When to Seek Medical Care

If you have severe pain, deformity, numbness, or are unable to move your wrist, you should call your doctor for an immediate appointment, go to an urgent care clinic, or go to a hospital's emergency department.

If there is no deformity and the pain is manageable with over-the-counter pain medication, you may want to wait 12-24 hours before deciding whether to call the doctor. If symptoms persist after a day, see a doctor.

If you have obvious deformity, numbness, or severe pain, you need medical attention.

• If there is obvious deformity or severe swelling, there may be a broken bone that needs to be moved back into its normal position.

• There also can be a dislocation where the bones are no longer in the correct position, although they are not broken.