Rest it briefly, ice 15 to 20 minutes at a time (cloth-wrapped), wrap snugly, elevate above heart level, and take acetaminophen or ibuprofen - then start gentle movement after the first couple of days, because wrists stiffen fast.
Get an X-ray instead if you heard a snap, cannot move or grip, see deformity, have marked tenderness in the thumb-side hollow (scaphoid fractures hide as sprains), feel finger numbness, or see no improvement after a week. A pharmacy splint is fine short-term but should not become permanent - stiffness is the enemy. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can walk you through the checks.
What to do
Common questions
How do you treat a sprained wrist?
For a mild to moderate wrist sprain: protect it and rest it for the first couple of days, ice 15 to 20 minutes at a time (cloth-wrapped, never bare ice on skin), wrap it with a snug-but-not-tight compression bandage, keep it elevated above heart level when you can, and use acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain and swelling. After the first couple of days, start gentle movement - wrists stiffen fast, and gradual loading heals better than a week in a sling. When it needs an X-ray instead: you heard or felt a snap, you cannot move the wrist or grip, there is obvious deformity, pressing the anatomical snuffbox (the hollow at the thumb side) is very tender - scaphoid fractures hide as sprains and need specific attention - there is numbness or tingling in the fingers, or it is clearly not improving after a week. A splint from the pharmacy is fine short-term but should not become permanent; stiffness is the enemy. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can walk you through the self-checks.