One of the common sports injuries that are seen in [tag]little league baseball tournaments[/tag] is wrist sprain. As a [tag]baseball[/tag] [tag]coach[/tag] it is important to know the typical [tag]treatment[/tag] and recovery for this type of injury.
Treatment and Recovery: Recovery for sprains can take from 2 to 10 weeks, depending on the severity of the sprain. Mild sprains can be treated with [tag]RICE[/tag], focusing on resting the wrist and letting it heal. More moderate sprains will need a wrist brace, provided by a doctor to immobilize the wrist for a 7-10 days. Severe sprains may require surgery to repair a fully torn ligament.
If pain and swelling persist for more than 2 days, or if the athlete cannot move the wrist or it feels especially loose, medical attention is needed. These could be signs of a fracture, something requiring medical care.
After the [tag]wrist sprain[/tag] has healed, rehabilitation exercises are necessary. These include motions to strengthen the wrist and regain flexibility and range of motion. While these should be done with a trained physical therapist, there are several moves athletes can safely do at home. The wrist should be flexed up as high as it will go and then pushed down as low as it will go, focusing on improving range of motion without pain. The wrist should be circled both directions to increase flexibility.
When pain is completely gone, athletes can practice strengthening the wrist by pushing off something, such as a wall. Athletes can stand about 2 feet from a wall and lean forward, letting their wrists rest on the wall. They then push off the wall with the wrists, flicking through the wrist to strengthen it.