Hand and Wrist Pain can be due to:
a local joint or ligament injury e.g. from a fall or force over extending the joint range
- from an inflamed tendon with the tendon within the tendon sheath
- nerve irritation either of the wrist or from the cervical spine (neck).
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is one condition causing wrist and hand pain due to irritation and compression of the median nerve as it passes through a bony and fibrous tunnel across the wrist.
The wrist joint is complex and made up of 2 rows of 3 small bones and 2 forearm bones all needing to glide to allow painfree efficient motion. Arthritic change or stiffness resulting from wear and tear or previous injury can upset the normal joint mechanics resulting in wrist pain.
In addition to this, wrist and hand pain may be entirely referred from the joints of the low cervical spine.
What happens if I have Hand and Wrist Pain?
After gaining an understanding of your specific history, our physiotherapists will conduct a thorough assessment of the joints of your hand and wrist as well as the neck and neural tissue to determine the specific factors giving rise to your symptoms. This will enable treatment to be effective and achieve the best outcome. If splinting is required we will refer you to an expert in this field.
Treatment may include mobilisation of specific joints, local modalities e.g. laser or ultrasound to settle painful soft tissues and exercises to strengthen the muscles affecting the wrist.