Injury and certain health conditions, including arthritis, can cause your wrist to hurt. Symptoms like swelling or numbness can vary depending on the underlying cause.

Wrist pain is any discomfort felt in the wrist. It can be caused by various issues.

Although the wrist is a small part of the body, it’s made up of eight bones, ligaments, and tendons, making it a somewhat delicate area.

The following conditions are common causes of wrist pain:

Carpal tunnel syndrome

The median nerve is one of the three major nerves in the forearm. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve becomes compressed, or pinched. It’s located on the palm side of your hand, providing sensation to the following parts of the hand:

  • thumb
  • index finger
  • middle finger
  • part of the ring finger

The median nerve also provides the electrical impulse to the muscle leading to the thumb. Carpal tunnel syndrome can occur in one or both of your hands.

Aside from causing wrist pain, carpal tunnel syndrome can lead to:

  • numbness
  • weakness
  • tingling on the side of your hand near the thumb

Risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome include:

  • performing repetitive tasks with your hands, such as typing, drawing, or sewing
  • pregnancy
  • having certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, arthritis, or an underactive thyroid
  • having a family history of carpal tunnel, as anatomic differences can run in families

Wrist injury

An injury to your wrist can also cause pain. Falling and catching yourself with your hands is a common way to injure the area.

Swelling, bruising, or disfigured joints near the wrist may be symptoms of a fracture, tendonitis, or a tendon or ligament tear. Even if the bone is unharmed, the nerves or tissue around the wrist can become injured.

Gout

Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis that is typically caused by a buildup of uric acid. Uric acid is a chemical produced when your body breaks down foods that contain organic compounds called purines.

Most uric acid is dissolved in the blood and removed from the body through urination. However, in some cases, the body produces too much uric acid. In other cases, it does not excrete it properly.

This excess uric acid can be deposited in the joints, resulting in pain and swelling. Gout pain frequently occurs in the knees, ankles, wrists, and feet.

Arthritis

Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints that can cause swelling and stiffness in the affected body part. It has many causes, including normal wear and tear, aging, and overworking the hands.

There are many forms of arthritis, but the most common types that can affect the wrist include:

  • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that can affect both wrists. It develops when the immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of your joints, including your wrists. This can cause painful swelling, which may eventually result in bone erosion.
  • Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that’s common among older adults. It is caused by a breakdown of the cartilage that covers the joints. The protective tissue is damaged over time and through repeated motion. This increases the friction as the bones of the joint rub against each other, resulting in swelling and pain.

Ganglion cysts

These benign, noncancerous, and usually harmless lumps occur most often in the hand, usually on the back of the wrist.

It’s not known what causes ganglion cysts, but, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, they tend to appear most often in:

  • individuals ages 15 to 40 years
  • gymnasts (because of the repeated stress to their wrists)
  • individuals assigned female at birth

Ganglion cysts are often painless, but if they’re putting pressure on a joint or nerve, they can cause pain in the wrist area. Treatment for ganglion cysts varies from waiting to see if they will go away on their own to wearing a splint to draining them.

Wrist tendonitis

A person’s wrist contains many tendons. Together, they allow movement of the wrist, hand, and fingers. Wrist tendonitis refers to inflammation of a tendon within the wrist. This condition typically causes pain and swelling and may result in a reduced range of movement in the wrist.

The following factors may cause or contribute to wrist tendonitis:

  • age
  • poor posture in the wrists
  • poorly aligned joints
  • an acute injury from a fall or other impact
  • diabetes

Stretching, splinting, and icing can usually relieve the symptoms of tendonitis with minimal treatment. OTC medications can also help control pain and swelling.

A person can take preventive steps to avoid wrist tendonitis. These include exercising the wrists and taking regular breaks from repetitive activities that may strain them.

Kienbock’s disease

A rare disease that causes the lunate bone in the wrist to slowly break down due to low blood supply, Kienbock’s disease can cause:

  • wrist pain
  • swelling
  • decreased grip strength

It’s not known what causes Kienbock’s disease, and symptoms can range from mild to more severe. The condition can be treated with:

  • medication
  • splinting the area
  • surgery to increase blood flow to the area

Treatment options for wrist pain can vary depending on the cause.

Carpal tunnel

Treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome may include:

  • wearing a wrist brace or splint to reduce swelling and ease wrist pain
  • applying hot or cold compresses for 10 to 20 minutes at a time
  • taking anti-inflammatory or pain-relieving medications, such as ibuprofen or naproxen
  • steroid injections
  • physical therapy
  • having surgery to reduce pressure on the median nerve, in severe cases

Gout

Treatment for gout may consist of:

  • taking an anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen or naproxen
  • drinking lots of water to reduce the concentration of uric acid
  • cutting back on high fat foods and alcohol
  • taking medication your doctor prescribes to decrease the uric acid in your body

Ganglion cyst

Treatment for ganglion cysts can include:

  • wearing a splint to keep the wrist from moving
  • aspiration (draining the cyst)
  • surgically removing the cyst

Kienbock’s disease

Kienbock’s disease is typically treated by:

  • keeping the wrist immobile
  • taking pain medication
  • surgery to restore blood flow to the wrist
  • surgery to even out the length of the arm bones

Wrist injury

If you have sustained a wrist injury, you can help promote healing by:

  • wearing a wrist splint
  • resting your wrist and keeping it elevated
  • taking a mild pain reliever, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen
  • placing an ice pack on the affected area for several minutes at a time to reduce the swelling and pain

If you have arthritis, consider visiting a physical therapist. A physical therapist can show you how to do strengthening and stretching exercises that can help your wrist.

A variety of issues can cause wrist pain, from simply sitting at the computer for too long to a more serious issue like Kienbock’s disease or rheumatoid arthritis.

If you’ve been experiencing pain in your wrist that does not seem to go away, talk with your doctor about your symptoms.

Most wrist conditions can be treated with over-the-counter medication, exercises, splints or casts, surgery, or a combination of these treatments.