Over View

Pain and stiffness are common symptoms of arthritis. Your wrist is made up of many small joints, and inflammation in these areas can be a sign of arthritis. Arthritis attacks your bones by destroying the cartilage, causing your bones to rub against one another. Other signs and symptoms of arthritis of the wrist include:

  • stiffness
  • weakness
  • swelling
  • limited range of motion
  • clicking, cracking, or grinding sounds on movement

There are four types of arthritis that can affect the wrist:

  • osteoarthritis (OA): develops overtime as cartilage naturally wears down
  • rheumatoid arthritis (RA): an autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack its own tissues
  • psoriatic arthritis: an inflammatory skin and joint disease
  • posttraumatic arthritis (PA): occurs after an injury to the wrist

People with RA are more likely to have arthritis in their wrists. Over time, arthritis may make it hard to bend your wrists or perform daily activities.

Wrist arthritis Symptoms

  • Swelling
  • Redness
  • Reduced range of motion
  • Joint pain
  • Can be worse in the morning
  • Hand pain
  • Numbness

How do you treat wrist arthritis?

Arthritis doesn’t have a cure but treatments can help manage your symptoms and relieve pain. You can also try limiting activities that cause pain in your wrist, if possible. A splint may help with this, as it eases physical stress and provides support. You can order a custom-made splint to cover your wrist and forearm or get an arthritis glove. These allow you to wiggle your fingers.

Anti-inflammatories and other medications

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) decrease inflammation in the wrist joints. Aspirin and ibuprofen are both NSAIDs. There’s also anti-inflammatory gel, which doesn’t have the side effects oral medication may have.

Injections

If your symptoms are moderate or severe, your doctor may offer you steroid, or cortisone, injections. These injections provide anti-inflammatory effects. They can bring relief and improvement in arthritis symptoms. But these effects may only be temporary.

If surgery is indicated, a surgeon can remove bones, fuse bones, or replace them in an attempt to decrease pain and, in some cases, increase function.