Wrist tendonitis occurs when the tendons that connect your forearm muscles to the muscles of your bones and fingers become inflamed. This condition can cause pain and discomfort when moving the wrist, making otherwise simple tasks difficult and disrupting your daily routine. Read on to learn more.
What Causes Wrist Tendonitis?
There are many causes of wrist tendon inflammation, with the most common ones being trauma, overuse, and repetitive stress. This may occur due to playing sports, writing, using the computer for long hours, and physical tasks involving your hands and wrists, like heavy lifting or hammering. In addition, other factors that may put you at risk of tendonitis include:
- Chronic disorders like diabetes, arthritis, and gout
- Weak wrist posture
- Old age
- Poorly positioned joints or bones
What Are the Symptoms of Wrist Tendonitis?
Aside from pain, you may experience stiffness or weakness when moving your wrist or fingers because of tendonitis. Warmth, redness, and swelling around the wrist joint or the base of your fingers are also common symptoms of this disorder.
How Is Wrist Tendonitis Treated?
There are various treatment options for wrist tendonitis. Depending on your condition, your healthcare provider may recommend the following:
- Medication – To alleviate painful symptoms, your doctor may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). If necessary, they may also recommend corticosteroid injections.
- Immobilization – Using supportive devices like a splint can stabilize and immobilize your wrist. Doing so helps prevent further injuries while aiding healing.
- Physical Therapy – Gentle exercises help improve your wrist’s strength and range of motion, efficiently managing pain and regaining usual movement. Your therapist will work with you to create an ideal personalized treatment plan.
- Surgery – Surgery may be required when initial treatments fail or if the tendon is damaged. The procedure is typically minimally invasive and only requires a small incision to be made, but more severe cases of tendonitis may be treated with open surgery.
Now that you know more about wrist tendonitis, you can better assess whether you or a loved one is experiencing this problem. When this happens, it’s best to seek help from a doctor immediately to ensure prompt treatment and prevent your condition from worsening. Contact or visit the Outpatient Surgical Specialties Center for trusted medical care in Omaha, NE.
