Hand pain or wrist pain are becoming common day by day in the focussed work environment of computers, usage of smartphones and other physical works involving over usage of hands. But how will one know that the pain is caused by an injury or due to any other common diseases?
Symptoms of the Wrist Pain?
Your wrist pain may usually vary and it all depends upon the cause. For example, carpal tunnel syndrome has a tingling sensation and when it comes to osteoarthritis pain it is often like a dull toothache. The exact location of the pain in the wrist will be able to provide you the clue to what’s behind the symptoms of the pain.
But not all wrist pain needs medical care. There would be strains and sprains that are minor in nature that could be healed with the over the counter medications. But if you have pain and swelling that lasts longer than a few days and that is becoming worse day by day, you need to see your doctor. If you delay the diagnosis and treatment, it can lead to poor healing and long term disability.
Causes Of Wrist Pain
Wrist pain can be a result of some underlying conditions or injury that affect any aspect of your wrist joints, including the bones, ligaments, tendons and other connective tissue surrounding the joint. Other Causes
- Bacterial Infections
- Inflammation of the tendons
- Bone Tumors
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Dermatitis
- Soft Tissue Tumors called Sarcoma
Treatment for Hand & Wrist Pain
Treatments for wrist & hand problems vary from person to person based on the type, location and severity of the problem which even includes your age and overall health.
Medications:
Over-the-counter(OTC) pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen might be suggested to help you relieve from pain.
Therapies:
A physical therapist can help you by suggesting some exercises for wrist injuries and tendon problems. If you have had undergone any wrist surgery, a physical therapist can help to recover faster after the operation.
If your wrist bone is broken then the pieces need to be aligned for proper healing of the bone. A cast or splint provides support to hold the bone fragments together during healing.
If you suffer from any sprain to your wrist, a splint can protect the injured tendon or ligament when it heals. Splints especially helpful with injuries due to overuse or by repetitive motions.
Surgery
In some cases, surgery is necessary to treat the problem:
- Bone fractures: In some cases of fractures, surgery is required to stabilize bone fractures. Some times bone fragments are connected with metal hardware.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome: If the condition of the symptoms are severe then the ligament needs to cut open to relieve the pressure on the nerve.
- Tendon or ligament repair. Sometimes damaged tendons or ligaments are repaired surgically.