Wrist tendonitis is irritation and inflammation of the tendons at the wrist joint.
It can be due to overuse and repetitive movements like texting, playing video games, or writing.
You’ll learn the symptoms and causes of wrist tendonitis and how it’s diagnosed and treated.
Verywell / Joshua Seong
Verywell / Joshua Seong
What Is Wrist Tendonitis?
Tendonsare structures that connect a muscle to bone.
They allow joints to move.
The wrist tendons connect your forearm muscles to the hand and finger bones.
This can lead to pain when you move the wrist.
Tendon Sheaths
The wrist tendons glide through fluid-filledtendon sheaths.
These help with smooth movement.
When the sheath is inflamed, it’s calledtenosynovitis.
That’s due to their anatomy plus common activities.
In others, the main feature is chronic damage to the tendon (tendinosis).
Diagnosis
Healthcare providers diagnose wrist tendonitis based in part on your symptoms.
They’ll also give you a physical exam.
Specific stretches can be used to identify which tendon is hurting.
One example is a test forde Quervain’s tenosynovitis.
That’s a throw in of tendonitis often seen shortly after childbirth.
This is called the Finkelstein test.
Imaging typically isn’t needed to diagnose tendonitis.
But your provider may want an X-ray to check for fractures or arthritis.
An X-ray doesn’t show tendonitis.
Ultrasounds and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be useful, though.
They can show whether there’s fluid around the aggravated tendon.
Home Remedies
Early goals usually focus on controlling inflammation and allowing the tendon time to heal.
Most of the time surgery can be done with local anesthesia.
If the damage to the tendons is extreme, surgery may require general anesthesia.
Physical therapy might be recommended while your wrist heals, which can take several weeks to a few months.
Possible risks include:
Preventing Flare-Ups
Prevent flare-ups of wrist tendonitis by modifying activities that aggravate it.
This may mean changing the way you lift or adjusting your grip.
Other steps include:
If you could’t control the symptoms, see your healthcare provider.
Summary
Tendonitis is common in the six main tendons around your wrist joint.
This painful condition can be due to injury, overuse, and inflammatory disorders.
It’s diagnosed based on symptoms, a physical exam, and simple tests.
You may or may not be sent for imaging, like X-rays or an MRI.
Treatment with rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory medication may help.
Hand therapy and steroid injections may also work to speed up recovery time for wrist tendonitis.
Surgery is a last resort.
Modify your activities to keep tendonitis from coming back.
If you need help with this, talk to your healthcare provider or physical therapist.
Talk to your healthcare provider about your options.
Most types of wrist tendonitis do get a lot better with treatment.
Stick to the regimen and be careful how you use the injured wrist.
That’ll help you get back to doing the activities you enjoy.
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