We often take our wrists for granted until they start to hurt. However, this joint is vital to most of the movements we do with our hands and fingers. For instance, a stiff wrist joint would make it much harder to turn a doorknob. It’s just these kinds of normal daily tasks that can become harder when you have wrist pain when bending the wrist.

The key to treating this pain is to first understand what’s causing it. Here are five common issues that can lead to this form of pain.

1. Carpal tunnel syndrome

The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway through the wrist, and it allows the median nerve and flexor tendons to enter the hand. When the median nerve becomes irritated or pinched, it can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome and wrist pain when you bend your wrist. Often, this condition is caused by poor wrist posture when doing repetitive movements like typing. However, any action that places stress on the wrist can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Aside from wrist pain, you may also experience other symptoms with this condition. Some of these symptoms are numbness or tingling in the thumb and fingers and weakness in your hand.

2. Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint conditions, and it can lead to wrist pain when making bending motions. This type of arthritis is typically related to age, and it’s a result of the natural wearing of cartilage in the joints.

When this condition affects the wrist, it can cause the small bones in the joint to rub together. This rubbing leads to irritation that results in inflammation, swelling and pain.

Since this condition stems from wear and tear, it’s more common in older people. However, you can develop it earlier in life if you’ve had a wrist injury from playing sports.

3. Repetitive motion injury

Besides carpal tunnel syndrome, there are other repetitive motion injuries that can cause wrist pain when bending the wrist joint. One example of such an injury is wrist tendinitis.

There are several flexor tendons that run through the wrist, and their job is to help the fingers move and flex. Like the median nerve, these tendons can be irritated and inflamed by repetitive wrist movements you do at work or during sports. This inflammation can lead to pain when you bend your wrist. 

This symptom can also be caused by inflamed bursae. Bursae are pillowlike structures that provide cushioning between the wrist bones and tendons and nerves. Repetitive movements can lead to bursa inflammation, and this condition is called bursitis. In addition to wrist pain, bursitis can also make it more difficult to move the wrist and can lead to swelling.

4. Ganglion cysts

A ganglion cyst is a lump that develops near the joints or tendons in the hand. It can often limit movement in your joints and cause your wrist to hurt when you move it.

Ganglion cysts can become inflamed when irritated, so you must take care to immobilize them so you don’t make the problem worse. A combination of rest and ice can often (though not always) help to get rid of this type of cyst.

5. Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that occurs when your immune system attacks the healthy tissue in your joints, causing inflammation in that part of your body. The inflammation can lead to painful swelling that makes your wrists hurt when you bend them.

It’s unknown what causes this condition, but it is manageable through physical therapy and other treatment strategies.

Find help for wrist pain when bending the wrist at Arrow Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation

At Arrow Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation, our team is committed to helping people reduce their pain as quickly as possible. Your pain-reduction process will typically begin with a free screening. This gives us the chance to figure out what’s causing your pain; then we’ll use this information to create a personalized treatment plan for you. Your plan will be designed to provide you with several benefits: 

• Reduced pain.
• Improved joint mobility.
• Increased ability to do normal daily tasks.

Take the next step to get our help with your wrist pain. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.