What Makes Your Wrists Hurt? 7 Medical Causes

The wrist may be only a small part of your musculoskeletal system, but it’s one of the most complex and delicate structures in the human body. The wrist anatomy consists of several joints, eight bones, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and blood vessels all crammed in a very narrow area. 

 

That’s why diagnosing wrist pain can be quite tricky. This is not to say that it is not necessary, as we use our wrists a lot - from grabbing and holding onto objects to complex movements like writing and typing. Therefore, wrist pain can be quite debilitating and certainly interferes with one’s daily life. 

 

We review several major causes of wrist pain in this informative guide. 

 

The Symptoms of Wrist Pain

Researchers suggest that around 10% of all people suffer from wrist pain. Depending on the underlying cause, the type of wrist pain one can experience varies from tightness and lack of mobility to sharp pain: Sharp and sudden pain in the hand 

Difficulty moving the wrist or gripping objects 

Swollen wrist or fingers 

Redness or warmth around the wrist 

Numbness or a pins and needles sensation in the hand 

Symptoms that get worse at night. 

 

Read on to learn about the common medical causes of wrist pain. 

 

1. Arthritis

Arthritis refers to joint inflammation that leads to swelling, stiffness, and pain. It's a very widespread issue, and contrary to popular belief, arthritis can affect adults of any age. There are many types of arthritis, but three particular forms known to affect the wrists are: 

 

Rheumatoid arthritis - an autoimmune disease that damages and wears down the joints, typically in both wrists. Painful swelling and reduced mobility are common symptoms. 

 

Gout - a form of arthritis where sharp uric acid crystals build up in joints and cause pain and swelling. 

 

Osteoarthritis - the degenerative type of arthritis associated with wear and tear and advanced age. When the cartilage that surrounds the joints degrades, bones rub against each other, leading to pain and swelling. 

 

Depending on the form of arthritis, causes and treatments vary tremendously. Read more in-depth information about these and other forms of arthritis here - This Guide Will Teach to Identify 8 Types of Arthritis. 

 

2. Carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is an extremely painful disease that affects 5% of the population. Anyone, particularly office workers, artists, and manual laborers can be affected by the condition. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve (the nerve connecting the wrist and the palm) is compressed as a result of friction or inflammation. Symptoms can develop in one or both wrists and tend to get worse at night. One can experience pain, weakness, numbness, or a pins and needles sensation in the palms and fingers (except for the pinkie). 

 

Mild cases of carpal tunnel syndrome are treated by wearing a wrist brace, applying hot or cold compresses, and taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications (e.g. ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or naproxen) to reduce the pain. More serious cases may require steroid medication or even injury.

3. Ganglion cysts

If the wrist pain you’re experiencing is accompanied by an apparent bump on your wrist, a ganglion cyst could be to blame. Ganglion cysts are benign lumps filled with fluid. These cysts typically appear on the back of the wrist or hand, and they can either be painless or quite bothersome. The cause of these cysts is unknown, but the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons points out that they appear more often in individuals aged 15-40, women, and gymnasts. 

 

Ganglion cysts can sometimes go away on their own, so your doctor may instruct you to wait and observe. Wearing a splint, draining the ganglion cyst, or surgically removing it may also be instructed by a doctor. 

 

4. Carpal boss

A bump on the back of your hand or wrist that’s accompanied by wrist pain may also be a sign of a carpal boss. Also known as a carpometacarpal boss, this is a bony lump that forms where your finger bones meet the bones of the forearm. Unlike a ganglion cyst that’s mobile and somewhat squishy, carpal bosses are firm and immobile bumps. 

 

The causes of a carpal boss are yet to be discovered. It usually occurs in younger adults - between 20 and 40 years of age - according to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Apart from at-home treatments like wearing a splint and taking over-the-counter pain relievers, your doctor may recommend steroid injections into the boss or even surgery if the condition is extremely bothersome.

5. Wrist injuries

A wrist injury is one of the most widespread causes of wrist pain. Protective yourself with your hands as you fall is a common way to injure this area of the body. Swelling, bruises, or disfigured joints in the area are all known symptoms of injury. But remember that an injury can occur even if pain following the fall is the only symptom; this is because nerves and other soft tissues can become injured too. 

 

Sprains are a common ligament injury of the wrist. When a ligament is overly stretched or partially torn, you will experience pain while moving the wrist, as well as swelling, bruising, or tingling. Wearing a splint, keeping your wrist elevated, resting, cold compresses, and taking NSAIDs to relieve pain can all help heal the sprain faster. 

 

That being said, we highly recommend that you see a doctor and get an X-ray when you experience pain after a fall or any other potentially traumatic event to the wrists. As we already mentioned, the wrist is a very delicate area, and even seemingly-minor trauma could lead to fractures and other serious injuries. If the bones or ligaments don’t heal well, you may be left with chronic wrist pain. 

 

6. Wrist tendonitis

Inflammation of the tendons, also known as tendonitis, is another extremely common cause of wrist pain. In the wrist area, tendons connect the muscles of the forearms with the hand and finger bones. It is these tendons that allow the hands to flex and extend. When any of these tendons become inflamed, the result is tendonitis. 

