Wrist Pain

Wrist pain remains one of the most common complaints among people of all ages from different activities and conditions. At Hand Therapy Experts, we understand how much wrist pain impacts daily living. Whether your wrist pain has been due to hitting the gym, using a computer mouse for long hours, or carrying a baby, our hand physiotherapist is here to help you.

Causes of Wrist Pain

1. Gym Activities that Cause Wrist Pain

Gym activities, most of which are repetitive, push-ups, or weight lifting, may be very painful for the wrist. Those activities in the gym which most people are likely to experience pain in their wrists include the following.

Weight Lifting: Most heavy weights usually pose a problem to the wrist joint when one fails to observe proper form or support for the wrist.

High-Impact Exercises: These include things such as push-ups or burpees, which can further irritate the wrists in cases of pre-existing conditions such as Disorders of the Wrist. Repetitive Motions: This is usually accrued in instances of certain sports, which may involve repetitive movements and thus results in overuse injuries, including tennis and basketball. 2. Wrist Pain from Mouse Use Many people in this modern age experience pain in their wrist due to prolonged use of a computer mouse. This pain is more often than not related to:

2. Poor Ergonomics:

poor ergonomic alignment of the use of a mouse or even placing it can lead to strain on the wrist. Poor posture of the wrist will result in muscle and tendon tension and inflammation

4. Repetitive Strain Injury or RSI:

The repeated movements in the form of clicking and scrolling may lead to inflammation and hence pain after some time; this may result in conditions such as De Quervain’s tenosynovitis

3. Wrist Pain from Carrying a Baby

This problem of wrist pain among new mothers is because of the strain that a newborn baby can cause on the body of a mother. The lifting, carrying, and even feeding of the baby strains one’s wrist, which at times could cause a condition known as De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis.

Common Conditions Associated with Wrist Pain

Knowing the underlying conditions of your wrist pain means the proper treatment. Among the common conditions are:

1. De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis

De Quervain’s tenosynovitis refers to a painful condition affecting the tendons on the thumb side of your wrist. It commonly results from repetitive movements, including gripping, pinching, and lifting. Symptoms include:

• Pain near the base of the thumb, which may radiate up the forearm.
• Swelling or tenderness over the affected area.
• Difficulty with holding onto objects or executing activities requiring a range of motion involving the thumb.

2. Ulnar-Sided Wrist Pain

Ulnar-sided wrist pain describes pain on the side of the wrist where the little finger is located. A number of various etiologies can cause ulnar-sided wrist pain:

• Injury to the TFCC: The triangular fibrocartilage complex is a cushion between the bones of the wrist. Injuries here can present pain over the ulnar side of the wrist and generally occur due to trauma or repetitive loading.
• Ulnar Impaction Syndrome: If excessive length of the ulna bone exists, this may be impacted at the wrist joint to yield symptoms of pain.

3. Scapholunate Ligament Injury

The scapholunate ligament is one of the main ligaments that connects two bones in the wrist: the scaphoid and lunate. Injury to this ligament may cause significant pain and instability. Symptoms include:

• Pain on the back of the wrist, especially when attempting to move the wrist
• Swelling and tenderness within the wrist joint. A sensation of instability or clicking within the wrist.

Non-Surgical Effective Wrist Pain Treatment Options

At Hand Therapy Experts, treatments are often different depending on the nature of each case. Here are some of the effective treatment options for wrist pain:

1. Hand and Wrist Exercises

A tailored exercise program to achieve maximum strength, flexibility, and range of motion is a very important part of rehabilitation of the wrist. Our hand physiotherapist will guide you through:

• Strengthening Exercises: Progressive resistance training to rebuild strength in the wrist and surrounding muscles.
• Ergonomic Assessment: If wrist pain is linked to activities such as computer work, then an ergonomic assessment is vital. The therapists will assess your workplace and make suggestions on how best to set this up to reduce stress through your wrists in daily activities.
• Splinting and Support: Some injuries do best with individually designed splints that are used to keep the wrist in a fixed position to stabilise and protect the wrist as it heals. Our hand physiotherapist can create a personalised splint based on your specific needs and activities.

Preventing Wrist Pain

Treatment is essential, but it starts with prevention. Listed below are suggestions for preventing some of the most common sources of wrist pain from everyday activity:

• Gym Form: While working out, particularly when lifting weights, make sure there is proper alignment of the wrist. In cases where one will be lifting heavy weights, wrist straps may be used as well for additional support.
• Breaks When Using Mouse: Second again, incorporation of breaks helps to reduce the overall strain on the wrist. Besides, an ergonomic mouse should be used and try to maintain a neutral position of your wrist.
• Practise good posture when holding a baby: use supportive carriers or pillows that evenly distribute the weight with minimum strain on the wrists.
• Incorporate strengthening and stretching exercises for your wrists. This can be done regularly by performing simple stretches and strengthening exercises of the wrists to maintain flexibility and strength.

Wrist pain can have a huge impact on your daily activities, but really, the first step toward its effective treatment is understanding the causes and conditions that may lead to the pain. If you are experiencing wrist pain, call our hand therapy Sydney clinic today to schedule your hand therapy treatment.