While a wrist sprain can be scary for parent and child alike, wrist injuries are common in childhood, often the result of trying to break a fall. No matter how your child injured his wrist -- demonstrating an amazing new trick or by fluke accident -- it’s always best to let the doctor examine the area to ensure the wrist is not broken or more severely injured. You can treat a mild sprain at home, but a moderate sprain may require a doctor-applied wrist splint. If the ligament is fully torn, surgery is required.
Step 1
Have your child rest his wrist for at least 48 hours after the injury. Put on your child’s favorite movies, read books to him and allow only quiet, inside play he can manage using only the unaffected arm. After 48 hours, limit rough play and encourage your child to use his sprained wrist as little as possible.
Step 2
Ice your child’s wrist to numb the pain and decrease the swelling. Hold an ice pack on the wrist for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, once every hour while your child is awake. Use a pack of frozen vegetables, a store-bought ice pack or fill a baggy with crushed ice.
Step 3
Wrap an elastic bandage around your child’s wrist, following your doctor’s instructions. The compression helps decrease swelling and offers support for the wrist. The bandage should not cut reduce his circulation or cause pain.
Step 4
Instruct, or help, your child to hold his wrist above heart-level to reduce swelling and decrease the pain. Prop pillows under your child’s arm so he doesn’t have to hold it up when he sits or lies down.
Step 5
Give the appropriate dose of over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen, as directed by your doctor. Refer to the bottle’s instructions for your child’s age and weight.
Step 6
Assist your child with any physical therapy exercises the doctor has ordered.
Tips and Warnings
- To help you remember the general protocol for wrist sprains, picture the word “rice”: rest, ice, compress and elevate.
- Be proactive with pain medication. Don’t wait until the pain medication wears off and your child feels pain again to give the next dose. Give pain medication before the pain sets in again, but do not exceed the time limit between doses or the maximum number of doses in one day. Call the doctor immediately if your child complains of feeling pins and needles in his wrist or complains of severe pain when you touch his wrist. If his wrist looks misshapen or infected, seek emergency care. The sprain should improve within seven days. If it does not, call the doctor.
Things You'll Need
- Ice pack
- Elastic bandage
- Pillows
- Pain reliever
