Pain, aching wrists, beware of wrist arthritis

The wrist joint is made up of many small bones and joints that support the bones of the hand and forearm in moving more flexibly and firmly. Because it has many tasks, the wrist joint is considered very vulnerable, especially when the patient uses his or her hands and feet too much.

Therefore, when experiencing pain and fatigue in the wrist, many people often think that it is simply caused by excessive wrist movement. In fact, wrist arthritis may have already appeared and developed silently.

1.Why do you get wrist arthritis?

Wrist arthritis is caused by many factors, the most common of which are the following:

– Due to injury:Wrist arthritis can be caused by excessive force on the wrist, causing dislocation and arthritis. Common injuries are in daily life, work accidents, traffic accidents, sports, etc.

– Due to the nature of the work:Wrist arthritis can occur in people who use their hands too much and for a long time. Work factors that can cause wrist arthritis include office workers, maids, painters, etc.

– Due to viruses and bacteria:Wrist arthritis can occur due to viral or bacterial infection. During the movement from the blood into the wrist joint capsule, the virus will produce TNF-alpha, a substance that causes arthritis.

– Due to degeneration:Wrist arthritis can occur due to a number of bone and joint diseases that are often accompanied by symptoms of inflammation in the wrist joint such as: Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis.

In addition, people have also noted that wrist arthritis is also due to family characteristics and living conditions. Researchers believe that people with relatives with osteoarthritis have a higher rate of getting the disease than normal and wrist pain and swelling easily start when the weather changes. In addition, if you have carpal tunnel, it also causes inflammation and swelling.

Wrist arthritis has many causes.

2. Symptoms of wrist arthritis

Depending on the cause and severity of the disease, patients with wrist arthritis will have different symptoms. Usually, patients will have pain in the wrist joint, the pain is initially dull and then gradually increases. Wrist arthritis can progress persistently or can start suddenly.

If persistent pain is not treated promptly, it can lead to stiffness, numbness, and difficulty in gripping. If wrist arthritis progresses severely, there will be pain and swelling in the wrist joint, limiting the patient's movement, making it difficult to move flexibly. In some cases, the disease progresses rapidly, leading to joint adhesion, muscle atrophy, and loss of joint function.

3. What to do with wrist arthritis?

Depending on each individual and the severity of the disease, doctors will prescribe treatment. Usually, if the wrist arthritis is mild, the patient only needs to change their lifestyle, limit heavy activities on the wrist and use a splint for a while to improve the disease. If pain relief is needed, the patient can use hot compresses to effectively support the reduction of wrist pain.

If the patient with wrist arthritis needs medication, the doctor will prescribe some medications to help improve symptoms such as anti-inflammatory drugs, non-steroidal pain relievers, cortisone, etc. Surgery is recommended for patients with severe wrist arthritis or other treatment methods are ineffective.

To avoid recurrence of wrist arthritis, make it a habit to rest for 5-10 minutes after every hour of typing.

For mild arthritis, patients only need to change their lifestyle, limit wrist movements and splint their hands. However, surgery is the last resort and should be carefully considered. Therefore, patients should check and treat the disease early for effectiveness.

Because wrist arthritis can recur, to prevent it, patients should follow a scientific lifestyle to maintain a healthy skeletal system. Recommendations show that to prevent wrist arthritis from recurring, patients should limit participation in sports that directly impact the wrist such as badminton, tennis, etc. They should participate in sports with light intensity such as swimming, walking, yoga to avoid causing irritation and damage to the joint socket.

It is necessary to limit carrying heavy objects, this is one of the common causes of wrist joint damage. For people who do work related to their hands, it is necessary to form the habit of resting 5-10 minutes after every hour of typing, painters, housekeepers or sewing... When there are unusual symptoms such as pain and swelling of the wrist joint, you need to go to a medical facility for examination and specific advice.

Dr. Vu Quang