Like with other parts of the body, the wrist can start to feel painful sensations due to overwork. The more you use your hands without observing proper posture, the more it aches, particularly the wrist.
You rely on your hands for daily activities. Once you feel an immense amount of pain on your wrist, you may start to feel less productive as you can’t perform normal functions properly. In this case, it’s best to consult your hand doctor to examine your wrist. By doing so, you’ll get immediate and accurate information on what’s causing the pain and how to treat it.
Meanwhile, here are the possible reasons your wrist is aching:
Why Is Your Wrist Aching?
Wrist pain can be due to various factors. Repetitive motions, such as typing on a keyboard, using smartphone devices, playing video games, or sports that put too much strain on the hands, typically trigger wrist pain. Chronic conditions are also possible causes, as well as injuries like sprains or fractures.
If you feel numbness and wrist pain, what you experience is likely due to a nerve disorder. The most common is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS).
What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
CTS is a common complication in the wrist where the patient feels sharp, shooting pain that can last for a few minutes, but with irregular intervals throughout the day. CTS patients often feel this condition on their dominant hand first. The pain usually starts around the wrist and crawls all the way to the thumb, index, and middle finger.
The condition surfaces when the median nerve—the nerve in the hand that directly provides sensation to the thumb, index, middle fingers, and half of the ring finger—is squeezed by the muscles in the wrist.
Factors That Cause CTS
Some of the typical causes of CTS are repetitive motion with improper posture, too much stress on the wrist, pressure, heredity, pregnancy, other health conditions, and obesity. Other conditions like arthritis, tendonitis, neuropathy, and fractures are also possible causes.
What Are the Symptoms of CTS?
If you feel any of the following, it’s highly likely that your wrist pain is because of CTS:
- Numbness of the wrist
- Cold feeling around your wrist and fingers
- Abrupt, shooting pain
- Tingling sensation
- Weaker grip
- An occasional shock-like sensation
- A feeling of stiffness in the hand
How Is CTS Treated?
CTS eventually goes away for many people. However, it can also worsen for some people, especially if the median nerve continues to be exposed to pressure and stress. In such cases, the doctor may advise nonsurgical hand pain treatments, such as bracing or splinting, and an adjustment in daily activities. If nonsurgical carpal tunnel syndrome treatments don’t relieve the patient’s symptoms, a procedure called “carpal tunnel release” may be required to treat the condition.
Conclusion
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is common among many people, but it can be extremely debilitating, leading to poor quality of life for patients. If you start to feel a serious pain and discomfort in your wrists along with the symptoms above, it’s important to consult your doctor immediately.
We provide outstanding Carpal Tunnel Syndrome treatment and surgery in Jacksonville that patients fully trust! If you feel any CTS symptoms, visit us or call (904) 215-2422 today.
