Your wrist is one of your body’s most delicate, intricate, and complex features. Your wrist is a crucial link between your forearm and your hand. If you are experiencing pain, specifically on one side of your wrist, seeking a specialist’s expertise can improve your quality of life.
The pain you are experiencing may be radial wrist pain. Our highly trained specialist at Georgia Hand, Shoulder & Elbow can determine the cause of your pain as well as render treatment, if necessary. Schedule an appointment with our expert team at our Atlanta or Marietta, Georgia locations today!
Radial-sided wrist pain is pain that can be felt on the thumb side of your forearm and is a common patient complaint.
Your forearm is made up of two bones:
The radius bone is larger than the ulna, and it connects your elbow to the “thumb side” of your wrist. Your radius also plays a vital role because it supports several muscles, ligaments, tendons, and blood vessels. You may feel radial wrist pain if damage occurs to these soft tissues.
While your wrist is made up of small bones and joints that allow you to move your hand in several different directions, your radius can play a major role in wrist pain.
There are many factors that can cause pain on the radial side of your wrist, including:
There are several risk factors that can cause radial-sided wrist discomfort. These risk factors can include, but are not limited to:
Your treatment will vary depending on the severity of your injury. Once an accurate diagnosis has been made, your treatment may be in the form of immobilization, such as a splint or a cast. Anti-inflammatory medication may also be recommended by your specialist.
At Georgia Hand, Shoulder & Elbow, we aim to help you recover through non-surgical methods. However, there are times when the severity of the injury requires surgical treatment to repair the bone. This may be the case if you have fractured your radius.
After surgery, physical therapy may be recommended to assist you in regaining your strength and the functionality of your wrist. If left untreated, your discomfort can turn into chronic pain.
Let our experts provide the pain relief you deserve! We have offices conveniently located in Marietta and Atlanta, GA. Schedule an appointment with one of our Georgia Hand, Shoulder & Elbow experts today!
Randall Alexander, MD