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Home » Products tagged “Arthritis In Wrist”

Arthritis In Wrist

Dr. Max Alastair Trotz

Medically reviewed & edited by Dr. Max Trotz,
MBBS (State Examination), MRCP (Edin), DCH

Old man suffering from wrist pain, possibly due to arthritis

Wrist arthritis is a disease that involves inflammation of the wrist joint and causes pain and stiffness to the point that simple everyday functions become difficult and painful.

As with other types of arthritis, there is no fundamental treatment for wrist arthritis. However, there are treatment options that can relieve the symptoms of the disease. Other treatment options can slow its progression.

If they receive timely and proper medical advice, many people suffering from wrist arthritis are able to keep the symptoms under control and lead active and relatively normal lives.

Wrist Anatomy

The wrist is a complex joint that is actually the intersection of 10 bones:

Two forearm bones – the radius and the ulna;
Eight small bones (the carpal bones) arranged in two rows of four each at the base of each hand.

To help the wrist bones to glide smoothly over each other inside the joint, a healthy bone is covered with a slick cartilage. The cartilage serves as a cushion between the bones as we move our hands and wrists in various ways.

Bones of the wrist

Types of Wrist Arthritis

There are two primary kinds of arthritis that affect the wrist – osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. A further kind is post traumatic arthritis.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a wear and tear disease that damages the bones in the wrist and gradually destroys the smooth cartilage that covers the ends of healthy bones. This causes the bones to rub directly against each other, causing the pain and stiffness noted above, as well as long term joint damage. Wrist osteoarthritis tends to appear on one side i.e. either the left or right wrist only.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is another common form of wrist arthritis and is an auto immune condition that causes the body’s immune system to malfunction and start attacking the lining of joints (the wrist joint in this case). Most cases of rheumatoid arthritis of the wrist tend to appear simultaneously in both the left and right wrists.

Posttraumatic Arthritis

This type of arthritis develops after a traumatic injury to the wrist that either:

Directly damages the bone cartilage, or
Changes the relative positions of the wrist bones in such a way that there is more wear and tear as they rub against each other.

Posttraumatic arthritis can develop years after the causative injury and may appear even though the initial injury has received proper treatment.

Symptoms Of Wrist Arthritis

Although wrist arthritis may be present in a patient, it may not cause symptoms in all cases. In addition, if it is present, the symptoms can vary widely from one patient to another. Even in a particular patient, wrist arthritis symptoms can vary in severity from one day to another.

Having said this, the typical symptoms of arthritis in the wrist (when present) are the following:

Wrist pain;
Wrist swelling;
Stiffness of the wrist joint, or reduced range of motion;
Wrist weakness.

If you are experiencing some or all of these symptoms, we suggest that you talk to your doctor with a view to a formal diagnosis being made. As with many other health conditions, early awareness of the presence of wrist arthritis is one of the keys to successfully managing the condition.

Diagnosis

To make a formal diagnosis of the cause of a patient’s wrist pain and stiffness, a doctor will likely review the patient’s medical history, looking in particular for previous wrist injuries.

The doctor will also probably ask the patient to describe the symptoms in detail, how they vary over the day and what (if anything) makes the pain worse.

The next likely step will be a physical examination of the patient’s hand and wrist to check for things like loss of range of motion, joint instability or swelling. Finger and thumb mobility, as well as nerve function, will also be evaluated. The goal here will be to eliminate other conditions for which the symptoms may be very similar such as carpal tunnel syndrome (which is caused by damage to the median nerve at the wrist). A distinguishing feature of this condition, however, is that the patient usually has pain, pins and needles and/or other sensory disturbance in the part of the hand corresponding to the area supplied by the median nerve. In addition, there can be wasting of the muscles of that part of the hand as well. This wasting, in turn, can lead to weakness of the grip in that affected hand.

If the doctor is still not fully certain, the following tests may be requested:

X rays to determine the location and severity of the arthritis. X rays can also help the doctor determine the type of arthritis the patient may have;
Blood tests to further help the doctor determine the type of arthritis the patient has. Rheumatoid and other inflammatory forms of arthritis produce changes in blood composition that can be revealed by blood tests. For example, gout (although it doesn’t commonly occur in the wrist) tends to be associated with unusually high levels of uric acid. However, uric acid levels are not always high. Osteoarthritis does not usually cause abnormalities in blood tests. Therefore, blood tests are not usually helpful in making a diagnosis of this type of arthritis.

Treatment of Wrist Arthritis

As mentioned earlier, there is no fundamental cure for wrist arthritis that will reverse the underlying cause. Since the joint changes are irreversible, the disease cannot be eradicated once it has developed.

However, doctors can suggest a range of measures to reduce the severity of its symptoms and to slow the progression of the condition.

There are both non-surgical and surgical treatment options.

