Broken wrist: symptoms, treatment and recovery time

According to the NHS, you may have broken your arm or wrist if you have injured it and it has suddenly become painful, swollen, bruised or difficult to move. It may also change colour, change shape (look bent or twisted) or feel numb.

The NHS notes that it can be hard to tell whether a wrist is broken, dislocated or badly sprained, so you will probably need an X-ray. The Worcestershire Acute Hospitals leaflet adds that most wrist fractures are accompanied by sprains to the ligaments around the wrist from being stretched on impact, so pain on the little-finger side of the wrist is also common.

The most common type is a distal radius fracture. The same leaflet explains that there are two bones in the forearm, and at the wrist joint the radius is on the thumb side; "distal" refers to the end of the bone furthest from the body.

The NHS sets out when and where to get help.

• Go to A&E or call 999 if the arm or wrist is numb, tingling or has pins and needles, you have a bad cut that is bleeding heavily, a bone is sticking out of the skin, or the arm or wrist has changed colour, shape or is at an odd angle.

• Get help from NHS 111 if it is very painful, you cannot use it because of the pain or the pain is getting worse, there is a large amount of swelling or bruising (or it is getting worse), it feels very stiff or difficult to move, or you also have a very high temperature or feel hot, cold or shivery, which could be an infection.

• Do not drive yourself to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance, and bring any medicines you take.

The NHS suggests simple steps while you wait to see a doctor.

• Use a towel as a sling to support the arm gently.

• Hold an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas) wrapped in a tea towel to the injured area for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours.

• Stop any bleeding by applying pressure with a clean pad or dressing, if possible.

• Remove jewellery such as rings or watches, because your fingers, wrist or hand could swell up.

• Use painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen gel if a healthcare professional has advised you to.

• Do not eat or drink anything in case you need surgery to fix the bone when you get to hospital, and do not try to use the affected arm or wrist.

The NHS says that when you get to hospital the affected arm may be placed in a splint to support it and stop the broken bones moving out of position, and you will be given painkillers. An X-ray then shows whether there is a break and how bad it is. A plaster cast can be used to keep your arm in place until it heals, and sometimes this is applied a few days later to allow swelling to go down first. You may be given a sling.

A doctor may try to move the broken bones back into place with their hands before applying a splint or cast, and you will be given medicine first to reduce or stop the pain. If you have had a very bad break, surgery may be carried out to fix the bones back into place.

Hospital leaflets describe what this means for a simple distal radius fracture. Hull University Teaching Hospitals says a fracture that is in a good position can be treated in a removable cast or wrist splint for 5 weeks, after which it can be removed without a further fracture clinic review. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals says a wrist fracture is usually immobilised in a cast for four to six weeks depending on severity and alignment, and that a fracture that is not in good alignment may need manipulation or surgery with metalwork to correct it.

The NHS says it usually takes around 6 to 12 weeks to recover from a broken arm or wrist, and it can take longer if it was severely damaged. You will need to wear the plaster cast until the broken bone heals. The skin under the cast may be itchy for a few days but this should pass.

After the cast comes off, the NHS says the arm or wrist may be stiff and weak. A physiotherapist can help, although sometimes these problems can last several months or more. The hospital will give you exercises to help recovery.

The Worcestershire leaflet says complete recovery from a fracture may take up to one year, but you will likely be back to lots of normal tasks, such as driving, by 8 to 12 weeks. It adds that everyone recovers at a different rate. Pins and needles or numbness in the fingers can occur in the early days because of swelling or nerve irritation and usually resolves on its own; contact the fracture clinic if it persists and affects function.

The NHS lists things to do and avoid during recovery.

• Try to keep your hand raised above your elbow whenever possible, using a pillow at night.

• Follow any exercise advice you have been given and use the painkillers you have been given.

• Do not get your cast wet; waterproof cast covers are available from pharmacies.

• Do not use anything to scratch under the cast, as this could lead to infection.

• Do not drive or try to lift heavy items until you have been told it is safe to do so.

• Keep your shoulder, elbow and fingers moving regularly to prevent stiffness, as the Hull leaflet advises, and use your hand for light everyday tasks rather than resting completely.

The NHS says to get help from NHS 111 if you are recovering from a broken arm or wrist and the pain gets worse, your temperature is very high or you feel hot, cold or shivery, your cast breaks or feels too tight or too loose, your fingers, wrist and arm start to feel numb, they look swollen or turn blue or white, or there is a bad smell or discharge of liquid from under your cast.

The Worcestershire leaflet also says that your plaster should not feel too tight, the hand should feel like it belongs to you and the main knuckles should be free to move, and that rare tendon injuries, such as a tear to the tendon that lifts the end joint of the thumb, should be checked for before discharge.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals says you will not be insured to drive while wearing a cast or splint and advises checking with your insurer. It says it should be safe to return to driving when you are no longer wearing the cast or splint, you can comfortably grip the steering wheel, move the gear stick, pull up the handbrake and use the indicators, and you can perform an emergency stop.

The NHS adds that you should not drive until you have been told it is safe to do so.

The NHS says that if you are over 50 and have broken your arm or wrist, a fracture liaison service can help you prevent further broken bones and keep your bones healthy. It suggests asking your GP surgery whether there is a fracture liaison service in your area. See our osteoporosis and fragility fracture pages for more.

On the NHS, a suspected broken wrist is assessed in an emergency department or urgent treatment centre, where an X-ray is taken, followed by splinting or casting and often a virtual or in-person fracture clinic review. Private orthopaedic and hand clinics can also assess, X-ray and treat wrist fractures. The decision about a cast or surgery depends on the type of break and its position, and your GP should be told the outcome either way.