Why does my wrist hurt?

Why does my wrist hurt? We have asked this question to ourselves whenever we feel pain in wrists but seldom pay attention to it until and unless the pain becomes unbearable. Wrist is a small part of our body and probably that’s why we often ignore it but let us tell you that the wrist joint is extremely important for the mobility of your hands.

Wrist is composed of eight carpal bones and complementing ligaments and tendons, making it a somewhat delicate area. Hence it is prone to injuries causing pain. Other than that several other conditions, such as gout or arthritis can cause a painful wrist. So, any of these can be the answer to the question ‘why does my wrist hurt?’, and a proper diagnosis by your physician is necessary to detect the cause and start appropriate treatment.

Wrist Pain: How Does It Feel?

Any pain or discomfort in the wrist joint is known as wrist pain and it is pretty common in people. It can happen to people of any age group since injury is one of the major reasons behind wrist pain. While pain caused by injuries may go away with time, pain caused by other reasons such as diseases related to bones, ligaments, tendons etc. can stay for long and require special medical attention. Depending on the nature of the cause, persons may experience varying degrees of pain such as aching, dull, or sharp. The experience also varies in terms of appearance of  pain, such as pain while twisting the wrist, wrist pain while bending, right or left wrist pain, and pain in the outside wrist.

Why Does My Wrist Hurt: Causes

As usual reasons for pain anywhere in the body, wrist pain or discomfort stems from injuries, diseases, and syndromes. In this section we will discuss the reasons behind wrist pain. Let’s start with injuries.

Injuries

As mentioned, the wrist joint is a delicate part of the body and it gets involved whenever you try to do something with your hand. This highly active part is at the forefront of every hand related activity, hence it is also prone to injuries. Injuries are of two types: injuries due to sudden impact, and injuries due to long term stress.

• Injuries Due to Sudden Impact: You are throwing a ball, or lifting a heavy object, or you just fall your hand hitting the ground first – all these can cause sprains, strains and even fractures in the wrist. These are known as injuries due to sudden impact and needless to say pain caused by these injuries can give you some sleepless nights.
• Injuries Due to Long Term Stress: We do repetitive tasks everyday involving our wrists. These are known as repetitive motion activities (RMAs) and cause wrist pain if done in the wrong motion or forcefully enough. Wearing, degeneration of tendons and cartilages, pressure on nerves are the results of such injuries.

Diseases and Syndromes

Apart from injuries certain diseases and syndromes also cause wrist pain. These are as follows:

• Bursitis: Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursae, small, fluid-filled sacs cushioning the bones, tendons, and muscles near the joints. While the purpose of these sacs is to allow painless joint movement, an inflamed bursa causes pain, swelling, and restricted movement. Bursitis of the wrist can be developed when the bursae near the wrists are inflamed due to prolonged stress or injury.
• Gout: Gout is a type of arthritis that is linked with sudden and periodic pain, redness, and swelling of the affected areas. This results from crystallized formations of the uric acids within the joints. Gout is primarily related to the big toe however, any joint can be involved, including the wrist. As long as uric acid immunologically crystals stay in the wrist, there is no inflammation. But once uric acid collection occurs in this joint, inflammation begins. And once there arises a fresh influx of the uric acid after this triggers an onset of pain, it is usually accompanied by elapsing pains.
• Kienbock Disease: Kienbock disease develops when the lunate bone in your wrist dies (bone death aka avascular necrosis) or deteriorates due to poor blood supply. This may result in wrist pain, swelling, and reduced range of motion.
• Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is the arthritis of the bones. The cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones deteriorates over time, resulting in this type of arthritis. Wrist osteoarthritis is rare and usually only affects those who have already had wrist injuries.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that happens when your immune system mistakenly targets the tissues in your own body. Rheumatoid arthritis affects the lining of your joints, generating a painful swelling that can eventually lead to bone erosion and joint deformity, unlike the wear-and-tear deterioration of osteoarthritis.
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Among the most prevalent hand ailments is carpal tunnel syndrome. The median nerve in the wrist’s carpal tunnel is compressed, which is the source of it. On the palm side of the hand, the carpal tunnel is a small opening encircled by ligaments and bones. Numbness, tingling, and weakness in the thumb and fingers are possible signs of a pinched median nerve.
• Ganglion Cysts: The most frequent mass in the hand, ganglion cysts are fluid-filled lumps that typically appear on the back of the wrist. Although they are mostly painless and benign, they can occasionally cause discomfort if they press against a nerve or other structure. Moving surrounding joints can exacerbate the tingling or ache-like pain associated with a ganglion cyst.

Now you know the answer of ‘why does my wrist hurt?’ There can be so many reasons, from simple injuries to major disease. Therefore it is advised whenever you feel a prolonged pain in your wrist consult the physician to diagnose the cause behind and initiate treatment, if needed.