Wrist pain can make nearly every daily task a struggle. Cooking, doing laundry, typing, and performing nearly every common daily activity requires the use of the wrist joints. For this reason, wrist injuries are often extremely debilitating.
Fortunately, chiropractic care can help individuals who suffer from wrist pain. Through tried and true treatment methods, your chiropractor can alleviate your wrist pain and help you get your life back!
What Conditions Can Cause Wrist Pain?
There are tons of different issues that can result in wrist pain. In this section, we’ll examine some of the most commonly encountered wrist injuries and ailments that can lead to pain in the wrist.
DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis
Dequervain’s tenosynovitis is an issue that affects the lateral (outside) portion of the wrist. Specifically, this issue leads to inflammation and pain of the tendon sheath surrounding two key tendons of the thumb: the abductor policis longus and the extensor policis brevis.
This issue is sometimes colloquially referred to as “mommy thumb”, as it often affects women who are breastfeeding due to the way they hold their child during the activity. However, DeQuervain’s can affect anyone who uses their wrist a lot throughout the day.
Wrist Sprain
Wrist sprains are common issues that affect people of all ages and demographics. Wrist sprains usually occur due to a FOOSH (Fall On Outstretched Hand). When a person falls, they will typically reach out their hand to stop their fall. In doing so, they often suffer a wrist injury, such as a sprain or fracture.
Specifically, joint sprains are injuries to ligaments. For this reason, these injuries can sometimes take a long time to heal, as ligaments are “slow healers” within the body.
Ganglion Cysts
When fluid accumulates in an area of the body, a cyst can develop. A ganglion cyst is a specific type of growth that often appears on or near the wrist tendons. These cysts aren’t usually painful themselves, but they can press on nearby structures, leading to pain and discomfort.
Interestingly, many ganglion cysts will resolve on their own, without intervention. That being said, some clinicians may decide to drain these cysts or perform other treatments to remove them. Even when ganglion cysts are removed, they can sometimes reappear randomly in the future.
Treatments for Wrist Pain
When seeking treatments for wrist pain, you’ll often come across a few key options. Let’s take a look at some of the common treatments for wrist injuries.
Heat and Ice
Whenever you’re having joint issues, heat and ice can help to reduce the intensity of the pain. These modalities do not necessarily “cure” the underlying issue, but they can make you more comfortable and they can be used as an adjunct treatment with other modalities.
Exercise and Stretching
For most cases of wrist pain, exercise and stretching can go a long way toward reducing pain. By simply moving the joint more and increasing the stability in the wrist, you can generally find relief from your symptoms. Simple exercises such as squeezing a tennis ball and stretching your wrist in all directions are usually all you need to keep the wrist strong and mobile.
Chiropractic Care
Your local chiropractor can provide the perfect treatment plan for your wrist injury. By manipulating specific parts of your spine and adjusting any subluxated segments of your vertebral column, your wrist pain will often be reduced within a single session.
Got wrist pain that won’t go away? Have you tried treatments that haven’t helped at all? If so, come see your Plano chiropractor at Keystone Chiropractic today. Book your appointment now!
