Many people confuse a wrist sprain with wrist tendonitis, but the two are very different conditions. A wrist sprain affects the ligaments in the wrist that connect one bone to another. Wrist tendonitis, on the other hand, affects the tendons in the wrist that connect bones and muscles.
Your wrist is surrounded by tendons that are used every time you use your hands. Repetitive use of the wrist can cause irritation of the tendons around the wrist joint (especially those that cross or cross protruding bones). As a result, the tendon sheath swells, causing inflammation and pain.
Wrist tendonitis is a common health problem treated by doctors at pain management clinics in South Florida because the wrist is one of the most overused joints in the body.
Causes of wrist tendonitis
Wrist tendonitis is a form of repetitive strain injury (RSI). As mentioned before, activities that use your wrist repetitively and repetitive motions can make your wrist more susceptible to tendonitis. Here are some reasons:
- Reuse vibrating tools or equipment such as sewing machines, chainsaws, or jackhammers.
- Typing on a computer, playing an instrument, or any activity that requires repetitive movement of fingers or wrists.
- Sports that require repetitive bending or movements of the wrist, such as golf, tennis, baseball, or bowling.
It is important to know the exact cause of wrist tendonitis so that your doctor can make the correct diagnosis and provide appropriate help. That’s why it’s also important to know its symptoms.
Do you have tendonitis in your wrist?
Wrist tendonitis can be painful. Even worse, it can affect the way you go about your daily activities. You can easily detect if you have a problem with your wrist because most symptoms of wrist tendonitis occur in the wrist joint itself. Here are the symptoms to watch out for:
- Dull pain in the wrist that gradually gets worse, sometimes affecting surrounding areas such as the hand and forearm.
- Stiffness in the wrist, especially in the morning.
- Tenderness around the wrist, especially when pressure is placed on the injured tendon.
- Swelling in the area around the wrist joint.
- A crepitus or crunching sensation may occur in the wrist as the injured tendon moves.
- There is a warm feeling on the wrist.
Our qualified pain doctors will study these signs to provide you with the correct diagnosis. Once he confirms that you have wrist tendinitis, he will provide you with guidance on how to manage the injury.
Using PRP to Treat and Manage Wrist Tendinitis
PRP, or platelet-rich plasma therapy, is a cell-free therapy widely used to treat tendinosis and tendonitis. This is a non-surgical method that promotes healing by injecting platelet-rich plasma from the patient’s own blood.
Initially, the doctor will draw blood from the patient. The blood components are separated by centrifugation and the platelet-rich fraction is removed. Using ultrasound-guided injection, platelets are injected into the injured wrist.
Research shows that using PRP to treat tendinopathy can produce positive results. These include increased tenocyte regeneration, reduced inflammation, and increased expression of anabolic genes and proteins.
Learn more about our South Florida pain management experts
Our pain clinics in Aventura and pain clinics in Hollywood offer comprehensive interventional pain management services. Our pain specialists are experts at performing procedures such as spinal cord stimulation, platelet-rich plasma injections, epidural steroid injections and other innovative techniques to help you relieve pain and restore your quality of life. If you have any questions, please contact us.
The information contained on this website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute the provision of medical advice and does not substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.
