Driving a car, twisting a jar’s lid, writing a grocery list, scrolling through your phone, opening mail, washing your hands, eating a sandwich, holding a leash, folding laundry ... you use your wrist hundreds of times throughout the day for all sorts of tasks, big and small.
Most of us use our wrists so often that, unless they are in pain, we don’t realize how frequently we use those three wrist joints. Getting prompt medical care to treat wrist pain is critical for getting back to doing everyday tasks with ease.
Read on to learn more about different types of wrist pain and their causes, as well as when surgery is the best treatment option for a wrist injury.
Types of wrist injuries
Your wrist is a complex joint made of nerves, soft tissue, and eight bones, known as the carpus. Together, they give your wrist stability and control the movements of your hands.
Four different types of arthritis can cause pain in your wrist:
- Arthritis
- Stress injuries
- Sprains
- Bone fractures
Arthritis
There are four different types of arthritis that can cause pain in your wrist:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Post-traumatic arthritis
Learn more about the different types of arthritis
The amount of joint pain you feel in your wrists depends on the severity of your arthritis. When arthritis attacks the three joints in your wrist, it causes inflammation which can cause symptoms, such as:
- Swelling
- Weakness
- Redness
- Reduced or limited movement
- Stiffness
- Cracking and grinding noises when you bend your wrist
Stress injuries
You might suffer from a repetitive stress injury in your wrist as a result of repeating the same wrist motions over and over. Carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis are two types of repetitive stress injuries that you can get in your wrist. Signs you might have one of these conditions include:
- Numbness
- Pain
- Tingling
Sprains
Sprains happen when you overextend your wrist and cause ligament damage. It can happen after being hit in the wrist or fall on your wrist. It can also be caused when you put extreme pressure on your wrist joints or twist them. Some common symptoms of wrist sprains include:
- Pain
- Weakness
- Tenderness
- Reduced or limited movement
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Sensation of tearing or popping in your wrist
Sprains
Sprains happen when you overextend your wrist and cause ligament damage. It can happen after being hit in the wrist or fall on your wrist. It can also be caused when you put extreme pressure on your wrist joints or twist them. Some common symptoms of wrist sprains include:
- Pain
- Weakness
- Tenderness
- Reduced or limited movement
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Sensation of tearing or popping in your wrist
Bone fractures
Most of the time, broken wrists result from severe car accidents, sports injuries, and falls. Some typical signs that you have a broken bone in your wrist include:
- Pain
- Inability to grip properly
- Deformity
- Bruising
- Tenderness
- Swelling
It’s critical to see your doctor immediately if you think you might have a broken wrist to limit complications, like blood vessel damage that can affect circulation. Early treatment is essential to ensure that your wrist bones heal properly (and to limit pain and stiffness).
In some cases, wrist surgery (paired with undergo occupational or physical therapy) may be necessary to repair your wrist.
Learn more different types of joint surgery
When you should see a doctor about your wrist pain
If you’ve hurt your wrist and the pain is limiting your range of motion, consult an orthopedic specialist.
Doctors with expertise in treating wrist pain can help diagnose your condition and prepare a customized treatment plan to help you get back to normal.
Nonsurgical treatment and wrist surgery
Diagnosis of the severity of your wrist injury might include physical exam, tests, and X-rays. As a patient with wrist pain, your age and general health will be taken into consideration along with the type of injury you have.
In mild cases, it might only take some rest, medications, use of braces, and physical therapy to help you feel better. Some wrist conditions, such as those causing chronic wrist pain as well as more serious wrist injuries, may require surgical treatment.
Orthopedics in Cass County, Indiana
You don’t have to travel far to get the right care for your wrist. You can see an orthopedic expert close to home. The team at Logansport Memorial Hospital is here to help find a long-term solution for wrist pain so you can get back to doing the things you love.
Call (574) 722-2663 to make an appointment with one of our orthopedic surgeons to get treatment for your wrist injury or schedule an appointment online.
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