What problems does arthritis of the wrist cause?

Pain is the main symptom of osteoarthritis of any joint. At first, the pain comes only with activity. Most of the time the pain lessens while doing the activity, but after stopping the activity the pain and stiffness increase. As the condition worsens, you may feel pain even when resting. The pain may interfere with sleep.

The wrist joints may be swollen. Your wrist may fill with fluid and feel tight, especially after use. When all the articular cartilage is worn off the joint surface, you may notice a squeaking sound when you move your wrist. Doctors call this creaking crepitus.

Osteoarthritis eventually affects the wrist’s motion. The wrist joint becomes stiff. Certain motions become painful. You may not be able to trust the joint when you lift objects in certain positions. This is because a pain reflex freezes the muscles when a joint is put in a position that causes pain. This happens without warning, and you can end up dropping whatever is in your hand.

How will by health care provider identify this condition?

When you visit PRI Physical Therapy, the diagnosis of wrist osteoarthritis will begin with a medical history. Our Physical Therapist will ask questions about your pain, how it interferes with your daily life, and whether anyone in your family has had similar problems. It is especially important to tell us about the details of any wrist injuries you’ve had, even if they happened many years ago.

Our Physical Therapist will then physically examine your wrist joint, and possibly other joints in your body. It may hurt when your Physical Therapist moves or probes your sore wrist. But it is important that we see how your wrist moves, how it is aligned, and exactly where it hurts.

Some patients may be referred to a doctor for further diagnosis. Once your diagnostic examination is complete, the Physical Therapists at PRI will have treatment options that will help speed your recovery, so that you can more quickly return to your active lifestyle.

Non-surgical Rehabilitation

In almost all cases, it is preferable to try nonsurgical treatments first. Surgery is usually not considered until it has become impossible to control your symptoms.

To get rid of your pain, you may also need to limit your activities. You may even need to change jobs, if your work requires heavy, repetitive motions with the hand and wrist.

The first step in your Physical Therapy rehabilitation program is to help you manage your pain and use your wrist without causing more harm. Our Physical Therapist may recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin and ibuprofen, to help control swelling and pain.

Our rehabilitation services have a critical role in the treatment plan for wrist joint arthritis. The main goal of our Physical Therapy is to help you learn how to control symptoms and maximize the health of your wrist. Our Physical Therapist will teach you ways to calm your pain and symptoms. We may also implement other treatments, such as heat and topical rubs to control your pain.

Our Physical Therapist may have you fitted with a special brace to help support the wrist and reduce your pain during activity. We may use range-of-motion and stretching exercises to improve your wrist motion. Dexterity and fine motor exercises are then used to get your hand moving smoothly. Eventually we will have you do strength exercises for the arm and hand. Strengthening exercises help steady the wrist and protect the joint from shock and stress. Our Physical Therapist will give you tips on how to get your tasks done with less strain on the joint and keep your symptoms under control.

Although the rate of recovery is different for each person, you can expect to progress to a home program within about four to six weeks.

Post-surgical Rehabilitation

Your hand and wrist will be bandaged with a well-padded dressing and a splint for support after surgery. Although the time needed for rehabilitation varies, you may need to attend Physical Therapy sessions for up to three months after surgery.

Our first few treatment sessions will focus on controlling the pain and swelling after surgery. We will then have you begin exercises that help strengthen and stabilize the muscles around the wrist joint. You will do other exercises to improve the fine motor control and dexterity of your hand. Our Physical Therapist will give you tips on ways to do your activities without straining the wrist joint.

Our Physical Therapists work collaboratively with their patients and their doctors to design personalized treatment plans to meet your individual challenges, needs and goals. For more information, contact us at

Tel:      (416) 477-1101

E-mail: reception@priclinic.com

Web:   www.priclinic.com