The symptoms of tendonitis are: 

Morning stiffness 

Dull pain 

Grinding sensation when moving the wrist 

In some cases, minor warmth or swelling. 

 

Tendonitis usually occurs with overuse of the wrists. This can happen with repetitive wrist movements (like typing, writing, playing golf, or tennis) or as a result of injury. At-home care of tendonitis is similar to other conditions that cause wrist pain: rest, immobilization with a splint, icing, hand exercises, and taking NSAIDs. 

 

When these home treatments are not effective, a professional may advise you to get steroid injections directly into the wrist or, in rare cases, surgery.

 

7. Cubital tunnel syndrome  

So you’ve heard about carpal tunnel syndrome already, but what is this cubital tunnel syndrome? Also known as ulnar neuropathy, this condition occurs when the ulnar nerve that goes through your arm gets pinched at the bend right behind the elbow. Sufferers describe the pain they experience when the ulnar nerve is compressed as “being hit in the funny bone,” but the pain may also extend downward and cause pain, numbness, and tingling in the wrist or even the ring and pinky fingers. Wrist Pain Causes Cubital tunnel syndrome

There are many causes of cubital tunnel syndrome, but the treatment is mainly symptomatic: rest, immobilization with a splint, icing, hand exercises, and NSAIDs. Those suffering from cubital tunnel syndrome are advised against leaning on the affected elbow, as this may increase the pain. Padding the elbow with a soft cushion may also be helpful. Depending on the severity of the condition, symptoms may go away quickly. But in some cases, they never fully resolve on their own, and surgery is required. 

 

There are several less common causes of wrist pain too. Here are just a few: 

 

De Quervain’s tenosynovitis - a painful condition caused by inflammation in the tendons surrounding the thumb. 

 

Kienbock's disease - an illness that affects young adults and triggers the destruction of one small bone in the wrist. 

 

Benign or cancerous tumors in the wrist. 

 

Wrist bursitis - the inflammation of the liquid-filled sacs that protect the joints. 

 

Systemic lupus erythematosus - a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect the joints. 

 

Minor wrist pain can go away on its own, but you consult your physician if you’re experiencing signs of an infection (fever, warmth, redness), injury (swelling, bruising, deformity, and inability to move the joint), neuropathy (tingling, numbness, sharp pain) or you become gradually less and less capable of using the wrist to carry objects and completing everyday tasks. 

 

In some cases, wrist pain can be a medical emergency. If you have a high fever, your wrist feels warm to the touch, and looks red, seek emergency medical help immediately. This could be a sign of septic arthritis, which is a quickly-developing infection that requires hospital care. Extreme pain and a bluish color to your hand or fingers are also symptoms that require emergency care. 

 

As you can see, quite a wide range of medical conditions can potentially cause wrist pain. Your doctor will be able to arrive at a specific diagnosis with the help of imaging and a variety of medical tests. Take care!

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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13 Essential Medical Terms You Will See Everywhere

Have you ever listened to a doctor, read a medical article, or even a prescription and thought to yourself, “What do all of those Latin phrases and abbreviations mean?” I know I have for years, and this curiosity really encouraged me to research some of those confusing terms and shortenings once and for all and finally gain a deeper understanding of my own health. We guarantee that you, too, will learn some useful medical lingo from this article, and maybe even bookmark it for future reference.

1. In vitro/ in vivo  

These terms are most commonly used to denote two different kinds of studies, but they can also be used to describe a procedure, e.g. in-vitro fertilization. The phrase in vitro can be translated as “in glass” from Latin, and it refers to a procedure or study in a petri dish, which is an experiment performed outside of a living organism. 

 

In vitro studies often aim to examine the effect and safety of potential medications on human or animal cells in a controlled environment, i.e. the petri dish, usually before being replicated on live subjects. In vivo means “within the living” in Latin, and it refers to a study or procedure conducted on a live subject, be it a plant, lab animal, or human. In vivo studies are considered more credible and are necessary to access the full effect of a potential treatment, for example, on a live organism. 

 

2. Noninvasive/ invasive 

 

When something, like a treatment, for example, involves entering the human body with instruments, this treatment is said to be invasive. A classic example of invasive treatment is surgery, but even an injection is considered invasive. 

 

Noninvasive, on the other hand, means that the treatment doesn’t require entering the body with tools, and this treatment route is considered simpler. Extra tip: another way to say that a treatment is simple and noninvasive is to state that it’s conservative. 

 

3. Acute/ chronic  

Acute illnesses are such that begin suddenly but usually last for a short time, i.e. usually up to a few weeks. For instance, one of the most serious concerns in Covid-19 patients is the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a sudden respiratory failure caused by widespread inflammation in the lungs. 

 

Chronic conditions, on the other hand, develop slowly - from months to years - and tend to get worse over time. Rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory condition that develops over years or even decades, is a classic example of a chronic condition.

