Saturday, February 26, 2011

Common Sore Wrist Issues and Treatment Methods

By Tom Nicholson


When it comes to your body joints one is more important than all the rest, it is the wrist. This complex joint is used in nearly everything you do on a daily basis so your dexterity and strength are important. The wrist is composed of several bones, five metacarpal, eight carpal and two forearm bones. These are all meshed together in an intricate pattern that includes ligaments, nerves and blood vessels. The bottom line is this, if you have a sore wrist you should get it taken care of immediately.

Why Worry?

You may be surprised by the strong emphasis on seeking adequate treatment for your sore wrist, whether that is home remedies or medical attention. The simple answer is when you hesitate to seek treatment the problems can quickly escalate. Imagine life without the strength or dexterity to do common every day things, this could affect your quality of life significantly.

Any common activity can further irritate a sore wrist, things like hours working on a computer, tennis, golf, washing the dishes, walking the dog or even playing an instrument can further injure a sore wrist. When it is all said and done, you can end up with more pain, frustration, complicated and expensive procedures should you choose to ignore a painful wrist. Take care of this most important joint and you will have long healthy use of it.

Common Causes

Many things can cause pain in your wrist; it could be a medical condition, injury, or overuse that causes soreness and inflammation in this joint. In order to arrive at a correct diagnosis your physician will ask you several questions. He or she will ask about the history of the pain or injury, how often it hurts, location, type of pain such as burning or stabbing, list of your current medications and other questions.

Your sore wrist may be caused by medical conditions such as tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and arthritis and ganglion cysts. It can also be brought on by repetitive motions that place low-level stress on the wrists such as when you pound at the keys for long period of time without proper form and support. You might also have placed your injured wrist to trauma like sprains and bone fractures.

You should know that many of these causes are closely connected to one another. Any type of repetitive motion such as typing, that is done without the benefit of hand exercises and for long periods can result in this type of injury or inflammation of the wrist.

Treatment Options

A correct diagnosis is crucial to getting the right treatment for your sore wrist. Each cause may call for a different treatment method, such as RICE treatment for sprains or surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome.

A medical professional should be the one to assign the best treatment for your sore wrist. Nevertheless the RICE protocol, that is rest, ice, compress and elevation is good practical advice for both first aid and after care. In some instances, you may have to make some lifestyle changes such is normally the case for arthritis. Discuss all options with your doctor when it comes to surgery, cortisone or other pain relievers, as you will have many physical and financial repercussions to deal with afterwards.

Never doubt that a sore wrist can be a pain in your backside, however with proper medical attention and a little personal care you can leave it behind you forever.




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