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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffIt's impossible to prevent the unforeseen events that often cause wrist injuries, but these basic tips may offer some protection:
- Build bone strength. Getting adequate amounts of calcium — at least 1,500 milligrams a day for adults — and vitamin D can help prevent fractures.
- Prevent falls. Falling forward onto an outstretched hand is the main cause of most wrist injuries. To help prevent falls, wear sensible shoes. Remove home hazards. Light up your living space. And install grab bars in your bathroom and handrails on your stairways, if necessary.
- Use protective gear for athletic activities. Wear wrist guards for high-risk activities, such as football, snowboarding and rollerblading. If you're new to extreme sports, consider getting professional instruction, and know your limits.
- Pay attention to ergonomics. The market is flooded with devices, such as ergonomic keyboards, that claim to take the stress off your wrists when you're at the office. Using some of these devices, taking regular breaks, keeping your wrists in a relaxed, middle position when you type and improving your posture can make you more comfortable and help protect your wrists.
References
- Swigert CR. Hand and wrist pain. In: Firestein GS, et al. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/153033877-3/872097449/1807/301.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3285-4..10044-0_1249. Accessed Aug. 7, 2009.
- Questions and answers about sprains and strains. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Sprains_Strains/default.asp. Accessed Aug. 7, 2009.
- Swigert CR. Common etiologies for hand and wrist pain. In: Firestein GS, et al. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/153033877-3/872097449/1807/302.html. Accessed Aug. 7, 2009.
- Anderson BC. Evaluation of the adult patient with wrist pain. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 7, 2009.
- Upton DS, et al. Acute wrist injuries in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 10. 2009.
- Upton DS, et al. Causes of chronic wrist pain in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 10. 2009.
- Wrist pain. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2009. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/153069597-3/872221634/1701/1152.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-04134-8..50051-3--cesec8_15127. Accessed Aug. 7, 2009.
- Bone X-ray (radiography). Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bonerad. Accessed Aug. 11, 2009.
- CT: Body. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bodyct. Accessed Aug. 11, 2009.
- General nuclear medicine. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=gennuclear. Accessed Aug. 11, 2009.
- MRI of the musculoskeletal system. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=muscmr. Accessed Aug.11, 2009.
- Wrist arthroscopy. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00001. Accessed Aug. 11, 2009.
- Neurological diagnostic tests and procedures. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/misc/diagnostic_tests.htm. Accessed Aug. 11, 2009.
