Wrist pain

Depending on the intensity you can Wrist pain lead to a considerable impairment of the quality of life. A distinction can be made between chronic and acute causes.

What is wrist pain?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common causes of wrist pain. The pain is caused by pressure damage to the median nerve.

The wrist must have good mobility and high resilience. Accordingly, the joint consists of a complex structure that connects bones with the surrounding soft tissues. As a construct, the wrist can be divided into two joints.

The proximal wrist is formed by the bones of the forearm, while the distal wrist is attached to the wrist. Both joints may experience pain as a result of an injury or an anatomical change. Here, wrist pain can only occur for a short time and subside again after recovery.

In this case one speaks of an acute complaint. If wrist pain persists for a long time, it is a chronic complaint. The same applies if the pain occurs at regular intervals and is perceived as an annoying complaint in the long term.

causes

Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common causes. Wrist pain is caused by pressure damage to the median nerve. Pressure damage can in turn be traced back to a sports injury or to a rheumatic disease.

In addition, pain near the wrist can be caused by inflammation in the tendon sheath. Affected patients complain of strong, pulling pain. A broken wrist can also cause pain. Usually the spoke breaks only a few centimeters above the wrist. Osteoarthritis can rarely be used as the cause.

Finally, wrist pain can be triggered by gout (hyperuricemia). This leads to uric acid deposits in the area of ​​the wrist. The metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe and the metatarsophalangeal joint of the thumb are affected. As a result, the patient feels stabbing and pulling pain on the wrist. The same applies to pseudogout (chondrocalcinosis).

You can find your medication here

➔ Medicines for joint pain

Diseases with this symptom

• rheumatism
• Broken wrist
• arthritis
• Scaphoid fracture

• Sports injuries
• arthrosis
• Pseudogout
• ganglion

• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Tendinitis
• gout
• Lunate Malacia

Diagnosis & course

If wrist pain occurs at recurring intervals, a doctor should be consulted. This can be the family doctor or an orthopedic surgeon. The doctor begins with an anamnesis that includes the entire course of the disease and the physical condition of the patient.

The wrist is then examined for noticeable deformations, discoloration and swellings. Under certain circumstances, the doctor exerts a slight force to check the resilience of the wrist. In the next step, the range of motion is examined. The doctor can make an initial diagnosis by giving precise information about the location and intensity of the pain. An X-ray will be taken to confirm.

Anatomical changes and existing underlying diseases such as arthritis can thus be recognized at an early stage. This may be accompanied by computed tomography and a joint specimen. In this way a glimpse of the inside can be made. Finally, a neurological nerve test shows whether loss of sensitivity has occurred.

Complications

Untreated wrist pain can lead to a deterioration in health. The complaints become more frequent and more intense. In addition, the person concerned begins to act with care and avoidance. This can lead to tension in the professional and social environment.

Doing everyday work is difficult and requires support. For this, understanding and tolerance of fellow human beings are necessary. In addition, well-being can be reduced in such a way that the general mood changes and irritability sets in. Both can be perceived as sudden and unexpected by outsiders.

The exercise of sports activities can be restricted and at the same time trigger greater dissatisfaction. If the person concerned decides on treatment, he should be informed about further complications. The intake or use of medication can be associated with individual side effects or intolerance. A tingling sensation in the hand, weakness or sensory disturbances may occur.

Often the hand is immobilized for some time, cooled or the joint is brought into an elevated position. If the wrist pain is caused by gout, complications can occur that are life-threatening. Kidney failure is one of them. In the case of irreparable diseases, surgery and the associated side effects can occur. In the worst case, the joint is replaced by an artificial one.

When should you go to the doctor?

Wrist pain affects everyday life so much that the question of when a doctor should be consulted does not even arise. One only has to consider which doctor to go to. The family doctor is recommended as the first address here. He will assess the cause of wrist pain, including whether it is acute or chronic wrist pain.

Wrist pain that has existed for a long period of time, as well as pain that recurs regularly, is considered chronic wrist pain. After taking his anamnesis, the family doctor decides which specialist colleague to refer his patient to.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common cause of wrist pain. With these wrist complaints, the median nerve exerts pressure damage that causes pain. This wrist pain is often caused by mechanical overload of the wrist or a rheumatic disease.

