If you are worried about severe pain in your wrist, you won’t be able to put up with it for a long time. It is not for nothing that even the sayings reflect the significance of this body: in the absence of an important subject they say “without hands”. The wrist is, of course, not the whole arm, the term describes only its part connecting the forearms, metacarpals. It is formed by eight bones. Every day, the department is subjected to numerous loads, as it is the most mobile part of the arm. Statistics show that of all pain syndromes affecting the hands, it is in the wrist that discomfort is most often disturbed.
Where did the problem come from?
Only a doctor can understand exactly why the pain in the wrist joint appeared. The doctor interrogates the patient, establishes the features of the case, directs him to an X-ray and other studies, analyzes the information received and draws final conclusions. True, not every person has the opportunity to visit a specialist in a timely manner, and the pain syndrome is not so strong that it interferes with work, so the townsfolk are delayed with a trip to the clinic. However, there are times when a person himself can figure out why the arm was hurt and what to do about it.
Most often, pain in the right wrist or left is provoked by the resulting injury (sprain, fracture). Dislocations are frequent, especially if work or other tasks solved in everyday life are associated with increased stress on the hands. The level of damage varies quite a lot. Such cases are known when the fractures did not manifest themselves pain at all, but took place on their own, without external help and the application of a plaster cast. There is another option for the development of events, when for a long time the unpleasant sensations are disturbed by a simple, it would seem, bruise, received by accident.
How to recognize?
If pain in the wrist is provoked by trauma, this is usually accompanied by swelling of the limb, stiffness of movements. If you start a case, do not start treatment or choose the wrong therapy, there is a risk of loss of arm mobility. However, such serious cases are not very common, much more typical, as is seen from medical practice, sprain. If the injury is mild, then the damaged area does not swell and does not swell, you can move your hand, but discomfort appears at the time of flexion, extension of the organ. The middle level is a break in the ligaments. It can be seen by extensive hematoma, swelling, swelling of the affected limb. There is pain, even if you do not disturb the hand. As a rule, the body loses mobility.
If you are worried about very severe pain in your wrist, the cause may be a severe stretch. A detailed examination shows a complete rupture of tissues, the joint loses its integrity. This is accompanied by swelling of the limb, acute pain, complete loss of mobility of the diseased organ.
Carpal syndrome
Often, possible causes of pain in the wrist are of interest to people who are forced to type on a computer keyboard for a long time. The features of the movements are such that the tendons quickly wear out, the nerve roots become inflamed, this affects the performance of the ligament apparatus. Most often, pain occurs in the right hand, but can disturb both limbs. Left-handed people usually have a sore left arm, as the load on it is greater.
It is possible to assume that carpal syndrome is the cause of pain in the wrist; if the palm is numb, muscle weakness is felt when trying to grasp the object with the hand. The pain is localized in the wrist. There are many cases when this form was observed against the background of vertebral damage. The risk group includes those suffering from vertebral hernias, osteochondrosis.
Sore joints - that is still a mess!
A feature of the wrist is a very extensive network of blood vessels, an abundance of small elements. All this makes the area extremely vulnerable. Statistics prove that arthritis, arthrosis, which is a common cause of pain in the wrists, is more common in those who are forced to work in the cold, in cold water. Risk group - agricultural workers, builders and employees of similar fields of activity.
The essence of arthritis is inflammation of small joints. This provokes swelling, the skin on the damaged area turns red. If pain in the right wrist or left is accompanied by just such a symptom, it makes sense to assume that the cause is arthritis. The sensations are sharp and unpleasant, sharp, resonate in the palm of the hand, elbow, are activated by movement. Arthrosis is another joint disease that provokes severe pain. Systemic pathology leads to a violation of the shape and functionality of the articular site. The patient cannot normally move the affected limb, flexibility is lost.
Pathological process in the tendons
The cause of pain in the right wrist or left can be hidden in a variety of pathologies that affect the tendons. Such diseases develop gradually, smoothly. At first, slight discomfort in the affected area is disturbing, mild pain gradually appears, over time, the syndrome intensifies. If the situation develops according to this scenario, it is necessary to get an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible - damage to the tendons threatens an irreversible loss of limb mobility. A variety of pathologies can provoke improper work and degenerative changes in this tissue.
Often the pain in the right wrist, the left bothers with tendovaginitis. Such a disease is diagnosed if the syndrome occurs when a person flexes his thumbs. It is in the tendons responsible for this process that the disease is localized. Another common disease is tendonitis. The term describes the inflammatory processes of the areas responsible for the fold of the hand and the connection of the wrist, metacarpus. More often tendonitis occurs in athletes, builders - those who perform numerous uniform movements, are faced with a heavy load.
What else is possible: reasons
Treatment for pain in the wrist of the left hand or right should begin with the formulation of an accurate diagnosis. If the tendons are affected , the inflammation is localized in the areas responsible for the wrist joint, then the doctor will diagnose peritendinitis. Pathology is manifested by severe and sharp pain in the wrist. Soon, the patient cannot normally move his thumb, while the mobility of the index is lost.
Gout and sore wrist
Sometimes treatment for pain in the wrist of the left hand or right is necessary against the background of gout. Pathology is accompanied by the accumulation of salts in small joints. For this reason, the brush loses mobility, a person is worried about pain, often quite strong. The process is explained by metabolic disturbance, because of which the concentration of salts of certain types of acids in the blood increases. Joint cells are able to accumulate these compounds, but the formation of such deposits soon causes sharp pain. As a rule, gout is accompanied by numerous foci of inflammation.
Considering the different options for the causes and treatment of pain in the wrists, it must be recognized that some forms are a very complex case. These include gout, since the patient’s articular tissues become deformed over time. Pathology affects the appearance of the skin. The areas close to the foci of inflammation are constantly hot, the person himself looks unhealthy. The condition becomes especially serious if the patient eats fatty, meaty foods in unreasonably large quantities.
"Interesting" position
Often, wrist pain disturbs pregnant women. Doctors call this carpal tunnel syndrome. If soreness rarely appears at the beginning of the term, it does not cause much concern, then closer to childbirth such sensations can be cause for excitement. It is possible that the root cause is a violation of the integrity of the median nerve located in the upper limb. The carpal tunnel syndrome can provoke kilograms gained by a woman during the period of gestation. In addition, the situation is complicated by edema, which many expectant mothers are prone to.
As practice shows, the described syndrome can provoke not only pain in the wrist, but also a burning sensation in this area. Others describe sensations as tingling. It is known that the syndrome can cause tremors. Often the pain becomes stronger during the rest period, especially at night, and this makes it difficult to sleep. Nerve damage is due to a violation of the tissue element located near the first four fingers. But the little finger never bothers. If not only the wrist, but the whole hand hurts, the reason is not carpal tunnel syndrome, but something else. As a rule, in addition to pain, pregnant women are worried about swelling, swelling, and overall well-being becomes worse. Unpleasant sensations in most cases pass independently immediately after childbirth. In rare cases, this takes some time.
Wrist hurts: why?
It happens that a person has not received any injuries or bruises, but this area still hurts. There are cases when discomfort is explained by stress on the joints. So called movements that are repeated frequently and continuously. To a greater extent, wrist pain affects tennis players, violinists, drivers and other persons involved in activities that require uniform movements of the hands. Such physical activity can cause inflammatory processes, stress fractures. It is especially dangerous for several hours in a row to repeat the same movements day after day.
Another common cause of pain is rheumatoid arthritis. This is an immune disease in which the body's defenses incorrectly perceive the body cells and attack them, assessing them as infectious agents. More often with arthritis in this form, both wrists immediately hurt. Another possible reason is the ganglion. In this case, a cyst is formed in the wrist from above. The size of the neoplasm and the strength of the pain syndrome correlate. Known to medicine and kinbek disease. The risk group includes young people and middle-aged people. A feature of the pathology is the destruction of the bone elements of the wrist due to insufficient blood flow. The disease progresses over time.
In order not to hurt - warn
If it is not always easy to treat pain in the wrist, then preventive measures are not particularly difficult, the main thing is systematicity. The first and most important thing is gymnastics for the joint, which allows you to increase the tone of organic tissues, strengthens the muscles. A few exercises during the usual charging complex are enough - twist the fists in different directions, make rotations with your palms, stretch your fingers. In a word, everyone was taught in physical education lessons. Surprisingly, it really works! If gymnastics did not help and discomfort began to bother, then it's time to think about a change in lifestyle. First of all, it should be assessed, which puts a strain on the wrists, and minimize these movements. Grabbing objects, you should strain the brush, and not just the fingers. Regular soft massage of the limbs will not be superfluous.
In order to maximize the benefits of playing sports, you should devote at least 45 minutes to such activity daily, and it is better to take an entire hour. It is not necessary to train hard, forcing the body to deal with heavy loads. You can do simple but useful exercises. Due to the regular uniform load, blood flow is activated, the quality of the respiratory system improves, which means that all tissues and organs will be saturated with oxygen and nutrients. This has a positive effect on bone and muscle tissue. If you have already begun to worry about mild pain in the wrist, regular training with reasonable loads will help to completely get rid of this problem - unless, of course, the cause is not inflammation, when the affected area needs rest.
Lifestyle & Health
In order not to encounter further pain in the wrist, people who are forced to type on the computer keyboard for a long time take constant breaks with a frequency of at least once an hour. During the rest, you need to shake several times with brushes, stretch your fingers, sit down a dozen times. If the work is associated with frequent contact with vibrating objects, it is necessary to use protective gloves with gaskets that absorb vibration. When playing sports, you should protect your wrists from overstrain, use fixing elastic bandages to strengthen a potentially weak area.
There is a higher risk of experiencing pain in the wrist if metabolic processes are disturbed in the body. To prevent this from happening, you need to be responsible for the diet, eat right, do not absorb too much fat, salt. It would be wise to completely abandon fast food, sweet sparkling waters that disrupt the work of various body systems. Feel better people whose diet is rich in vitamin D, calcium, indispensable for bone health. These compounds are rich in dairy products, different varieties of cabbage. Do not forget about fish oil, nuts.
Unpleasant sensations worry: how to help?
The treatment for wrist pain should be prescribed by a doctor. Therapy is selected, focusing on the cause of the problem. In particular, if a bone fracture is observed, gypsum is most often applied. In this case, the sick leave will have to be taken for at least a month, and sometimes the treatment is delayed for six months. Much depends on the specifics of the injury, and on the age of the patient, individual characteristics. For example, with diabetes, any injury heals much more slowly than in a person with the correct metabolic processes in the body.
If after the fall there was a sharp pain in the wrist, the treatment involves first aid - fixing the joint in order to reduce discomfort. Immediately after this, they call an ambulance or help the victim get to the nearest hospital in the department of traumatology. If the injury is open, bleeding is stopped first by applying a tourniquet. Light anesthesia is carried out using ice. Fixation is performed using a bandage. The limb is attached to the splint so that bone fragments do not move in the soft tissues.
What else will help?
Sometimes ointments, gels are used to stop pain in the wrist. If the doctor reveals a severe form of arthritis, arthrosis or other diseases, injections, tablet preparations can be prescribed. To enhance the effectiveness of the drug program, the patient is sent for physiotherapy. Common methods are electrophoresis, UHF, therapeutic massage, treatment with a magnetic field. To eliminate the pain syndrome, a course of painkillers can be prescribed, if an inflammatory process is detected, it can be stopped. Sometimes a doctor recommends undergoing a treatment program with medications designed to protect and improve joint function. Calcium preparations come in handy, and with swelling and pain, corticosteroids can be prescribed. If all the measures described do not show a positive result, surgery is performed.
Folk recipes against pain
If there are no signs of a fracture, sprains are excluded, and although the pain bothers, but is not very strong, you can try to cure it with alternative methods. If the symptom appears frequently, five garlic cloves are passed through a garlic press, add half a liter of apple vinegar, half a glass of vodka and three quarters of a glass of water. The liquid is put in the refrigerator for two weeks, stirred three times every day, then filtered, introduced into the composition of 15 drops of eucalyptus essential oil and used for grinding. Frequency of use - twice daily, program duration - a couple of weeks.
If a diagnosis such as tenosynovitis is made, you can make an ointment from chamomile and baby cream. The components are taken in equal amounts and mixed thoroughly. The finished medicine is applied to the affected area in the evening, shortly before bedtime, and is fixed with a bandage.
If the pain developed against the background of the inflammatory process, take 10 ml of boiling water per 10 g of chopped dried hypericum, mix everything in a thermos and let it brew for at least half an hour. The product is intended for use in half a glass three times daily for two weeks.
If the pain is observed when stretched, you can make a medicine on a mixture of lemon and garlic juices. The products are taken in equal proportions, in the finished composition, they are soaked in sterile gauze and a bandage is fixed on the affected area of ​​the hand. It is necessary to keep gauze until it warms up to skin temperature.
If a benign neoplasm is detected, you can try a home remedy on a raw egg. The product is mixed with half a glass of wine vinegar, soaked in a thin tissue in the medicine and applied to the affected area for a couple of hours.