WRIST INJURIES

Do you work with your hands for long periods of time? Do you play golf, tennis, bowl, or weight train? Do you play the piano, knit, or work at a computer keyboard for long periods of time? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you could be at risk for a wrist injury. Types of wrist injuries include sudden, overuse, and repetitive motion injuries.

Sudden wrist injuries are usually caused by accidents and are hard to prevent. They include broken bones, dislocations, and sprains. Sudden injury can occur from trying to break a fall with your hands, or from direct impact to the wrists. A sudden wrist injury that causes instant, severe pain and tenderness with swelling, lack of movement, or crookedness needs medical evaluation quickly. Immobilize it and apply an ice pack. Apply a cloth-covered ice pack to the affected area for no more than 20 minutes at a time, 4 to 8 times a day.

Overuse injuries of the wrist include tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome and, in children, breaks in the growing part of the bones. These injuries may develop over time from constant snap-and-twist motions of the wrist. Repetitive hand and arm motions used in baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, weight lifting, and rowing may irritate the tendons of the wrist resulting in pain, swelling, heat, and redness. This is called tendonitis of the wrist.

Nerve damage may be caused by snap-and-twist motions of the wrist or by external pressure from handles of racquets, sticks, or bats, or by the pressure from leaning on bicycle handlebars. Snap-and-twist motions of the wrist can also cause growing bone injuries in children. Overuse injuries of the wrist in children may lead to stunted or abnormal growth at the ends of the forearm bones and damage to the joint.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common repetitive-motion injury. It is the biggest problem associated with regular use of a computer keyboard. It usually affects the dominant hand and begins with pain and tingling or numbness at the base of the thumb. If not treated, the symptoms may progress to a weakened grip, severe pain in the forearm or shoulder, or permanent loss of muscle in the hand.

If you are experiencing the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, follow each work session with an ice massage over painful areas. Stretch the muscles in your forearm by gently pushing the fingers up and back towards the back of your hand. Give your wrist a couple of weeks of rest. If the problem does not respond, or if it gets worse, seek medical care.

Wrist splints may be helpful and are often used as initial treatment and should be ordered by a healthcare provider. Some splints bought at a drug store will not work. If you have continuing pain while using a splint, see your healthcare provider.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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