Tendonitis is also notorious as a cause of wrist pain. Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, is rarely identified as the cause of wrist pain. Gout is another cause of wrist pain as well as a broken wrist, of course. Depending on the cause, different specialists can be considered for treating wrist pain: neurologist, orthopedist or internist.

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Treatment & Therapy

Wrist pain can now be treated well. First of all, it is important to protect the affected wrist. In addition, an anti-inflammatory ointment is used to relieve pain. In severe cases, a supportive bandage must be applied. This is particularly necessary if there is a fracture near the wrist.

In the case of an acute complaint, a pain reliever can also be taken. In contrast, in the case of a chronic illness, the triggering cause must first be treated. For example, a denervation operation is performed for osteoarthritis. Nerve fibers that cause pain are severed. In complicated cases, the implantation of a wrist prosthesis can also help. If the cause is bacterial inflammation, antibiotic therapy is initiated.

In addition, the attending physician prescribes an anti-inflammatory ointment so that effective pain relief can be guaranteed. Treatment can also be accompanied by physiotherapy. The aim of this is to increase the mobility and resilience of the wrist. In addition, a therapy is rounded off with homeopathic and herbal remedies. Supportive measures include acupuncture and osteopathy. Finally, wrist pain is also alleviated by consistently wearing a support bandage.

Outlook & forecast

Tendonitis is one of the uncomplicated courses of disease in wrist pain, which usually occurs as a result of one-sided stress, for example using the mouse and the computer keyboard. Relief and treatment with a pain ointment are often sufficient. If the symptoms recur, a doctor must be consulted who will use a differential diagnosis to determine the cause of the wrist pain, which is used to make the prognosis for the further course of the disease. If a surgical procedure is not necessary and treatment is carried out with medication, immobilization or physiotherapy, healing occurs within a few weeks and the symptoms do not recur.

Carpal tunnel syndrome can be associated with complications that negatively affect the prognosis. The chances of recovery depend on the time of treatment and the type of treatment. If the operation is successful, the pain usually disappears one day after the operation. A subsequent physiotherapy, which trains the sense of touch and sensation, has a positive effect on the prognosis. If, on the other hand, the carpal tunnel syndrome remains untreated for a long time, the healing process can take several months.

In individual cases, the nerve can be so badly damaged that healing is no longer possible. The sense of sensation and mobility are severely restricted in this case. Complications such as postoperative bleeding or infections rarely occur. If the operation is unsuccessful, for example because the ligament on the carpal tunnel was not completely cut, a new intervention is necessary, which prolongs the disease and healing process.

You can find your medication here

➔ Medicines for joint pain

prevention

Various methods have proven effective in the past in the field of prevention. The support bandage is assigned a high priority in sporting activities. This is particularly helpful when heavy objects have to be lifted. In addition, it is advisable to use a gel mouse pad when working on screen. Furthermore, attention should be paid to an optimal sitting posture.

Your forearms and upper arms should be at a 90-degree angle so that your forearms are straight on the tabletop. Finally, wrist cuffs provide a remedy when monotonous movements have to be exercised. In the case of monotonous work, it is also advisable to take regular breaks. For example, gardening should be done in several stages.

You can do that yourself

Wrist pain is often an overuse pain that is common in people who work long hours at the computer. The pain is usually caused by inflammation of the nerves as well as nerve and tendon injuries. To reduce the symptoms, the inflammation must first subside.

If the wrist is overworked, then immobilization is the first step. Cool pads are also suitable for easing inflammation. However, some people respond better to heat. Anti-inflammatory ointments often relieve the symptoms within a few hours. Nevertheless, those affected should not start working with the computer too early, otherwise the pain can become chronic. A wrist splint that is worn overnight has also proven itself. It keeps the joint still and speeds up the healing process. Usually the patient has to wear them for at least two months.

The second most common cause is the signs of wear and tear on the joints that appear with age. In this case, immobilization is less appropriate and the patient should keep his wrists flexible. Just five minutes a day can alleviate the consequences of osteoarthritis in the wrist. Circling the hand, making a fist and opening it again and bringing each finger individually to the thumb are exercises that are very suitable for maintaining mobility and reducing pain. However, heavy lifting is not advisable.