Why Does My Wrist Hurt?

Wrist pain is typically triggered by sprains or fractures from abrupt injuries. But wrist pain can likewise arise from long-lasting issues, such as repeated stress, arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Because numerous elements can result in wrist pain, detecting the exact cause can be hard, but a precise medical diagnosis is essential for correct treatment and recovery.

Wrist pain might vary, depending on the cause. For instance, osteoarthritis pain is typically described as resembling a dull toothache, while carpal tunnel syndrome normally causes a pins-and-needles feeling or a tingling experience, specifically during the night. The exact location of your wrist pain likewise offers ideas to what’s behind your symptoms.

Not all wrist pain requires medical care. Minor sprains and strains normally react to ice, rest and non-prescription pain medications. However if pain and swelling last longer than a couple of days or become worse, see your doctor. Postponed diagnosis and treatment can lead to poor healing, decreased variety of movement and long-term impairment.

Damage to any of the parts of your wrist can cause pain and impact your ability to use your wrist and hand.

Sudden Impact

Wrist injuries often occur when you fall forward onto your outstretched hand. This can cause sprains, strains and even fractures. A scaphoid fracture includes a bone on the thumb side of the wrist. This kind of fracture may not show up on X-rays right away after the injury.

Repetitive Stress

Any activity that involves repeated wrist motion — from hitting a tennis ball or bowing a cello to driving cross-country– can inflame the tissues around joints or cause stress fractures, particularly when you carry out the motion for hours on end without a break. De Quervain’s disease is a recurring stress injury that causes pain at the base of the thumb.

Osteoarthritis

In some cases called degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic condition of the joints, impacting roughly 27 million Americans. OA can impact any joint, however it takes place most often in knees, hips, lower back and neck, little joints of the fingers and the bases of the thumb and huge toe.

In normal joints, a firm, rubbery material called cartilage covers completion of each bone. Cartilage provides a smooth, gliding surface for joint motion and acts as a cushion in between the bones. In OA, the cartilage breaks down, triggering pain, swelling and issues moving the joint. As OA intensifies with time, bones might break down and develop developments called spurs. Osteoarthritis in the wrist is unusual and usually occurs just in people who have hurt that wrist in the past.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

A disorder in which the body’s immune system assaults its own tissues, rheumatoid arthritis typically includes the wrist. If one wrist is impacted, the other one usually is, too. The particular underlying reason for RA including the event that sets off the body immune system to malfunction is unidentified. When the disease takes place, it starts with an inflammatory action inside the joint caused by the attacking immune cells. This inflammation leads to swelling and pain, specifically when the joint is used. Ultimately, the tissues inside the joint begin to thicken, developing increased friction inside the joint that worsens inflammation and painful symptoms.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome establishes when there’s increased pressure on the mean nerve as it travels through the carpal tunnel, a passageway in the palm side of your wrist. It’s triggered by pressure on your mean nerve, which runs the length of the arm, goes through a passage in the wrist called the carpal tunnel, and ends in the hand. The average controls the movement and feeling of your thumb, and also the movement of all your fingers except your pinky.

Ganglion Cysts

Ganglion cysts are the most typical mass or lump in the hand. They are not cancerous and, in most cases, are safe. They happen in various areas, however most often establish on the back of the wrist.

These fluid-filled cysts can rapidly appear, disappear, and change size. Many ganglion cysts do not require treatment. However, if the cyst is painful, interferes with function, or has an undesirable look, there are numerous treatment options available.

These soft tissue cysts occur most often on the part of your wrist opposite your palm. Ganglion cysts may be painful, and pain may either get worse or enhance with activity.

Kienbock’s Disease

Kienböck’s disease is a condition where the blood supply to among the small bones in the wrist, the lunate, is interrupted. Bone is living tissue that needs a regular supply of blood for nutrition. If the blood supply to a bone stops, the bone can pass away. This is called osteonecrosis. Damage to the lunate causes a painful, stiff wrist and, in time, can lead to arthritis.