Does a broken wrist always hurt?

[Ilikelotsofthinngs]

Posting here for traffic.
I fell yesterday and put my hand out. It hurt and I was a little big shaken but nothing major carried on with my day.
I noticed my arm is a bit swollen, felt OK this morning but using my arm all day at work it's aching and sore now.
The swelling is still about the same, around my thumb pad and above the wrist.
Also I think the little bone on my wrist is sticking out more than it does on the other hand but doesn't hurt to touch.
I have full range of motion I'm not in agony just aching and stiff feeling, hurts when I turn taps but not excruciating.
Ive heard of people having breaks and not realising just worried because of the swelling.
Could it be broken or should I just watch and wait? Currently just following rice and praying it's back to normal in the morning.

Ah, my specialist subject!

I've broken my wrist 3 times (2 x scaphoid fractures, 1 Colles fracture).

Scaphoid fractures aren't very painful imo. The first time I did it, I didn't go to the hospital for 3 days, and I'd broken both radius and ulna at the elbow end, too. The second time, I knew, because it felt just like the first time. Both times, I was able to move the wrist without any problem and thought it was a sprain (my ex-nurse mother always told us that if you could bend a joint, it wasn't broken: I now know this to be bollocks!)

A Colles fracture is unmistakable, the wrist is bent backwards at a right angle and they hurt like fuck.

I'd get it checked out, it might need a cast.

Sorry, meant to add: both times I broke my scaphoid, that was exactly how I did it - fell and put my hand out to save myself.

I was gonna say when I broke mine it didn’t hurt until a few days after. It to was a Scaphoid fracture and I was in plaster for a year and have a pin in my wrist now!

Nope played rugby on my broken wrist three days after doing it.

Thank you. I'm more worried now. I'm not sure if the worrying is making it worse. I dont want to waste time at the doctors or be laughed at because it's not that painful and I can move it I've just got this horrible feeling it's something more than a bruise and ive had falls before that haven't bothered me

Depending on which part of the scaphoid is fractured can have a considerable effect - there can be avascular necrosis. Best to get it checked just to ensure it doesn't result in any long lasting reduction in function.

I broke my left wrist for the 3rd time last year and didn’t get it checked for 6 weeks. I was convinced I’d sprained it. It was sore but annoying more than painful.

Yes it is annoying more than painful only really hurts when I do certain movements and even then not agonising.
Will call NHS direct in the morning.

Broke mine in a car crash...amongst other bones and injuries.
Didn’t feel my wrist at all. The sorest thing - initially, anyway - was the friction burn on my waist from the seatbelt. Later on, my broken sternum caused me huge amounts of pain, and difficulty sleeping, but my wrist? Never felt a thing!

If you're worried (and especially if the bone feels odd) best to go check.

One thing people haven't mentioned: sometimes scaphoid fractures don't show up on x-ray for about a week after the break. It's just because of the angle. Once you start to get bone remodelling it becomes easier to see.

Think I will have to get it seen to. I've just done a little test put my fingers and thumbs together In a fan shape and help my elbows level and my right wrist definitely looks funny, sort of collapsed and not as defined as the other one.

You need an X-ray. Broken wrists don't always hurt, I've seen more than a few people who've landed awkwardly, taken some paracetamol and maybe put some strapping on and carried on for a few days. They turn up for X-ray a week later with exactly your story - annoying/sore, painful on certain movements, slightly swollen/bruised but nothing obviously hanging at a strange angle. Some of them have fractures, some of them don't - but you need an X-ray to work out which group you're in!

Have you got a minor injuries unit near you? Would definitely advise getting it looked at!

Thank you all for the advice, update is I called my doctors and spoke to the nurse practitioner, no appointments at clinic so she advised a and e.
Went to a and e, triage nurse had a quick look and said it doesn't meet criteria for x ray but she would send me through to injuries unit.
Injuries unit nurse or doctor had a quick look and feel and diagnosed soft tissue damage. If it was a fracture it would be painful to touch apparently. Told me to take painkillers and keep it moving. Didn't even wrap it or tell me how long it will take to heal.
Not sure whether to be relieved it's not broken or fobbed off to be honest. It's hurting more now than yesterday

My daughter broke her wrist and I didn't notice till couple days later because she had no pain and no issues using it not even swelling, I only took her to doc because I watched her twist a lid and saw she couldn't do it , he said it's probably not broken but go to a and e, a and e doc said oh def not broken then he saw the X-ray and it was .