How do you know if your hand is sprained or fractured?

Pain located directly on top of the bone – where there is no soft tissue. Pain becomes worse when you apply pressure or move the injured limb. Severe swelling, or bruising over the top of the bone, numbness or tingling. A “cracking” (not “popping”) sound at the time of the injury.

Can you break your hand and still move it?

Range of Motion. You may have a compromised range of motion if your hand is broken. This may be due to swelling, inflammation, or pain caused by the injury.

What does a hairline fracture in the hand feel like?

What are the symptoms of a hairline fracture? The most common symptom of a hairline fracture is pain. This pain can gradually get worse over time, especially if you don’t stop weight-bearing activity. Pain is usually worse during activity and lessens during rest.

What does a sprained hand feel like?

What Are the Symptoms of Wrist/Hand Sprains? Immediate pain in the wrist or hand after a direct blow or twist. Pain and stiffness with movement or activity in hand and wrist.

How long does a sprained hand take to heal?

A sprain is a stretching or tearing of the ligaments that hold a joint together. There are no broken bones. Sprains take 3 to 6 weeks, or longer to heal. A sprained hand may be treated with a splint or elastic wrap for support.

Should you wrap a sprained hand?

Bandaging Your Hand Following Injury. If you’ve injured your hand, bandages can reduce swelling, restrict movement, and provide support to the muscles, bones, and joints. Certain hand injuries may heal better when bandaged.

Can you move your hand if it’s sprained?

Call your doctor or nurse call line now or seek immediate medical care if: Your pain is worse. You have new or increased swelling in your hand. You cannot move your hand.

When should you go to the doctor for a hand injury?

Signs of a break or fracture can include any deformity in the hand or fingers, severe shooting pain with attempted motion, popping or clicking with motion, or significant swelling. It is always a good idea to get evaluated and treat these injuries early.

How can you tell if you have a fracture without an xray?

there may be swelling, bruising or tenderness around the injured area. you may feel pain when you put weight on the injury, touch it, press it, or move it. the injured part may look deformed – in severe breaks, the broken bone may be poking through the skin.

How do you tell if your metacarpal is broken?

Symptoms of a metacarpal fracture usually include one or more of the following:
  1. Hand pain and tenderness to touch (over the back of the hand or palm)
  2. Hand swelling.
  3. Hand bruising.
  4. Hand pain / grinding when making a fist.
  5. Hand deformity (fingers may not line up normally when making a fist)

How do you fix a broken hand without going to the doctor?

First aid for a broken hand
  1. Avoid moving your hand. Try your best to immobilize your hand. If a bone has moved out of place, don’t attempt to realign it.
  2. Apply ice. To reduce pain and swelling, carefully apply an ice pack or cold compress to your injury. …
  3. Stop the bleeding.

What happens if you don’t treat broken hand?

Symptoms of a hand fracture include swelling, bruising, pain, inability to move a finger, or finger deformity. If left untreated or not treated appropriately, a hand fracture can lead to loss of hand mobility.

Can you move your finger with a broken metacarpal?

There will be swelling, often a considerable amount, as well as bruising directly over the injury. They may have difficulty moving the fingers due to the amount of pain from the fracture.

Is it easy to break a metacarpal?

It takes a considerable amount of force, but when the metacarpal bones are put under more stress than what they can withstand—such as during a punch or a direct impact to the hand—a break in one or more of them can be the result.

Can you bruise your metacarpal?

Like most other fractures, a metacarpal fracture typically produces pain and swelling in the affected hand. Bruising also usually occurs, although it may not be visible immediately and may take several days to develop.

Can you bruise a bone in hand?

But bones and muscles can also get bruised. 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.

Can a broken metacarpal heal without a cast?

You have a fracture (break) in one or more of these bones. This is called a hand (or metacarpal) fracture. Some hand fractures require wearing a splint or a cast. Some need to be repaired with surgery.

What happens when you break a bone in your hand?

The symptoms of a hand fracture include: Bruising and swelling of any part of the hand. Deformity in the joint, such as a finger that is crooked. Numbness, stiffness, or the inability to move the hand, fingers, wrist, and thumb.

What is the most common hand injury?

The three most common hand injuries are fractures/avulsions, tendinitis, and dislocations/deformities.

What does a bruised bone feel like?

Symptoms of Bone Bruises

Signs of a bone bruise include: Pain and tenderness under your skin. Swelling around the area of the injury, including the soft tissue. A hard lump under your skin.