After knitting sweater, wrist pain; Wrist pain, numbness and weakness of fingers; A fall caused wrist pain. The wrist hurts after using the computer for a long time…
How to deal with wrist pain? Is wrist pain the cause of what? How to prevent it?
Wrist pain, what should I do?
Most of the time, mild and simple wrist pain is caused by short-term overuse of the wrist, such as knitting sweaters, writing, using the mouse, etc. For these wrist pain caused by [short-term overuse], you can deal with it yourself first.
Of course, in addition to short-term overuse, there are also some diseases that can also be manifested as wrist pain. At this time, the corresponding treatment methods will also be different.
The following treatment methods are applicable to short-term overuse or when the cause of pain is unclear:
Step 1 Take a break
Avoid actions that cause or aggravate pain and reduce joint burden. However, rest is not completely motionless. You can gently rotate your wrist and gently move your joints and muscles.
Step 2 Cold compress wrist
Cold compress on swollen or painful parts is beneficial to relieve inflammatory reaction and pain. You can wrap ice bags or frozen mineral water with towels, and then apply cold compress to painful parts.
3. Analgesics may be considered
If the pain is more serious, affect mood, life, can consider the use of ibuprofen, aspirin and other painkillers. However, must be taken according to the dosage and usage of the instructions. For friends with gastric ulcer, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, severe liver and kidney insufficiency and other diseases, it is recommended to consult a doctor before considering whether to take it.
4. Go to the hospital immediately if
- After trauma, bleeding, wrist deformity, inability to move, suspected fracture or joint dislocation; Inability to move wrists, fingers or palms; Severe pain, redness and swelling of wrist joint accompanied by infection such as fever or rash.
5. Go to the hospital as soon as possible under the following circumstances
When wrist pain is accompanied by the following symptoms, it indicates that there may be complex diseases or the original diseases may worsen, and it is necessary to go to the hospital for treatment:
- Red, swollen, stiff and painful joints sometimes involve bilateral wrist joints or knuckles, knee joints and other parts. Numbness, stabbing pain and weakness of fingers and forearms; Muscle atrophy, such as muscle atrophy at the root of palm and thumb; There was still no relief after 2 weeks of self-treatment at home.
What are the possible causes of wrist pain?
1. Carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is the main disease causing wrist pain. Its typical manifestations are wrist pain, thumb, index finger and middle finger, pain, numbness, inability to work, and muscle atrophy of thumb root may occur in severe cases.
Carpal tunnel is a relatively closed tubular structure surrounded by ligaments and bones in the wrist, through which many nerves and tendons pass. One of the most important nerves is called the median nerve. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a series of symptoms that occur after the median nerve is compressed.
There are two main causes of carpal tunnel syndrome:
- Repeat some wrist movements: Tendon swelling or chronic inflammation after excessive activity, So that the carpal tunnel space is reduced, Compression of the median nerve. Occupations that rely on wrist activities, such as carpentry and housewives, are more prone to carpal tunnel syndrome. Wrist is in improper posture for a long time: The pressure in the carpal tunnel is minimal when the wrist is straight, and both extension and flexion of the wrist will increase the pressure in the carpal tunnel. We often say [mouse hand] is a wrist extension posture. When typing, the position of the keyboard above or below the elbow will put the median nerve under high pressure.
The treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome is divided into conservative treatment and surgical treatment. If the condition is mild, conservative treatment can be selected first, such as nerve nutrition drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, plaster fixation of wrist joint, etc. If conservative treatment is ineffective or the condition is serious, surgical treatment should be considered.
2. Arthritis of the wrist
Some arthritis is caused by bacterial infection, while others are caused by wrist joint wear and autoimmune diseases.
(1) Wrist arthritis caused by bacterial infection
Most of this infection is caused by bacteria infected in other parts of the body reaching the wrist joint through blood flow.
People with poor immunity are more likely to have this kind of infection, such as diabetes, malignant tumors and people who use immunosuppressants. In addition, people who have had wrist trauma, intra-articular injection and joint surgery are also prone to this infection.
If wrist pain, accompanied by joint redness and fever, rapid swelling of wrist during rest, severe pain, elevated body temperature and other manifestations, it indicates the possibility of infection and should go to the hospital as soon as possible.
(2) Osteoarthritis of wrist joint
Middle-aged and elderly friends must be familiar with knee osteoarthritis, the main manifestation of which is knee pain. In addition to the knee joint, wrist joint will also have osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is related to long-term repeated wear and tear. Osteoarthritis of wrist joint is mostly sequelae of wrist trauma, which is mainly manifested as pain and joint rigidity after exercise.
The treatment of wrist osteoarthritis is mainly rest, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be taken orally or hormones can be injected into the wrist cavity. If conservative treatment is ineffective, surgical treatment should be considered.
(3) Wrist arthritis caused by rheumatic diseases
Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus, gouty arthritis and other rheumatic diseases may also cause wrist arthritis and joint pain.
Among these [rheumatoid arthritis], the most common is analogous wet arthritis. Most of them are manifested as bilateral joint pain. In addition to wrist, finger, knee and foot joints may also be affected.
In addition to joint pain, rheumatoid arthritis also has [morning stiffness]: after getting up in the morning, joint stiffness usually lasts for more than 1 hour, and stiffness symptoms are relieved after a little activity.
Severe pain and swelling during rest may occur during acute attack of rheumatoid arthritis, which is often accompanied by systemic symptoms such as fatigue, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, systemic soreness and fever, and is easily confused with infectious arthritis at this time.
Rheumatoid arthritis is mainly treated with drugs. Common drugs include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hormones, etc. Specific drugs need to be consulted with the attending doctor.
3. Trauma
Trauma includes fracture, joint dislocation, etc.
Osteoporosis in the elderly, if the palm supports the ground after falling, it is easy to cause wrist fracture. After falling or spraining, if there is severe pain, wrist inability to move or joint deformity, joint dislocation or fracture should be considered.
At this time, do not move the injured wrist any more, but raise the affected limb and go to the hospital immediately after simple hemostasis and fixation.
4. Other
In addition to the above mentioned diseases, wrist cysts, wrist bone tumors, etc. can also cause wrist pain.
In addition, diseases other than the wrist may also cause wrist pain, such as wrist pain, numbness, weakness, etc. when cervical vertebra diseases compress nerves.
When looking for the cause of wrist pain, symptoms need to be combined with X-ray, B-ultrasound or CT examination to be clear. People cannot diagnose themselves just by symptoms.
How to prevent wrist pain?
The following preventive measures are mainly aimed at tendon inflammation caused by excessive activity and carpal tunnel syndrome caused by poor posture.
Step 1 Maintain the correct posture
When playing with the computer, the height of the mouse or keyboard should be flat to the position of the elbow when both hands are naturally drooping. When typing or using the mouse, try to keep the wrist in a natural straight state (wrist pad can be used to raise the wrist), the elbow is at an angle of 90 degrees, and the forearm is parallel to the ground.
2. Consciously protect wrist joints in work and activities
Choose tools of appropriate size to avoid long-term weight bearing in the same posture. Do not do activities that aggravate or cause wrist pain. Joint does not bear weight or move in case of acute pain.
STEP 3 Pay attention to rest and relaxation
Take a short rest every one hour of work and do appropriate relaxation activities. When relaxing, you can refer to the following actions to gradually relax from wrist to head and neck:
- Clench your fist hard, then stretch your five fingers in turn and repeat many times. Gently rotate your wrist clockwise and counterclockwise. Raise your hand over your head, rotate your arm while rotating your wrist, and gradually relax your shoulders, neck and upper back. Turn your head or move your head and neck up, down, left and right.