Wrist / Hand Arthritis

How to Diagnosis Wrist Arthritis

Because the disease causes the degenerating of cartilage between joints, the damage can be easily seen on an X-Ray which a doctor might employ to further diagnose arthritis after a discussion with you and physical examination.

Symptoms of Wrist Arthritis

Pain is a common symptom, which may come and go and be severe sometimes and less severe other times. It’s been described anywhere from a dull ache to severe sharp pains. It might be described as pain inside the joint or beyond to supporting body parts. Joints may also swell and be warm to the touch. This alone can limit your ability to use the joint properly or you may experience clicking or cracking of the cartilage when you use it. All these symptoms lead to weakness of the joint and surrounding tissue, loss of movement and in severe cases, deformity.

Silver Lining

Pain caused by arthritis often goes away with rest, so it’s important not to over-use your body parts and rest them when you know you’ve exerted a lot. You can adapt your lifestyle activities or employ a brace to support your movement, keep the wrist warm and circulating the best flow of nutrients, blood and oxygen and make yourself, as well as others, more conscious of your condition. Braces are available in a variety of designs and materials, ultimately making it up to the patient’s preference to choose. Depending on the severity of your pain and the parts of the wrist, hand and fingers it affects will further assist you in choosing a support product. Arthritic wrist braces can span the length of your forearm and include or not include your fingers, depending on the support you need and the ease of mobility you want. Arthritic glove products include the palm of the hand and base of the fingers which is a relief to people suffering swelling and pain beyond the wrist and into the hand.

You can also apply heat or ice to reduce swelling as often as you deem necessary. Because inflammation causes pain, this will reduce the pain you experience rather quickly. Gently exercising your joints is non-invasive and a great way to wake them up and warm them before use, if even just going about your daily activities. Over the counter and prescription drugs are available for pain and can be discussed with your physician in the event you want to take treatment a step further. There are several surgical options as well, depending on your diagnosis.