Chronic Wrist pain - Wrist, hand and finger injuries

Causes of wrist pain

Common causes of wrist pain include overuse and repetitive strain injuries, accidents or trauma, which have caused injury in the past, arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome (this occurs when the median nerve gets trapped as a result of inflammation in the wrist).

Symptoms of wrist pain

Symptoms will usually depend on the cause of the pain. Injuries and accidents usually cause acute pain, swelling and bruising at the time of the injury, which will often contribute to pain in the future. Carpal tunnel syndrome usually presents with swelling. Arthritis affects the range of movement in the joints and often leads to stiffness and a lack of flexibility.

Treating wrist pain

Treatment for wrist pain will depend on the nature of the cause of the pain; medical problems such as arthritis will be treated in a different way to injuries caused by trauma. In the case of an injury, the wrist will usually be treated with ice and medication to control pain and reduce swelling; the wrist will also be rested to allow it time to recover. In some cases, the wrist will be immobilised using a splint or plaster cast. Once the healing process has begun, physiotherapy will usually help to strengthen the damaged muscles and bones and condition the wrist to make it more resistant to injury in the future.

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