The wrist is one of the most frequently injured joints in the body. Wrist pain is usually caused by sudden injuries such as a sprain or a fracture. However, wrist pain can also result from long-term problems such as stress caused by repetitive activities, arthritis and other specific conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Wrist pain may vary depending on the cause, some of the most common causes will be discussed down below.
The scaphoid is a carpal bone and one of the most common carpal bones prone to injury, accounting for over 50% of all carpal fractures. The typical mechanism of injury to the scaphoid bone is a fall onto an outstretched hand. Clinically, patients with a scaphoid fracture will complain of pain and tenderness in the area just below the base of the thumb.
Osteonecrosis is the result of a traumatic disruption of the blood supply to a particular carpal bone. Osteonecrosis may occur at any carpal bone however the scaphoid and the lunate are the most frequently affected bones. In the early stages of the disease signs and symptoms may not be present and x-rays may be normal however, symptoms include wrist pain and tenderness, usually directly over the affected carpal bone, decreased range of motion and swelling.
The wrist is a complex joint made up of multiple carpal bones which are linked by multiple ligaments between each bone and across several bones at a time, both in front and on the back of the wrist. Therefore, making the possibility of a ligament injury very likely. There are two types of ligaments in the wrist the intrinsic and extrinsic ligaments. The ligaments may fail through general wear and tear or they may tear following injury such as fall. Symptoms include, wrist pain, restricted movement or a click or a clunk made with movements of the wrist.
The triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) is a major contributor to the stability of the wrist. It is located between the end of the ulna bone and the carpals and its function is to stabilize the radioulnar joint. A tear to the TFCC can result in wrist pain on the pinky finger side, with tenderness over the back of the wrist. Furthermore, pain is usually worse with bending the wrist sideways (ulna deviation), there is also likely to be swelling in the wrist, reduced grip strength and sometimes a clicking sound or feeling when moving the wrist.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is the compression of the median nerve in the wrist as it passes through the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel is a small space in your wrist where several tendons and nerves run through, one of which is the median nerve. Carpal tunnel syndrome involves motor and sensory dysfunction, such as numbness, tingling and weakness. Causes of carpal tunnel syndrome include fracture, infection, various infiltrative disease processes and localized soft tissue pathology.
Other clinical symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include pain and paraesthesias in the median nerve distribution which is in the palmar aspect of the thumb, index finger and middle finger and half of the radial finger, which are worse at night and often wake the patient.
If you have been experiencing wrist pain or have any other concerns, come in to visit us at Lakeside Chiropractic. Our team of friendly and experience sports chiropractors will be able to assist you on your road to being pain free. We provide personalised multimodal treatment for wrist pain to cater to each individual's requirements. Our treatments include, soft tissue therapy, dry needling, electro therapies, mobilisation, taping and manipulative therapy.
Lakeside chiropractic is located in Joondalup WA 6027, central to Perth’s northern suburbs. We have visitors from a variety of nearby suburbs such as: 6038-Alkimos; 6064- Alexander Heights, Girrawheen, Marangaroo; 6032- Nowergup and 6036- Jindalee, Butler. We are a Medibank preferred practitioner with HICAPS facilities available for all Major health insurance providers (HCF, HCI, HBF, Bupa, AHM). If you would like any further information on wrist pain or to book an appointment you can head to our website www.lakesidechiro.com.au or call on 9300 0095.
