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Pain in the wrist most often occurs after its overload or as a result of an injury, e.g. when it breaks or sprains. It can also appear due to inflammatory disease of the joints. Wrist pains are often accompanied by limited mobility, which interferes with everyday functioning. In some cases, permanent disability may develop without effective treatment.

The causes of wrist painare most often a strain or an injury. The wrist is made of many small joints, bones, tendons, nerves and muscles that form a delicate structure, therefore it is exposed to numerous overloads and damage, such as fractures and sprains. Then pain in the wrist may appear when bending, turning or pressing the hand. Additionally, it may be accompanied by pain in the thumb, and in more serious cases even in the forearm and elbow.

According to an expertbow. Karolina Stępień, specialist in orthopedics and traumatology of the musculoskeletal system at the Carolina Medical Center

Wrist pains can come from many sources and require different treatments. If the pain occurred after the injury, it does not decrease and is accompanied by other symptoms - large swelling, deformity, restriction of mobility, an orthopedic consultation in the emergency room is recommended. In such a case, postponing a medical visit may only worsen the prognosis for the recovery of the wrist function.

If pain occurs after overstraining, rest, cooling, and mild anti-inflammatory medication are great solutions to the problem in many cases. If, nevertheless, we do not get improvement, it is worth consulting an orthopedist.

Constant, long-lasting pain in the wrist, for no apparent reason, may be a symptom of a rheumatic disease or degenerative changes. The sooner the symptoms are consulted by a doctor, the greater the chance of noticing changes at the initial stage and stopping the progression of the disease, and thus maintaining the efficiency of the wrist.

Wrist pain - contusion

A strong hit on a hard object or a fall on the wrist in many cases only ends in a minor bruise. There is no fracture or dislocation, but the injured tissues react with pain and swelling, and there may even be bruising.

Symptoms resolve in most casesspontaneously within a few days or after using cooling or mild over-the-counter painkillers.

If the pain is severe, persists, lasts more than a few days, is accompanied by other symptoms, e.g. limited wrist mobility, it may be something more serious and you should consult an orthopedist.

Wrist pain - fracture

In the wrist area, fractures most often occur in two places. After a fall in this area, young people often experience fractures of the most important wrist bone - the scaphoid bone.

Due to its structure, the diagnosis of fractures is very difficult, these fractures are sometimes overlooked, and the lack of proper treatment may result in chronic wrist pain. In the elderly, especially women with osteoporosis, the distal end of the radius is fractured more often.

If the bone quality is very poor, even a minor trauma can cause a serious fracture with visible deformation. Fractures of all the other bones that make up the wrist are possible, but injuries to the two are by far the most common and serious - relatively often requiring surgical intervention.

If after a fall on the wrist there is severe pain, severe swelling, limited movement, and the wrist is deformed, you should immediately go to the orthopedic emergency room.

Wrist pain - sprain

Wrist dislocations, i.e. loss of contact between the articular surfaces, incorrect bone shifting in relation to each other, occur much less frequently than wrist fractures.

The symptoms of a dislocation are similar to those of a fracture and should be consulted urgently in the emergency room. They usually require an urgent attitude, often also surgical treatment.

Wrist pain - damage to the triangular cartilage complex

Triangular cartilage is a shock absorber located in the center of the wrist on its elbow side. Responsible for the wrist twisting movements. This structure may be damaged as a result of a strong twisting of the joint under load - for example, carrying a heavy object, maneuvering it - and also after falling onto this area.

Pain may appear immediately after the injury, but it is often minor at first and only gets worse over time, prompting patients to consult an orthopedic doctor. Patients with damaged triangular cartilage suffer from pain mainly during movements such as pressing the door handle or unscrewing the jar. In the event of such damage, surgical treatment may be necessary, more and more often performed using arthroscopic methods.

Wrist pain - pseudo-joint of the scaphoid bone

Long-lasting (several weeks, months) pain in the wrist after an injury may indicate the formation of a pseudo-joint within the scaphoid bone. If an injury breaks this bone and it is overlooked, it is very rare for it to heal without plaster or surgery.

If the trauma Patient ignores the symptoms or is consulted but does not follow the recommendations, he must take into account the possibility of a false joint of this bone. As time passes from the injury, treatment of a fracture of this bone, and after a few weeks of the resulting pseudo-joint fracture, is difficult and basically always surgical.

Wrist pain - extensor tendon sheath inflammation of the wrist and fingers

Pain in the wrist, which occurred after overloading it with work, performing repetitive movements of the wrist, may indicate inflammation of the tendon sheaths on the back of the wrist. They become irritated, apart from pain, there may also be swelling, redness or limitation of the range of motion.

Conservative treatment is usually effective - cooling, anti-inflammatory drugs, sometimes it may be necessary to use an orthosis or a plaster cast.

Wrist pain - de Quervain syndrome

Pain in the wrist on the side of the thumb that makes it difficult to move the thumb may be a symptom of de Quervain's syndrome. This is a situation in which the sheath for the two main tendons controlling the thumb movements becomes narrow, which makes their movement very painful and makes it difficult for the Patient to function.

It happens after overload with work, often also in rheumatic diseases. Requires orthopedic consultation and implementation of appropriate treatment - anti-inflammatory drugs administered orally or by injection, in some cases surgery is required.

Wrist pain - rheumatic diseases

In the case of systemic rheumatic diseases - those in which the body inappropriately attacks its own tissues (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, etc.), the wrists are affected relatively often.

Then the pain increases with relapses (exacerbations) of the disease. Successful treatment in such cases requires the reduction of inflammation throughout the body. The patient should remain under the constant care of the rheumatology clinic.

Wrist pain - degenerative changes

Degenerative changes, increasing with age as a result of "wear" of the articular surfaces, may affect the wrists in the same way as any other joints in the human body. Compared to the knee or hip, it is much less commonmake themselves felt, but should be suspected if there is pain in the wrist.

Diagnostics is needed to determine the advancement of the changes, because treatment depends on it.

  • Wrist - structure, functions, diseases
  • Wrist Injury: Symptoms and Treatment
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome: symptoms, treatment and rehabilitation
  • Unrecognized wrist bone fractures may lead to pseudo-joint formation

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Spine, bones, joints