Non Surgical Treatment

Doctors will initially try to manage wrist arthritis using non-surgical approaches. These may include:

Activity modification, i.e. restricting participation in activities that worsen the symptoms;
Immobilization of the wrist joint by means of a wrist splint can reduce the pain caused by bones rubbing against each other. Over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can help to relieve pain and inflammation;
A physical therapist can devise a program of wrist exercises to help the patient to regain wrist range of motion and strength;
Steroid injections into the wrist joint can be used to combat inflammatory forms of arthritis. However, these effects are unlikely to be permanent. The pain relief can last anywhere from six weeks to six months;
Hot & cold therapies can be used alternately to reduce pain and improve the blood supply to the wrist joint.

Surgical Options

If the conservative treatments described above do not succeed in relieving wrist arthritis symptoms, doctors may then suggest a range of surgical treatments for consideration. The shared goal of surgical treatment options is to eliminate or reduce bone on bone contact within the wrist.

These options may include:

Proximal row carpectomy, which involves removal of 3 carpal bones from the row closer to the forearm;
Fusing some or all of the wrist bones together to prevent them from rubbing against each other. This procedure is called arthrodesis. However, this procedure will inevitably result in loss of wrist function;
Complete wrist replacement, which involves first removing damaged cartilage and bone from the wrist. The surgeon then inserts new metal or joint surfaces in their place. This is analogous to knee replacement surgery. It leaves the patient with more wrist movement than does partial or complete wrist bone fusion.

Suggested Arthritis In Wrist Products

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Brand

BioSkin®(3)
Cando®(2)
McDavid®(2)
Mueller® Sports Medicine(1)

Product Category

Compression Wear(1)
- Compression Glove(1)
Orthopedic Bracing & Support(5)
- Wrist Brace(5)
  - Wrist Splint(4)
  - Wrist Support(1)
Clinic Equipment & Supplies(2)
- Exercise Rehabilitation(2)
  - Hand Flexion(2)

Price Range

In Stock

Boomerang
Wrist Support
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Treatment for wrist pain, general wrist support
The Bio Skin Boomerang comfortably provides compression and support to treat wrist pain for minor wrist problems. The wrap is easy to apply and is universal left or right. Constructed of Bio Skin’s patented, Ultima 2SL™ material, the Boomerang is comforatble to wear, while providing optimal wrist support. Bio Skin is hypo-allergenic and 100% neoprene free and latex free, so you don’t have to worry about skin irritations.
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Compression Gloves
Compression Glove
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In Stock
Mueller Sports Medicine Compression Gloves help relieve the pain associated with arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome.
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This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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DP2 Wrist Brace
Wrist Splint
Rated 5.00 out of 5

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- Cock-up Wrist brace for carpal tunnel syndrome and more
- The BioSkin DP2 Wrist brace was designed to be the most comfortable and functional wrist brace ever.
- Constructed with BioSkin`s patented Ultima 2s material, the DP2 features a thin layer of ultra-soft micro-fleece against the skin, which wicks moisture away from the body, keeping you cool and dry.
- There are no laces and the straps don`t need to be threaded through loops to be tightened, so the brace can easily be applied with one hand.
- Both dorsal and palmar stays are removable and can be reshaped by hand to customize the shape of the brace.
- The DP2 is low profile and allows full use of your fingers, while limiting motion in the wrist to ease the pain caused by carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, sprains, and bursitis.
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DP3 Wrist Brace
Wrist Splint
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In Stock
Wrist brace for carpal tunnel syndrome and more
The BioSkin DP3 Wrist brace was designed to be the most comfortable and functional wrist brace ever. Constructed with Bio Skin`s patented Ultima 2s material, the DP3 features a thin layer of ultra-soft micro-fleece against the skin, which wicks moisture away from the body, keeping you cool and dry. There are no laces and the straps don`t need to be threaded through loops to be tightened, so the brace can easily be applied with one hand. The dorsal and palmar stays are removable and can be reshaped by hand to customize the shape of the brace. The DP3 is low profile and allows full use of your fingers, while limiting motion in the wrist to ease the pain caused from carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, sprains, and bursitis.
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Hyperblend Wrist Support
Wrist Splint
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Typically Ships in 3-5 Business Days
The McDavid Hyperblend Wrist Support combines the supportive qualities or perforated neoprene and the compression of advanced knit materials to produce a lightweight wrist brace with superior compression to other traditional wrist supports.
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Memory Foam Squeeze Ball
Hand Flexion
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Typically Ships in 1-2 weeks
Memory Foam Squeeze Balls are similar to putty in pliability and “workability” and feature 3 colour coded resistance levels.
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Pro Hand Exerciser
Hand Flexion
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Typically Ships in 1-2 weeks
The Pro hand Exerciser is suited for larger hands and has 5 colour coded resistance levels. It uses heavier tension than most other hand exercisers.
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Wrist Brace / Adjustable
Wrist Splint
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Typically Ships in 3-5 Business Days
The McDavid Wrist Brace / Adjustable has a medical quality splint that adds further support and stability. It also incorporates hook and loop closures for custom fit and comfort.
Level 3: Maximum Protection – Relieving pain from conditions such as carpel tunnel, arthritis, tendonitis and sprains
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