Wrist pain

Many people experience wrist pain at some time or other.  Sometimes this pain can persist and cause difficulties with routine tasks.  The pain may be noticeably worse during certain activities or when the hand and forearm are put in particular positions.  The cause of wrist pain can often be difficult to identify and assessment by a specialist wrist surgeon will be required.  There are however some more common conditions which may be more easily diagnosed.

The location of the pain may give an indication to the cause:

• Wrist pain towards the side of the thumb (radial side) 

  • Dequervain's disease
  • Arthritis of base of the thumb
  • Scaphoid non-union
  • Wrist arthritis
     

• Pain towards the little finger (ulnar side)

  • TFCC tear
  • Ulnar abutment
  • Pisiotriquetral arthritis
  • Tendinitis
     

• Wrist pain at the back of the wrist (dorsocentral) 

  • Ligament tears
  • Wrist synovitis
  • Wrist arthritis
  • Scaphoid non-union
  • Keinbocks disease
     

• Pain all over the wrist (global) 

  - this may be due to inflammatory arthritis or complex regional pain syndrome