Wrist pain

Your wrist is the joint between your forearm and your hand. The anatomy of your wrist is complex. For this reason, it can be hard to know the cause of your wrist pain.

Wrist pain is a common complaint that affects many people.  Wrist pain can severely affect your quality of life. It can be acute (for example, a wrist sprain that lasts for around 2 weeks) or chronic (lasting more than 3 weeks).

If you have wrist pain, your pain may be:

• dull, achy or sharp
• felt in different parts of your wrist, including the left or right side or into your hand or forearm
• felt when you try to move your wrist in certain ways, such as when you extend your thumb, open a jar or twist a key

Along with pain you may also notice:

• tingling ('pins and needles')
• numbness
• weakness in your grip, hand and fingers
• swelling
• your wrist is pale, red or warm to touch
• stiffness
• fever, nausea, lightheadedness or dizziness

If your symptoms are severe, you may not be able to do activities you normally do.

You can develop sudden (acute) wrist pain because of:

• injuries (for example, fractures, sprains or strains from accidents or falls)
• infections (for example from bite wounds, cellulitis or some types of arthritis)

You can develop chronic wrist pain because of:

• fractures in your wrist that have not healed properly
• osteoarthritis of your thumb joint
• cartilage injuries
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• ganglion cysts
• De Quervain's disease
• repetitive strain injuries

Some jobs or hobbies that involve physical strain or repetitive movements increase your risk of wrist pain such as:

• working as a manual labourer, or some healthcare professions
• certain sports, such as gymnastics

Your doctor can diagnose the cause of your wrist pain by:

• asking you questions about your medical history, occupation, hobbies and symptoms
• examining your wrist, including looking at your wrist to check for changes in your skin or swelling, feeling your wrist and moving your hands in certain directions
• referring you for imaging tests, for example an x-ray, ultrasound, MRI or CT scan

Sometimes, your doctor may not be able to find what is causing your wrist pain.

See your doctor if you experience wrist pain and other symptoms that have either come on suddenly or have lasted a few months.

You should go to the emergency department if:

• you have severe wrist pain
• you had a trauma (sudden severe injury) to your wrist
• you heard a 'snap, grinding or pop' in your wrist
• your wrist looks pale or abnormal
• you have suddenly lost strength in your wrist

Treatment for wrist pain may include self-care, medicines, physiotherapy, immobilisation (taping or wrapping to prevent movement) or surgery. Your treatment plan will depend on what is causing your pain.

Self-care at home

If you have strained or sprained your wrist, follow the 'RICE' recommendations (Opens in new tab): 

• Rest — avoid activities that cause pain.
• Ice — wrap ice cubes, frozen vegetables or an ice pack in a damp towel and apply on the affected area for 10 minutes every 1 to 2 hours.
• Compression — apply a firm bandage that does not block your circulation or cause any extra pain.
• Elevate — raise your wrist above your heart. A sling can be helpful.

You should also follow 'NO HARM' recommendations:

• No Heat
• No Alcohol
• No Running or similar activity
• No Massage

Medicines for wrist pain

Your doctor may recommend:

• paracetamol
• NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen
• steroid injections or tablets

It is important you follow your doctor's or pharmacist's instructions when taking pain relief medicines. Speak with them before you start a new medicine, to make sure they are safe for you.

Other treatment options

Other treatments that may help you include:

• immobilisation and casts — if you have a fracture.
• splints — help support your joint (especially if you have arthritis or De Quervain's tenosynovitis). An occupational therapist can help you find the right splint.
• physiotherapy — can include exercises and massage
• surgery — this may be an option if other treatments have failed, or you have carpal tunnel syndrome or a fracture that did not heal properly.
• acupuncture can help relieve pain and improve your hand function immediately after your treatment and in the short-term. Acupuncture should be used with other therapies. There is limited research on how well acupuncture can treat carpal tunnel syndrome.

If your wrist pain is not treated properly, you are at risk of your wrist being damaged and your pain can become chronic (long term). For example, if you have a fractured wrist and that does not heal properly, you are at risk of developing wrist osteoarthritis. This can also happen if you injure your wrist again after it has healed.

If you have wrist pain because your job or hobby is physically demanding or involves repetitive movements, you can prevent pain by improving your ergonomics. Ergonomics is all about adapting your job, equipment and body so you can do your tasks safely.

Here are some tips to help protect your wrists:

• Keep your wrist in a straight or neutral position when using a computer mouse.
• Avoid repetitive movements, such as frequent turning, twisting or bending parts of your body, especially your wrist.
• Pace yourself and find a balance between activity and rest.

• Visit Musculoskeletal Health Australia to learn more about hand conditions and how to protect your wrist (Opens in new tab).
• Learn about wrist sprains (Opens in new tab) and how a physiotherapist can help you at Australian Physiotherapy Association.
• Call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 at any time to speak to a registered nurse (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria) for more information and advice.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

• Pain Management Network (Opens in new tab) has pain management resources for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

Other languages

• Musculoskeletal Health Australia (Opens in new tab) has fact sheets on osteoarthritis in Arabic, Hindi, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Spanish and Vietnamese.
• Arthritis Australia (Opens in new tab) has information about arthritis and its management in many community languages.