If you have found that wrist pain is affecting your ability to work, play a musical instrument or your favourite sport, hand therapy will be able to assist in reducing pain and regaining function of your wrist. More often than not, pain in the wrist is caused by traumatic injury, overuse or repetitive strain. If fracture and dislocation have been ruled out, we’ll ask a series of lifestyle questions to determine what may be causing your pain. Together, we will devise a treatment plan that not only addresses your current pain but prevents you from experiencing it in the future. But what are the common causes of wrist pain?
Common causes for wrist pain include: Ganglion Cysts, TFCC Injuries, Wrist Ligament Injuries, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Distal Radius Fractures, Kienbock’s Disease and De Quervain’s Syndrome.
Some causes of wrist pain include:
Ganglion Cysts
These are lumps sized anywhere between a pea and a peach stone that typically result from either an injury or repetitive and heavy joint use. These irritated fluid-filled lumps appear from the joint lining and are painless on their own, but can result in pain and discomfort as they grow and rub up against other ligaments, tendons, and bones in the wrist.
TFCC Injuries
TFCC injuries are the most common injuries to the wrist. The Triangular FibroCartilage Complex is a supportive complex that holds together all of the carpal bones to the ulna, so pain in your wrists are often associated with some form of injury to the TFCC. These injuries can result either from trauma or from firm repetitive use (such as with hand tools that require a lot of gripping and rotating at once).
Wrist Ligament Injuries
This typically refers to damage to the scapholunate ligament, which holds together the two large carpal bones between the thumb and the middle of the wrist. When this ligament is sprained or torn, it can cause pain and aching in the thumb and top of the wrist, along with weakness and a popping sensation during gripping and rotating actions.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome occurs when the median nerve is compressed between the main bones, ligaments, and/or tendons of the arm and wrist, causing numbness, pain, and tingling. This compression can happen thanks to sudden injuries that displace the nerve or because of highly repetitive motions that cause too much regular friction with the nerve.
Distal Radius Fractures
These fractures take place on the radius bone in the forearm, closest to the wrist. They are caused by a sudden traumatic force, such as a fall or an accident. These are more common than any other kind of arm fracture.
Kienbock’s Disease
Blood flow to the wrists is insufficient over long periods of time, causing damage to the nerves and bones in the wrist that cause pain and/or numbness.
De Quervain’s Syndrome
This involves swelling in the tendons within the thumb. This swelling can make simple rotation, gripping, and movement incredibly painful, and is often caused by repetitive motions.
I Have Wrist Pain – Should I See A Hand Therapist?
Learn more about how Hand Therapy can help to alleviate your wrist pain.
If you have been diagnosed with any of the conditions above or have injured your wrist or are experiencing wrist pain, don’t hesitate to contact Central Victorian Hand Therapy (Central Victorian Hand Therapy) to make an appointment for a consultation to assess and develop a treatment plan to manage your condition, reduce pain and to aid in your recovery.
