Your wrist is made up of eight small bones known as carpals. They support a tube that runs through your wrist. That tube, called the carpal tunnel, has tendons and a nerve inside. It is covered by a ligament, which holds it in place.
Wrist pain is common. Repetitive motion can damage your wrist. Everyday activities like typing, racquet sports or sewing can cause pain, or even carpal tunnel syndrome. Wrist pain with bruising and swelling can be a sign of injury. The signs of a possible fracture include misshapen joints and inability to move your wrist. Some wrist fractures are a result of osteoporosis.
Other common causes of pain are
- Sprains and strains
- Tendinitis
- Arthritis
- Gout and pseudogout
- Hand/Wrist/Arm Problems(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/526.printerview.html
- Taking Care of Your Hand, Wrist, and Elbow(American Physical Therapy Association) - http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=20403&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm
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Bone X-Ray (Radiography)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bonerad&bhcp=1
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=bonerad
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Conventional Arthrography (Joint X-Ray)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=arthrog&bhcp=1
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=arthrog
- Hand/Wrist/Arm Problems(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/526.printerview.html
- Wrist Pain(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/wrist-pain/DS01003/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Hand Surgery: Anesthesia(American Society for Surgery of the Hand) - http://www.assh.org/Public/HandConditions/Pages/HandSurgeryAnesthesia.aspx
- Wrist Arthroscopy(American Society for Surgery of the Hand, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00001
- Wrist Joint Replacement (Arthroplasty)(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00019
- Wrist/Palm Supports(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/computerworkstations/components_wrist_rests.html
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Magnets for Pain
(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/health/magnet/magnetsforpain.htm
- Basic Wrist and Elbow Rehabilitation(National Aeronautics and Space Administration) - http://rehabworks.ksc.nasa.gov/education/protocols/basicwristelbow.php
- Arthritis of the Wrist(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00218
- DeQuervain's Tendonitis(American Society for Surgery of the Hand) - http://www.assh.org/Public/HandConditions/Pages/deQuervain'sTendonitis.aspx
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Distal Radius Fracture (Colles' Fracture)(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00412
Also available in Spanish http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00479
- Ganglion Cysts(American Society for Surgery of the Hand) - http://www.assh.org/Public/HandConditions/Pages/GanglionCysts.aspx
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Ganglion Cysts
(Patient Education Institute) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/ganglioncysts/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/ganglioncystsspanish/htm/index.htm - Kienböck's Disease(American Society for Surgery of the Hand, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00017
- Scaphoid (Wrist Bone) Fracture(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=253&topcategory=Hand&all=all
- Scaphoid Non-Union(American Society for Surgery of the Hand) - http://www.assh.org/Public/HandConditions/Pages/ScaphoidNon-union.aspx
- Ulnar Tunnel Syndrome of the Wrist(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00025
- Wrist Fractures(American Society for Surgery of the Hand) - http://www.assh.org/Public/HandConditions/Pages/WristFractures.aspx
- Wrist Sprains(American Society for Surgery of the Hand) - http://www.assh.org/Public/HandConditions/Pages/WristSprains.aspx
- Wrist Injury(DSHI Systems) - http://www.freemd.com/wrist-injury/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
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Ganglion Cysts(Patient Education Institute) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/ganglioncysts/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/ganglioncystsspanish/htm/index.htm
- Hand Anatomy(American Society for Surgery of the Hand) - http://www.assh.org/Public/HandAnatomy/Pages/default.aspx
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Bone Cysts(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Bone+Cysts%22
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Evaluating bone union of distal radius fractures by measuring impedance... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19226035&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Pediatric scaphoid fractures. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19202121&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Sonography of masses of the wrist and hand. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19020249&tool=MedlinePlus
- Wrist Injuries and Disorders -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(wrist/ab[majr]+OR+wrist+injuries[majr]+OR+carpal+bones/in[majr]+OR+carpal+bones/ab[majr])+NOT+hand+injuries[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Find a Hand Surgeon(American Society for Surgery of the Hand) - http://www.assh.org/Public/Pages/HandSurgeons.aspx
- Find an Orthopaedist(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://www6.aaos.org/about/public/members.cfm
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons - http://www.aaos.org/
- American Society for Surgery of the Hand - http://www.assh.org/
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National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/niosh/
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National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/
- Computer-Related Repetitive Stress Injuries(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/home/ergonomics.html
- X-Ray Exam: Wrist(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/medical/xray_exam_wrist.html
- Arm Injuries and Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/arminjuriesanddisorders.html
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/carpaltunnelsyndrome.html
- Elbow Injuries and Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/elbowinjuriesanddisorders.html
- Hand Injuries and Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/handinjuriesanddisorders.html
- Shoulder Injuries and Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/shoulderinjuriesanddisorders.html
- Bones, Joints and Muscles - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bonesjointsandmuscles.html
- Injuries and Wounds - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/injuriesandwounds.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Wrist Injuries and Disorders is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/
Wrist Injuries and Disorders - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/wristinjuriesanddisorders.html