banged up my wrist

[apathy_next2]

So about a month ago, playing volleyball I caught a really fast ball with one hand. My arm/hand wasn't very flexed(braced) for the ball and the ball just kind of knocked my hand back.

I've been having some pains in the wrist every since. I can bend my wrist up and and down, but left and right causes a lot of pain. I am also noticing some pain the the back of the hand area about 1-2 inches about that bump area on the wrist.

I'm pretty sure its not broken or anything. I haven't had any swelling or any crazy pain, but its a bit hard to function as I can't lift anything heavy with that hand.

Been trying to avoid spending the money to go see a doctor, anything you guys suggest that I can try until I have to finally go see him?

 

[Azraele]

There are a lot of tiny fragile bones and tendons and bundles of nerves in your hand/wrist. I'd see a doc.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Eh, likely sounds like a sprain. Does your wrist feel unstable at all? Have you tried icing it (10min on, 20min off at least) and taking something like ibuprofen for a few days? If it's just a grade 1 sprain, it should alleviate in a week or two. You may want to lightly move your affected wrist with your other hand to keep it moving. Don't move it into pain though, just move it in the pain free-ranges. That should help with recovery.

 

[apathy_next2]

I haven't iced. It's been 1 month. I haven't taken anything either for it.
Will Alieve work as well?

 

[notposting]

I broke my wrist my senior year of high school in football before the year started. Had surgery after I graduated when I finally went to the doctor to see why the sprain still hurt. I ended up with a bone graft from my hip and a screw in my wrist.

It was a scaphoid fracture...here's a good writeup on it:
http://www.davidlnelson.md/scaphoid_fracture.htm

It's been a month. Go get some x-rays.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I haven't iced. It's been 1 month. I haven't taken anything either for it.
Will Alieve work as well?

Yeah, Aleve will work. It's just naproxen. You didn't answer my most important question - does the wrist feel unstable? If it's unstable, then you need to go see the doctor. And as notposting said, go get an xray. It's been around for longer than a week or two. X-rays are cheap, if you have insurance.