Even though the wrist is a small part of your body, itsmobility is key to getting many day-to-day tasks and things done, such as twisting a doorknob, gardening, typing, clapping, and high-fivingwith someone.
Wrist pain or any discomfort in the wrist, whether from simple fatigue or an underlying issue, can interfere with your daily activities and even impact your quality of life.
Have wrist pain? Let’s take a look at some common signs and causes of wrist pain, how you can relieve your wrist pain, and where you can go for effective wrist pain management in Bismarck, ND.
Wrist Pain Causes
Because wrist pain and discomfort can result from numerous reasons and factors, finding the exact cause can be challenging. But an accurate diagnosis of the exact cause of the wrist pain is crucial to proper healing and treatment of the wrist pain.
Typically, wrist pain results from:
- Damage to any part of the wrist, such as bones, tendons, muscles, ligaments, and nerves, from sudden impact or repetitive stress injuries
- Arthritis, such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis
- Diseases and conditions affecting hands and wrist, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, ganglion cyst, and Kienbock disease.
Symptoms Accompanied by Wrist Pain
Depending on the cause, wrist pain may vary from dull aches or discomfort to intense and sharp pain.
The pain can also be accompanied by other symptoms, depending on the cause, such as:
- Numbness and tingling sensations in hand and wrist
- Numbness, tingling, and pain that gets worse at night
- Swelling and redness around the wrist
- Swollen fingers
- Sudden sharp pain in wrist and hand
- Warmth in the wrist joint
It’s in the best of your interest to evaluate wrist pain that worsens or interferes with your ability to perform your day-to-day tasks.
Ways to Relieve Wrist Pain
Like the symptoms, the treatment options to alleviate wrist pain and accompanying symptoms also depend on the cause of the wrist pain.
In order to alleviate wrist pain at home, you should:
- Give your hand and wrist enough rest
- Wear a wrist splint or brace
- Apply a hot or cold compress for 10 to 20 minutes at least three to four times a day.Hot compress is beneficial for chronic pain,while cold compress is beneficial for acute pain
- Take OTC oral or topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen
- Consider corticosteroid injections
- Do some at-home wrist pain-relieving exercises
- See a physical therapist
Generally, wrist pain gets better with home care;however, if your pain is getting worse and is not responding to home remedies, it’s a good idea to seek care from an orthopedic doctor that is specialized in the wrist. Depending on the cause of your wrist pain, an orthopedic doctor may recommend surgical or nonsurgical treatments to treat your pain once and for all.
Wrist Pain Relief in Bismarck, ND
At The Bone & Joint Center, we have a highly trained and experienced team of orthopedic doctors,Dr. Duncan Ackerman, Dr. Brock Norrie, and Dr. Troy Pierce, who are specialized in preventing, diagnosing,and treating injuries and conditions of the hand, wrist, and upper arm.
Before recommending surgical or nonsurgical treatment options, our orthopedic doctors will first do a thorough assessment to find out what is causing the pain and discomfort in your wrist.
Would like to have your wrist pain evaluated?Call us today at (701) 946-7400 / (866) 900-8650 or use our convenient online request form.
