5 Common Causes for Wrist and Hand Pain

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Many people commonly report symptoms of wrist or hand pain and discomfort. In today's world, injuries and conditions are being constantly diagnosed due to more individuals overexerting their joints through everyday activities that require constant use of the wrists and hands. Specific sports, gardening, and even texting and video gaming can lead to complications on the joints. The following 5 conditions are recognized as common causes for wrist and hand pain. 

Mallet Finger

Mallet finger is a condition which targets the extensor tendons housed within the back of the fingers, leading them to become permanently bent. The extensor tendon works by straightening the fingers but overuse, damage, or injury, can result in the tendon being unable to extend the last knuckle and cause the joint to remain bent. This condition commonly results after trauma from injury. Finger sprains, fractures, or chronic conditions, such as arthritis, are common causes for injury. If the individual is unable to straighten the fingers, it could suggest a possible mallet finger injury.

Trigger Finger

Trigger finger, also referred to as stenosing tenosynovitis, is a condition resulting when the tendon in the finger becomes irritated, inflamed, or scarred, which causes the tendon to thicken. This well-known condition can affect one or more fingers at once, and is identified by the triggering or snapping sensation a person describes who’s been affected by trigger finger. The natural function of the fingers is to open and close smoothly in order to grasp objects easily but with trigger finger, the fingers will have difficulty moving within the tendon sheath which will usually be accompanied by pain and clicking sounds.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition caused when the median nerve, located within the carpal tunnel of the wrist and surrounded by the other tendons in the hand, becomes compressed due to irritation, inflammation, and swelling. The median nerve functions by controlling nerve sensations and impulses from the palm area of the fingers and the thumb as well as to the muscles in the hand, providing feeling and movement. A pinched median nerve may then develop a variety of symptoms most commonly associated to the condition. The most common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include pain, numbness, a tingling sensation, and weakness on the hands, wrists, and forearms. Gripping object may also become difficult as the condition progresses.

Wrist Fracture

Wrist fractures are known to be among the most frequent broken bones experienced by individuals and usually seen in people under the age of 65. A broken wrist is characterized as damage or injury to the end of the radius bone or the ulna, both found in the forearm, resulting in a fracture. Sports involving constant and repetitive movements of the wrist joints may cause pressure that could lead to complications and possible bone fractures. Motor vehicle accidents are also frequent causes for wrist fractures. Diagnosing a wrist fracture may require multiple X-rays but various symptoms could suggest the presence of injury. Pain followed by swelling, bruising, tenderness, and deformity of the joint, such as a crooked or bent wrist, are the most notable symptoms of a wrist fracture.

Identifying a Wrist Fracture - Dralexjimenez.com

Wrist Tendonitis

Wrist tendonitis, also known as De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, is a condition caused when the synovium and tendons, found around the base of the thumb, become inflamed. The inflammation results from complications of the tendons which control the movement of the thumb and wrist. As with other types of tendonitis, De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is caused by overuse of the wrist. The most common symptoms of De Quervain’s tenosynovitis are tenderness and pain on the thumb side of the wrist, which may also radiate up the forearm. Wrist tendinitis may worsen when using the thumb to grasp an object or while twisting the wrist.

By Dr. Alex Jimenez