Wrist Pain
Alternate Names : Pain - Wrist
Definition
Wrist pain is any pain or discomfort in the wrist.
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Common Causes
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a very common cause of wrist pain. If you have this, you feel aching, pain, burning, numbness, or tingling in your palm, wrist, thumb, or fingers. The thumb muscle can become weak, making it difficult to grasp things. Pain may extend up to your elbow.
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when an important nerve (called the median nerve) gets compressed at the wrist because of swelling. Such swelling can occur if you:
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Do a repetitive motion with your wrist like typing on a computer keyboard, using a computer mouse, playing racquetball or handball, sewing, painting, writing, or using a vibrating tool.
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Are pregnant, menopausal, or overweight.
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Have diabetes, premenstrual syndrome, an underactive thyroid, or rheumatoid arthritis.
Wrist pain with bruising and swelling is often a sign of an injury. The signs of a possible broken bone include misshapen joints and the inability to move the wrist, hand, or a finger. Other common injuries include sprain, strain, tendinitis, and bursitis.
Arthritis is another common cause of wrist pain, swelling, and stiffness. There are many types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis (which occurs with age and overuse), rheumatoid arthritis (which generally affects more than one joint on both sides of the body -- like both wrists), and psoriatic arthritis (which accompanies psoriasis).
Infectious arthritis is when you have an infection in your wrist or another joint. This is a medical emergency. The signs of infectious arthritis include redness and warmth of the wrist or other affected joint, fever above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and recent illness.
Other common causes of wrist pain include:
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Gout -- this occurs when you produce too much uric acid (a waste product in the body) which then gets deposited and forms crystals in joints, rather than being excreted in the urine.
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Pseudogout -- this is a condition where calcium deposits in your joints (usually the wrists or knees), causing pain, redness, and swelling.
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