Wrist Pain

Wrist pain or injury is common. Fortunately, most wrist pain is non-life threatening and can usually be successfully diagnosed and treated by your physiotherapist or doctor. Wrist pain occurs from many potential sources of everyday life. These include sports injuries, work injuries or simple everyday arm use.

For optimal relief of wrist pain and return to function, an accurate diagnosis is essential. Wrist pain has multiple causes, including wrist joint dysfunction or arthritis, wrist ligament injury, tendinopathies or muscle injury. Alternatively, wrist pain can be referred from your cervical spine (neck joint dysfunction or a pinched nerve). Local nerve compression can also occur with two common presentations: carpal tunnel syndrome or ulnar nerve palsy. Both of these conditions should prompt early assessment and treatment to avoid permanent nerve damage and loss of muscle power, sensation and function.

The good news is that most wrist pain and injury respond favourably to physiotherapy or other medical intervention. Please do not delay consulting your healthcare practitioner if you experience wrist pain. Some wrist conditions do require surgery, so early assessment and intervention is important.