Wrist and Hand Pain -

Wrist and Hand Pain

Hand and wrist pain is also a common complaint that many people experience in their life. Wrist plays a major role in various actions such as typing, and writing. The wrist pain and hand pain can affect your daily activities and can also have an impact on your quality of life. In most cases, hand and wrist pain does not indicate any serious underlying problems. They get cured within a few days or a few weeks. It is often caused by injuries and sprains. In some cases, it can also be due to other long-term issues.

Proper diagnosis is required to determine the proper treatment as it can be caused by various reasons.

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Causes of Wrist Pain

Wrist pain can either develop suddenly or can be due to some reasons. It can also occur due to several reasons which can be either simple or any serious underlying problems. Misuse, overuse and injury to the wrist are the main causes of wrists pain.

There are many other causes that your doctor would determine as follows:

Wrist sprain: It stretches the wrist ligaments exceeding their normal limit and causes severe pain while moving the wrist.
Wrist tendonitis: It occurs when two or more tendons are inflamed. It causes mild pain and also causes swelling.
Carpel tunnel syndrome: It is caused by the malfunctioning of the nerves in the wrist. It causes wrist discomfort and it gets worse during the night.
Wrist fracture: A wrist fracture can occur either due to an injury, bone weakness, or a fall. It causes severe pain, swelling, and tenderness below the thumb.
Arthritis: Several types of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout affect the wrist joints.
Ganglion cyst: It is a fluid-filled capsule that occurs back of the hand or wrist which cause wrist pain and swelling.
Repetitive motion syndrome: It occurs due to repetitive tasks such as knitting, typing, and writing. By overworking the wrist, it can cause pain and swelling.
Ulnar neuropathy: It occurs when the ulnar nerve gets compressed. It causes wrist pain, along with numbness and tingling in the fingers.

To determine the right treatment for your wrist, it is vital to know the exact cause of your pain.

Symptoms of Wrist and Hand Pain

Based on the cause of wrist pain, the symptoms keep varying. Some people experience dull and mild pain, whereas some people experience serious pain. The extent of pain also varies based on the location of the pain.

The common symptoms include:

Stiffness in the fingers and wrist
Difficulty or discomfort while holding or grabbing things or objects
Sound while moving the wrist and can become worse after continuous rest
Wrist pain while resting or sleeping
Wrist and hand pain that exists for more than a few days
Difficulty to straighten or move the joint
Bruising and swelling around the wrist joint
Fever, redness and warmth

If you have any of the symptoms, visit a doctor to relieve your pain.

Diagnosis for Wrist Pain

To diagnose your hand or wrist pain, your doctor needs to know about your symptoms and the duration and extent of your pain. Your doctor will check your hand and wrist to evaluate their strength and mobility. To determine any inflammation, your doctor would suggest taking a blood test.

If the physical examination cannot give a clear idea, the doctor might conduct other imaging tests such as the following to get a clear picture of the problem with your hand and wrist:

X-ray
Ultrasound
CT scan
MRI scan

In rare cases, patients may need nerve conduction study to determine the working of the nerves.

Treatment for Wrist Pain

As wrist pain is caused by various reasons, the treatment for wrist pain is based on the cause of the pain. As a first step, your doctor will choose non-invasive treatments as follows to heal the condition:

Resting at home, using medications, and applying ice or heat packs to reduce swelling and inflammation
Use of a splint to protect the wrist from movements that causes irritation
Based on the type and extent of the pain, exercises can work well for you. You can perform certain exercises to improve strength. You should perform exercises as recommended by your doctor or physiotherapist.
Cortisone injections are helpful for reducing pain and inflammation
If the less invasive treatments do not work, your doctor would suggest surgery. The surgery is based on the cause of the pain.

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Dr Suhas Masilamani has been serving patients suffering from wrist and hand pain for 17 years in Hyderabad. He has gained fame for his quality and affordable services to his patients. His patients were able to return back to their daily routine after receiving treatment from him. He is just a call away and schedule your appointment to explain your condition.