Wrist Pain
The wrist has 8 carpal bones and 4 joints. The important structures of the wrist can be divided into several categories. These include:
- bones and joints
- ligaments and tendons
- muscles
- nerves
- blood vessels
Wrist pain affects most people who spend a lot of time typing on a keyboard, which stresses
and injures the ligaments and tendons of the wrist joint. This leads to serious tendonitis, and
in severe cases, a wrist fracture.
The wrist joint is a much neglected joint as we normally do not stretch or strengthen it,
the median nerve could be compressed and could result in tingling, numbness or sense of
weakness to your hands. You may feel the pain radiating around your wrists to your elbow,
or even as far as your shoulder blade and neck. People with a more severe wrist pain will
experience a loss of feeling in some fingers, which will affect their ability to do everyday
tasks such as writing, driving or even just holding a cup.
The Elbow
The elbow is the meeting point of many nerves and blood vessels as they pass from the upper
to the lower arm. The elbow is made up of three long bones, which are connected by muscles,
ligaments and tendons.
The three bones are:
- The humerus - the large upper arm bone
- The ulna and
- The radius - the two bones in the forearm
Looking at the forearm with the palm of your hand facing up, the ulna is located on the inner (medial) aspect of the forearm. The radius is located on the outer (lateral) aspect of the forearm. The radius and ulna meet in the elbow to allow for rotation of the forearm. The elbow functions to move the arm like a hinge (forward and backward) and in rotation (twisting outward and inward).
The muscles that move the fingers and wrists originate at the elbow. The biceps muscle is the
major muscle that flexes the elbow hinge. The triceps muscle is the major muscle that extends
the elbow hinge.
Elbow Pain
Some people experienced pain at the outer bony area of your elbow due to inflammation
of the tendon on the
outer part of the elbow. This is usually caused by repetitive twisting
motions of the wrist and arm during activities such as wringing clothes and turning a tap.
The pain occurs only when they use their forearm and wrist. However, for some, pain is
experienced constantly, even at rest. The pain may travel down your arm from the elbow to
the wrist and can also affect your sleep. You may also find it difficult to straighten your arm
or hold light items such as a cup or a pen.
Elbow pain is more likely to occur if you have unfit forearm muscles. Increasing the strength
of your forearm muscles can help to prevent worsening or getting this condition in the future.
Golfers' Elbow
Golfer’s Elbow (
Medial Epicondylitis) describes a condition where inflammation of
the tendon occurs at the inner bony part of the elbow. The sufferer experiences a dull,
intermittent pain within the inner bony area of the elbow joint, close to what you would call
your “funny bone”. The pain may progress and develop into a sharp continuous pain.
Golfers elbow usually develops as a result of repetitive use of the elbow and arm, causing
undue stress on the tendons that flex the wrist and fingers.
This in turn leads to the development of microscopic tears in the tendons that flex the wrist
and fingers resulting in inflammation and pain. Another very common source of strain occurs
when the forearms rest on a tabletop, desk, or armrest of a chair. Pressure on the flexor
muscles interferes with the normal motion of the muscles as they contract and relax, forcing
the muscles to work harder than necessary when grasping or typing. Golfers elbow can also
develop as a result of direct trauma or after an elbow injury such as a fracture.
Golfers typically do not only experience golfers elbow. Golf injuries usually occur in the
lower back, elbows, shoulders, hands and wrists. The impact and stress of the repetitive
motion of the swing is sometimes hard on the muscles and joints.
Tennis Elbow
Tennis Elbow is not necessarily applicable only to tennis players. The term Tennis Elbow
(
Lateral Epicondylitis) describes pain experienced at the outer bony area of your elbow
due to inflammation of the tendon on the outer part of the elbow. This is usually caused
by repetitive twisting motions of the wrist and arm such as wringing clothes and using the
screwdriver. For most people with tennis elbow, the pain only occurs when they use their
forearm and wrist. However, for some people, the pain is constantly experienced, even at
rest. The pain may travel down your arm from your elbow down to your wrist, affecting your
sleep. You may also find it difficult to straighten your arm or hold even light items such as a
cup or a pen.
Tennis and golfers’ elbow is more likely to occur if you have unfit forearm muscles.
Increasing the strength of your forearm muscles can help to prevent a further bout of tennis
and golf’s elbow in the future. The Body Clinic pain management specialists will help you
strengthen your forearm muscles, without any twisting movements.
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