Ulnar wrist pain
DEFINITION
Ulnar wrist pain is pain on the side of your wrist opposite the thumb. The pain is often mild at first, but can become severe enough to prevent you from doing simple tasks.
Ulnar wrist pain can vary, depending on the cause. It may worsen when you grip something or twist your wrist. Ulnar wrist pain can be hard to diagnose because it has a number of possible causes, including:
- Trauma. Falling with your wrist outstretched is one way to cause ulnar wrist pain. Injuries that occur during sports that may overextend the wrist — such as racket sports, golf and football — also can cause ulnar wrist pain by damaging ligaments or tendons in the wrist.
- Overuse. In addition to causing wrist pain from injuries, sports such as tennis or golf can cause problems due to overuse. Using a computer mouse or keyboard in a position that causes stress on the wrist can lead to wrist pain due to overuse. Certain occupations also can lead to overuse problems in the wrist, such as carpentry and plumbing, because they often must use tools in small spaces that require awkward positioning of the wrist.
- Arthritis. As with other joints, arthritis in the wrist can result in pain.
Finding the exact cause of your wrist pain can be difficult. But when diagnosed correctly, ulnar wrist pain can be treated with surgery and other methods.
