Have you had an injury to the wrist and unsure of why it is still giving you grief?
Possible situations where you may feel this?
Possibly located at the inner side of the wrist, that is, below your little finger
While you do any twisting movements of the wrist like turning a doorknob, wringing out wet clothes.
lifting or carrying weights with your palms facing upwards
Difficulty/ Pain in weight bearing while exercising
Difficulty/Pain in trying to push yourself up either from the chair or from the ground.
If this has been the case for you, you may have possibly injured your TFCC (Triangular Fibro-cartilaginous complex).This complex contributes to the stability of the inner side of the wrist joint and the forearm against loads put through it.
It is frequently injured by either falling on an outstretched hand or by lifting heavy objects awkwardly or heavy twisting motion. It can also be associated with fractures which can be often missed as X-ray’s will not show soft tissue injuries.
Do I need scans to diagnose?
Not necessarily. A Physiotherapist can conduct a detailed examination which would focus on the impairments, special tests that would isolate the TFCC with detailed history and this can often suggest the diagnosis and management.
Do I need surgery for this?
Surgery can be avoided in case of TFCC injuries, as per the latest clinical studies, as the risks associated with surgery far outweighs what rehabilitation would look like. However we will refer you to a good hand therapist or hand surgeon that we work closely with, should you need further assessment and opinion.
What should I do for wrist pain?
In case of acute injuries - Let’s keep it simple!!!
Initiate with with our favourite acronym for the management of injuries...PEACE & LOVE:
Protection - Avoid any activities during the first few days that give you pain.
Elevation - Keep the arm above the heart level to avoid any swelling.
Avoid Anti-inflammatories - As they reduce the healing properties, anti-inflammatory medications should be avoided.
Compression - Taping or bandage could help to reduce swelling.
Education - Avoid unnecessary passive treatments and medical investigations and let nature play it’s role.
Load - Let pain guide your gradual return to normal activities. Your body will tell you when it’s safe to increase load
Optimism - Condition your brain for optimal recovery by being confident and positive.
Vascularisation - Choose pain free cardiovascular activities to increase blood flow to the repairing tissues.
Exercise - Restore mobility, strength by adopting an active approach to recovery.
A Physiotherapist will help you guide you through the rehabilitation which we would aim at strength, grading/pacing activities to improve pain and gain stability in the wrist.
It is also important to make all the overworking/fatigued muscles relaxed before building them back up. ( A video of a spikey ball on the wall and maybe all 4s exs here). A wrist widget fitted by your Physio that can be used temporarily until your pain settles and keeps you at work, gym and sport, ensuring more stability.
