Wrist sprain

Given my recent close encounter with the subject, I decided to write a little about what it actually is, why it hurts so much and takes so long to heal. In your forearm you have 2 bones that rotate around each other. These are joined to the 8 small carpal bones that form your wrist and fit together like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. They are aligned in 2 rows of 4 and the whole thing is held together by a complex web of ligaments. Ligaments connect bones to each other and helps to stabilize the joint. They are also used by the brain as a sort of joint sensors that helps the nervous system to control the muscles – they are thus full of nerve endings! It is these ligaments that are damaged when you sprain your wrist. The damage can range from a mild stretch to a complete tear (which may require surgery). My doctor tells me that overstretched ligaments will heal and contract again if left alone, but it can take a long time! 

Here you can see the bones of the wrist and hand (click on the picture for full size):

And here I have added the ligaments that gets damaged when you sprain your wrist (again click picture for full size):