrist strain” is often used as a general term for wrist pain, so it is important to rule out other injuries such as a wrist sprain, tendonitis, TFCC injury or fracture.
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Wrist strain symptoms
Symptoms may come on suddenly after an injury, or gradually through overuse. They include:
- Pain when moving the wrist
- Tenderness over a specific tendon
- Pain when gripping, lifting or twisting
- Mild swelling
- Weakness or reduced wrist movement
Pain linked to repeated use may be more like wrist tendonitis than an acute strain.
When to see a doctor
Seek medical advice if you have severe pain, obvious deformity, numbness, loss of grip, increasing swelling/bruising, or if you heard a snap, pop or grinding noise at the time of injury. These may indicate a fracture, ligament injury or more serious wrist problem.
Diagnosis
A therapist or doctor will assess your wrist movement, strength and pain response. They may ask you to move the wrist against resistance to identify which tendon is painful. If a fracture, ligament injury or TFCC injury is suspected, an X-ray or scan may be needed.
Wrist strain vs wrist sprain
A wrist strain affects a tendon, while a wrist sprain affects a ligament. The symptoms can feel similar, so persistent pain after a fall or twisting injury should be assessed properly.
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Treatment
Rest from painful activities, especially gripping, lifting, racket sports, weights or repetitive wrist movements.
In the first 24–72 hours, use protection, rest, ice, compression and elevation to reduce pain and swelling. Ice can be applied for 10–15 minutes at a time, wrapped in a towel, several times per day.
A wrist support or compression bandage may help in the early stages. Avoid complete rest for too long; gentle pain-free movement helps prevent stiffness.
Painkillers or anti-inflammatory medication may help, but check with a pharmacist or doctor if you are unsure whether they are suitable for you.
For chronic or persistent cases cross friction massage may help by reducing the tendon back to its acute stage so it can heal properly.
Wrist strain exercises
Begin wrist exercises once pain has settled. Start with gentle range-of-motion movements, then progress to strengthening exercises such as:
- Wrist flexion and extension
- Side-to-side wrist movements
- Grip strengthening with putty or a therapy ball
- Light dumbbell wrist exercises
- Gradual return to sport-specific gripping or loading
Stop if pain increases sharply or symptoms worsen afterwards.
View more on wrist exercises.
Recommended products
We recommend the following products from our commercial partners (Amazon) for helping with recovery from wrist injuries:
- Wrist support: Provides stability, reduces pain and protects whilst healing.
- Therapy putty or hand exerciser: Rebuilds grip strength and targets weak muscles. One of the most effective rehab tools.
- Hand exerciser/grip strengthener: Allows progressive resistance training and helps with return to sport-specific activity.
- Resistance bands: Used for wrist flexion, extension and radial deviation to restore full strength, not just grip.
- Cold therapy pack & Gel: Useful in the early rehab phase to reduce pain and control inflammation after exercise.
- Heat therapy: Helps reduce stiffness once swelling has settled and is useful before mobility exercises.
