The wrist is one of the most important parts of your body, as it is made up of several small joints that allow your hands to move in different ways. The wrist contains bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves, which means that it can be a very delicate part of the body.
Experiencing wrist pain can affect just about every task imaginable, whether it’s typing, cooking, golfing, or snowboarding. Wrist pain can stem from a variety of causes, and while it can often go away on its own, untreated chronic pain could worsen over time.
Fortunately, there are effective remedies for wrist pain that can get you back into action. This article will explain how a chiropractor can help with wrist pain.
What Causes Wrist Pain?
Because of how much we use our wrists throughout the day, there are many different causes of wrist pain. While we may think of falls or sudden trauma as the most common cause of wrist pain, there are also many other factors, such as the following:
| Common Causes of Wrist Pain | |
|---|---|
| Injuries | Impacts: When the wrist experiences sudden trauma from catching a fall or jamming it on an object, it can become bruised or sprained. Repetitive Stress: Repeated movements can cause the tissues in the wrist to become irritated and inflamed, which can be extremely painful. Dislocation: The wrist is a moving joint that is connected to bones. Impacts, twists, or pulls can sometimes cause the two parts of the joint to become separated. |
| Arthritis | Osteoarthritis: When the cartilage between the bones that connect at the joint breaks down over time, it results in a condition called osteoarthritis. Although this type of arthritis is less common in the wrist than in other joints, those who have injured the wrist in the past may develop it. Rheumatoid arthritis: This type of arthritis occurs when the body’s immune system begins to attack its own tissues. Unlike osteoarthritis, this type of arthritis is common in the wrist. |
| Nerve Referral | Trapped Nerves: When we think of wrist pain, we may not often consider that the source of the pain could actually be somewhere else, but this is surprisingly common. Nerve referral refers to pain that is perceived at a different location than the actual origin. Many of the nerves in the arm that extend into the wrist are sourced in the back and neck and can become “trapped” along their length by factors such as herniated discs or postural issues. Conditions such as tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow are also common forms of nerve entrapment. |
| Other Conditions | Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: The meridian nerve passes from the forearm to the hand via the carpal tunnel. When it becomes inflamed, it applies pressure on the nerve and causes pain. Cysts: Ganglion cysts are a type of soft tissue buildup that can occur in the wrist. They can be extremely painful and can worsen with movement. Tendonitis: Tendonitis is one of the injuries that can occur from repetitive movements. It can cause the tissue in the wrist to become stiff and painful while also causing swelling around the wrist and fingers. |
The risk factor associated with wrist pain will depend on the types of activities you engage in. Active individuals are more likely to suffer wrist pain from injuries such as sprains or dislocations. For example, wrist pain is extremely common in snowboarders because of how often they use their wrists to stop their falls.
Even if you aren’t routinely engaged in physical activity, you’ll likely run into some form of wrist pain simply from repetitive movements such as typing, writing, or playing video games.
Luckily, if you’re experiencing wrist pain, there are some ways that you can alleviate it.
- Heat therapy: Applying heat to the afflicted area can ease the pain because it opens up the blood vessels in the tissues and stimulates blood flow, relaxing the muscles and soothing stiff joints.
- Rest: Limiting the use of the wrist and getting plenty of sleep can go a long way in relieving pain and discomfort. This is because you are giving your body time to heal without aggravating the cause of the wrist pain.
- Splinting: Wearing a splint can help by adding structure to the joint, limiting its ability to move, and evenly distributing pressure to the joint. This is especially helpful for people with carpal tunnel syndrome because it gives the median nerve more space to rest.
- Cold compresses: Applying ice or cold packs to a sore wrist can help reduce inflammation, reduce swelling, and numb the pain.
- Use better ergonomics: When taking part in repetitive activities such as typing, simply using tools that are designed with ergonomics in mind, like ergonomic keyboards and mice, can help ensure the tissues in your wrist aren’t under excessive strain.
If the treatments listed above aren’t fixing your recurring wrist pain, it may be time to seek help from an expert.
Can a Chiropractor Help With Wrist Pain?
When you think of chiropractic care, you likely envision spinal adjustments. But can a chiropractor help with wrist pain? Yes, they can! As musculoskeletal experts, chiropractors know treatments for nearly every part of the body, wrists included.
In fact, a trip to the chiropractor could be the solution that you need to feel long-term relief from wrist pain. Chiropractors have several treatments at their disposal that can solve your wrist pain, such as:
- Stretching techniques: The usage of specialized stretches like wrist rotations, hand clenching, wrist flexion, and finger flexion that target specific areas of the wrist can help release tension and tightness and lessen inflammation.
- Wrist adjustment: By manipulating the bones and muscles in the wrist, chiropractors can alleviate tension and pressure while also supercharging the healing process by reducing swelling and inflammation that restricts healing.
Chiropractic care that targets the neck and back can also help when conditions or injuries are deferring pain to the wrist. Regardless of the source of your wrist pain, the first step in addressing it is making sure its cause is properly identified.
PostureWorks for Long-Lasting Wrist Pain Relief
As with any other injury, the most effective treatments will be the ones that target the source of the pain. Moreover, a proactive approach to whatever is causing your ailment could prevent further injury or the development of another chronic condition such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
That’s why the team at PostureWorks utilizes Chiropractic BioPhysics® (CBP) to properly assess your health and identify the origin of your wrist pain. With CBP, we analyze your medical history and perform a postural analysis to construct a treatment plan customized for you. That way, you can enjoy long-term healing and relief from wrist pain and benefit from a preventative solution that keeps you out of surgery so you can live your life pain-free.
Contact us today to learn more about how a chiropractor can help with wrist pain or to schedule your appointment with PostureWorks.
Chiropractic BioPhysics®, or CBP, is a deeply researched and results-oriented corrective care technique. CBP-trained chiropractors aim to realign the spine back to health and optimal function. As with all chiropractic care, CBP is conservative, painless, and non-invasive.
