Wrist Pain

Wrist Pain:

Everyone has had a minor problem with a finger, hand, or wrist. Most of the time our body movements do not cause problems, but it's not surprising that symptoms can occur from everyday wear and tear or from overuse.

Finger, hand, or wrist problems can also be caused by cumulative injuries or the natural process of aging. Your fingers, hands, or wrists may burn, sting, hurt, feel tired, sore, stiff, numb, tingly, hot, or cold. Maybe you can't move them as well as usual, or they are swollen. Perhaps your hands have turned a different color, such as red, pale, or blue. A lump or a bump might have appeared on your wrist, palm, or fingers. Home treatment is often all that is needed to relieve your symptoms. Finger, hand, or wrist problems may be caused by an injury. If you think an injury caused your problem, see the topics "Hand and Wrist" injuries. However, there are many other causes of finger, hand, or wrist problems.

Identification and Causes of Overuse Problems:

There are a few causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; the most common is Cumulative Injury Cycle. However, pregnancy, weight gain and acute trauma can also contribute to this issue.

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused by pressure on a nerve (Median Nerve) in the wrist. The symptoms include tingling, numbness, weakness, or pain of the fingers and hand. See an illustration of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
• Tendon pain is actually a symptom of tendinosis, a series of very small tears (micro tears) in the tissue in or around the tendon. In addition to pain and tenderness, common symptoms of tendon injury include decreased strength and movement in the affected area.
• De Quervain's disease can occur in the hand and wrist when tendons and the tendon covering (sheath) on the thumb side of the wrist swell and become inflamed.
• Repetitive Motion Syndrome is a term used to describe symptoms such as pain, swelling, or tenderness that occur from repeating the same motion over and over.
• Writer's cramps develop with repeated hand or finger motion, such as writing or typing.
• Dupuytren's disease is an abnormal thickening of tissue beneath the skin in the palm of the hand or hands and occasionally the soles of the feet. The thickened skin and tendons (palmar fascia) may eventually limit movement or cause the fingers to bend so that they cannot be straightened. (See an illustration of Contracture Trigger.) This occurs when the flexor tendon and its sheath in a finger or thumb thicken or swell.
• Ganglion Cysts are small sacs (cysts) filled with clear, jellylike fluid that often appear as bumps on the hands and wrists but can also develop on feet, ankles, knees, or shoulders. See an illustration of a Ganglion.

Wrist Probems from Other Medical Conditions:

• Heart Attack may cause tingling or pain in the fingers or hand (especially the left hand).
• Diabetes may change how the hands normally feel or sense touch. Decreased feeling in the hands is common because of decreased blood flow to the hands or damage to nerves of the hand.
• Pregnancy may cause redness, itching, swelling, numbness, or tingling that often goes away after delivery.
• Osteoarthritis is the progressive breakdown of the tissue that protects and cushions joints (cartilage). It may cause stiffness and pain with movement.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis may cause stiffness and pain with movement. Over time, deformity of the fingers may occur. See an illustration of Rheumatoid Arthritis.
• Lupus is a long-lasting autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks normal body tissues as though they were foreign substances. It may cause joint pain.
• Gout is an inflammatory joint disease that causes acute pain and swelling. It is a form of arthritis that develops when uric acid crystals form in and around the joints, commonly affecting the big toe joint.
• Raynaud's Phenomenon is a condition in which some areas of the body, usually the fingers or toes, have an exaggerated response to cold temperature or emotional stress. During an attack of Raynaud's, the blood vessels in the affected areas tighten, severely limiting the flow of blood to the skin, causing a numbness, tingling, swelling, and pain.
• Infection can cause pain, redness, and swelling that occur with red streaking, heat, fever, or the drainage of pus. An infection often causes tenderness to the touch or pain with movement at the site of the infection.

Carpal Tunnel generally refers to a location "at the base of the palm." The tissues form a tight canal or "tunnel" through which tendons and nerves must pass on their way from the forearm to the hand and fingers. The nerve that passes through this narrow tunnel to reach the hand is called the Median Nerve. This narrow passage between the forearm and hand is known as the "Carpal Tunnel."

Traditional medical treatments and surgical interventions for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome have been resoundingly unsuccessful. This failure is largely due to the over emphasis on the role of the actual carpal tunnel with regards to peripheral nerve entrapments, specifically the Median Nerve.

The misleading part is that this description does not address the 18 other common nerve entrapment sites that can result in "Carpal Tunnel-like" Symptoms. We have found that the most common sites of Median nerve entrapment are actually further up in the forearm, specifically the muscle called the Pronator Terres, as well as Scalenes muscles in the front of the neck. Misdiagnosis and treatment techniques often contribute to the chronic and severe nature of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Statistics show that bracing (often prescribed by some doctors) over time makes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome worse.

• Numbness, tingling and weakness of hand, fingers, palm and wrist
• Severe forearm pain that starts at the wrist and spreads to the shoulder (common at night)
• Stiff and painful joints
• Inability to make a fist and/or cramps in the hand and fingers
• Decreased sensation or loss of sensation in the hand or fingers
• Inability to perform fine finger movements

• Diagnose the disease by asking about your symptoms, doing a physical exam, and ordering x-rays or other studies of the wrist
• Use Active Release Techniques® to locate and correct the entrapment site
• Order tests that evaluate the electrical impulses and conduction of the median nerve
• Prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications for severe pain in order to reduce the tissue swelling
• Prescribe diuretics to empty excess fluid from body tissues
• Recommend surgery to release the trapped Median Nerve
• Provide vitamin B6 injections to improve sensation

• Rest your wrist.
• Exercise the wrist joint by dangling your arms, shaking the wrist, and rubbing your hand
• Take the anti-inflammatory medication as directed by your doctor
• Apply hot or cold compresses to the affected area to reduce discomfort
• Adjust the height of your chair to your desk, use computer keyboard support pads, and take breaks at least once an hour while performing repetitive tasks

The Active Release Techniques Soft-Tissue Management System® provides a way to accurately diagnose and treat the underlying etiology of Cumulative Trauma Disorder that causes symptoms of numbness, tingling, burning, and aching. ART® allows the practitioner to diagnose the presence of abnormal inflammation and adhesions by examining tissue texture, tension, and movement. Once the location of the nerve entrapment is found, specific protocols are used to release the entrapped nerve.

ART® has been shown to be very effective in the treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Rather than just addressing one area, ART® restores unimpeded motion and function to all soft tissues.

The primary goal of ART® is to restore optimal tissue texture and motion and to improve the function of the soft tissue structures by releasing any entrapped nerves or blood vessels. This is accomplished through the direct removal of adhesions or fibrosis in the soft tissues via the application of very specific hands on protocols. Adhesions occur as a result of the natural healing process after the body suffers an acute injury, repetitive motion (micro-tears), and constant pressure or tension.

ART® is considered to be the "Gold Standard" in eliminating the pain and dysfunction associated with these adhesions. LVPRC boasts a success rate that exceeds 90% in the treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.