Wrist Pain - Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Comprehensive Guide to Wrist Pain: Diagnosis and Management

Wrist pain is any pain or discomfort that occurs in your wrist area, it is a common symptom and can be result of health conditions or injury that affects your wrist. Mostly it occur due to sprains or fractures from injuries, In is treatable and can go away with simple home treatment. Because there are so many reason for wrist pain, it is hard to diagnose an exact cause. But accurate cause is important for proper diagnose of the disease or pain.  

What is Wrist Pain?

Wrist pain is any kind of discomfort or pain in your wrist joint. Your wrist joint is a complex structure made of:

• Muscles.
• Bones
• Tendons.
• Blood vessels.
• Ligaments. 
   

However, wrist pain can be cause of any injury or medical condition that affects your wrist area, most of the time the wrist pain is mild and can go away with time, with the help of home treatment and some rest. Visit a doctor if you feel the pain is too strong and  doesn’t go away in few days.

Wrist Pain Location

Your wrist has two sides, and according to which side your wrist is on, your doctor will provide you with the treatment.

1. Ulnar wrist pain:  The ulnar wrist pain occurs on the same side as your ulna. It is one of the bones in your forearm and located on the wrist at the same side as your pinkie finger.
2. Radial wrist pain: The radial wrist pain occurs on the same side as your radius, it is one of the bone in your forearm and located on the wrist at the same side as your thumb is.  

Your healthcare provider will diagnose and suggest a better treatment for the wrist pain, no matter what side of the wrist is paining.

Health Conditions Causing Wrist Pain

Health conditions can also be one of the reasons for wrist pain. However, this type of wrist pain can increase over time, and some of the most common conditions for wrist pain include:

• Wrist arthritis: In wrist arthritis, inflammation happens to the wrist joint, which further result in swelling, wrist pain and stiffness. 
• Carpal tunnel syndrome: Carpal tunnel syndrome is developed when pressure increases on the median nerve. 
• Bursitis: In bursitis painful swelling occur around your joints, however it commonly occur in knees, elbows, shoulders and feet. 
• Wrist tendinitis:  It is a condition in which inflammation occurs in the tendons that connect the muscles in your forearm to the bone in your hand.
•  Ganglion cysts: In this condition the soft tissues cysts occur more often on the opposite side of the palm on the wrist. 
• Infections: It is a medical emergency, and signs of infection are redness and swelling. 
• Kienbock’s disease: It is a serious condition in which the blood supply to one of the small bones in the wrist area is interfered with, and if the blood supply stops, the bone or part of the bone can die.

Injuries that cause wrist pain

Wrist pain can be caused by any physical damage, and some of the most common injuries that may cause wrist pain include:

• Wrist sprains
• Bone fractures
• If a person falls
• Sport injury
• Never injuries or pinched nerves
• Overuse and repetitive strain injuries

Also Read: Knee Pain Symptoms And Causes

Symptoms of Wrist Pain

Wrist pain can vary according to the cause. For example, carpal tunnel disorder mainly feels like needles and pins are pinching in your skin and the tingling sensation in you fingers and tum at night can be a described symptom. Osteoarthritis pain usually described as pain similar to dull toothache.

Some of the symptoms of wrist pain are:

• Difficulty in making a fist or gripping objects. 
• Swollen fingers. 
• Warmth in wrist joint
• Swelling or redness around the wrist
• Swelling, pain or tingling that may get worse at night. 
• Sharp, sudden pain in the hand.

Some symptoms are serious and need to be diagnosed immediately. If you have red and warm wrists with high body temperature, you should call your doctor immediately, as these are serious signs of infection arthritis, which is a serious illness. 

Even when your wrist pain is getting worse and you are not able to do your daily work, it is the time you call your doctor, as it can be broken bone.

Treatment Options for Wrist Pain

Treatment for wrist pain depends totally on what is causing it. You may be able to get relief from wrist pain with at-home treatments or may need treatment suggested by your healthcare provider.

Here are some of the treatment options for wrist pain include:

• Icing: Applying a cold compress or an ice pack for 15 to 20 minutes a few times a week can help with wrist pain. Avoid applying ice directly on your skin; wrap it in a cloth or towel and apply it. 
• Rest: Taking a break from your work, sport, or hobbies that are causing wrist pain can give your wrist time for better healing. 
• Anti-inflammatory medication: You can go for over-the-counter medication like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs). It can help relieve wrist pain and reduce swelling. OR you can contact your health care provider for prescribed medication. 
• Physical therapy: Doing exercise to increase wrist strength and reduce pain can help. Go for a physical therapist for better instruction. 
• Ergonomic adjustments: You can try changing your wrist position during repetitive motions, which can reduce stress and wrist pain.
• Immobilization: You may need to wear a splint, brace, or cast to hold your wrist in the proper place and take off some pressure from the wrist as it heals. 
• Surgery: In some cases, people may need surgery to repair the nerve compression tendon, remove the growth or ligament tear, fix fractures or treat arthritis. Surgeries for the wrist can be arthroscopic or can be open.

Also Read: Symptoms of Back Pain

How to Diagnose Wrist Pain?

Your healthcare provider will perform some physical exam to diagnose the main reason for your wrist pain. However, your doctor may do the following test:

• Test the strength of your fingers and wrist. 
• Bend your wrist forward for 60 seconds to see if you feel tingling or numbness. 
• Tap over the area of the median nerve to check if the pain occurs. 
• Can ask you to get an X-ray of your wrist to check your joints and bones. 
• Ask you to take electromyography to get access to your nerves and muscles. 
• Recommend blood and urine tests to detect any underlying medical condition. 
• Recommend a nerve conduction velocity test to check if you have any nerve damage. 
• Request for a small fluid to be taken from your joints to check for calcium or crystals.

Conclusion

There can be many issues that can cause wrist pain, simply working on the computer too much or serious issues like arthritis or Kienbock’s disease, which need a doctor's attention. Some conditions can be treated with home treatment or with over-the-counter medication. But, if you are experiencing the pain more frequently and it seems to not go away with time, you need to consult your doctor immediately for a better diagnosis of the cause of wrist pain and the treatment that can ease the pain.