 

4. Abbreviations referring to cardiovascular health  

 

BP is short for blood pressure. BP is always shown in the form of a fraction, e.g. 120/80 mm Hg. In this fraction, the systolic BP is the top number, and the diastolic BP is the one on the bottom. 

 

HR stands for heart rate, and it is measured in beats per minute (or bpm). For example, the normal HR is between 60-100 bpm. 

 

The two common shortenings for cholesterol measurements are HDL-C and LDL-C. The former refers to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol or HDL cholesterol, which is often called “good” cholesterol. LDL-C, on the other hand, is the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which is also often mentioned as “bad” cholesterol. 

 

Also here are common shortenings of some heart conditions: 

 

CHD—coronary heart disease 

 

CHF—congestive heart failure  

 

CAD—coronary artery disease. 

 

 5. Benign/ malignant  

In medicine, the distinction between benign and malignant is most often used to describe a tumor. The National Cancer Institute defines a tumor as “an abnormal mass of tissue that results when cells divide more than they should or do not die when they should.” Tumors are more common than we think, and only some of them are harmful. In fact, every mole on your body is considered a tumor. 

 

To be able to distinguish these dangerous tumors from harmless ones, the terms benign and malignant are used. Benign tumors are not cancerous, and they don’t develop at all or grow very slowly. Malignant tumors, on the other hand, are cancerous. These tumors grow fast and can even spread to other parts of the body, which is why they are considered dangerous. 

 

There is also a third type - premalignant tumors - which are those that are not dangerous yet but have the potential to become cancerous. 

 

6. Abbreviations on prescriptions 

While reading a prescription, you may have come across a shortening that starts with  

q-. This is the abbreviation of the Latin word quaque that means “each or every.” 

Here’s what each specific abbreviation means: qd—every day 

 

qh—every hour  

 

q2h, q6h, … etc, —every 2 hours, every 6 hours, … 

 

qid—four times a day  

 

qhs—every night at bedtime.  

 

There are also a few abbreviations that don’t involve quaque, such as these: 

 

 tid—three times a day, from the Latin “ter in die” meaning literally “three times a day”. 

 

bid—twice a day, from the Latin “bis in die.”

 

od—once a day, from the Latin “omne in die.” 

 

A prescription will also usually tell you how to take the medicine. And for this, there are separate abbreviations, here are a few: 

 

po—by mouth  

 

ac—before meals 

 

pc—after meals 

 

prn—as needed, whenever necessary.

 

7. Idiopathic 

Unfortunately, medical science hasn’t yet been able to categorize every health condition out there, and sometimes, the cause of a specific set of symptoms is unknown or cannot be determined. When this is the case, the condition is said to be idiopathic, or “relating to or denoting any disease or condition which arises spontaneously or for which the cause is unknown” according to the Oxford dictionary. 

 

The term stems from the Greek idios "one's own" and pathos "suffering," which can be approximately translated as “a disease of its own kind.” 

 

8. Etiology 

The etiology of a certain health condition is a fancy word for its cause. One could say, for example, that the etiology of an idiopathic condition is unknown. The term is derived from the Greek word aitiología, which means "giving a reason for something."  

 

9. Abbreviations for ways to administer a drug

There are many ways a medication can end up in your body, and each of these has its own abbreviation. You may be already familiar with the IV - or the intravenous route - as it’s the common term, but here are a few other shortenings: 

 

PO—by the mouth. 

 

SL—sublingual, medication given under the tongue. 

 

IM—intramuscular, when medication is administered directly into a muscle, like a vaccine shot. 

 

INH—inhaled, like an asthma inhaler. 

 

PR—rectally. 

 

ID—intradermal, medication given under the dermis (top layer of the skin).​ 

 

10. Abatement  

You’ve likely heard of the term remission, which stands for the disappearance of the symptoms of a disease. But what is abatement? It’s similar, but not quite the same. Abatement refers to the reduction in the severity of symptoms. For example, allergy vaccines usually lead to abatement but not the full disappearance of the allergy.

11. Miscellaneous abbreviations 

Here are a few more useful abbreviations you could encounter in your medical history, and what they mean: 

 

FUO—fever of undetermined origin 

 

FH—family history  

 

Fx—fracture

 

 V/S—vital signs 

 

NKA—no known allergies 

 

WNL—within normal limits. 

 

12. Topical

Topical (or local) treatment or medication is such that is applied to a particular area of the body as opposed to the entire body. Most often, this refers to a medication in a cream or ointment form that is intended to be used on the surface of the skin or mucous membranes. For example, if you have an insect bite, you can apply Panthenol creme topically (or locally). 

 

13. Syndrome  

The term syndrome is often confused with either symptom or disease, but it’s neither of those things. While diseases or disorders both have a definite and identifiable medical cause, a syndrome is a collection of signs and symptoms that might not always have a definite cause. For example, the common cold is a disease that is most commonly caused by rhinoviruses, so it wouldn’t be correct to call the common cold a syndrome. 

 

Carpal tunnel, on the other hand, is called a syndrome because it happens as a result of the compression of the median nerve in the wrist, but it can be caused a few different things, including fractures, fluid retention, diabetes, and even high blood pressure.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement