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Best ways to treat most common causes for wrist pain

Posted at 7:40 AM, Jun 19, 2014
and last updated 2014-06-19 11:12:20-04

Pain, stiffness, and discomfort in the wrists can be debilitating and a cause for concern.

Many times, serious wrist conditions are the result of underlying health conditions combined with repetitive hand and wrist movement.

However, with appropriate treatment, these wrist conditions can be manageable.

Top Three Wrist Conditions

-Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

-Wrist Tendonitis

-Wrist Arthritis

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition caused by the compression of a nerve in your wrist, which produces numbness, pain, and, if left untreated, hand weakness.

Causes include: anatomy of your wrist, underlying health conditions (gout, lupus, obesity), repetitive hand and wrist movement, and normal wear and tear.

Wrist Tendonitis is a condition caused by the irritation and inflammation of the tendons around the wrist.

When tendons in the wrist are inflamed, wrist and hand movement is restricted and often painful.

Wrist tendonitis is primarily caused by overuse.

However, other causes may include underlying health conditions and normal wear and tear.

Wrist Arthritis is acute or chronic inflammation of the joint and its surrounding tissues, causing wrist pain, joint swelling, and hand weakness.

In severe cases, the inflammation in the wrist can interfere with the nerves that surround the joint, causing tingling and numbness of the fingers (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome).

The treatment options for these three painful wrist conditions are similar.

Treatment Options for Wrist Conditions

-Lifestyle modifications

-Wrist splinting

-Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication

-Cortisone injections

-Surgery in severe cases when nonsurgical treatment methods fail