What is Wrist Arthritis and do you know what it feels like?

Dr.Neeraj Godara, 5 mins read

Most of us know about arthritis, a disease that affects joints due to inflammation, accompanied by pain and stiffness; the most common symptoms of the disease. Arthritis can arise in any joint, and hand and wrist arthritis are no different. Our wrists comprise a network of many small joints, and if there is inflammation in them, it is almost certainly a possible sign of arthritis. Did you know you can also get rheumatoid arthritis in the wrists? Simply put, arthritis affects our bones by destroying the cartilage that surrounds and cushions them; causing bones to rub against one another and get damaged while doing so

The most commonly reported signs and symptoms of wrist arthritis are stiffness in the wrist with weakness and swelling, this will allow for only a very limited range of motion which will also be painful. You’ll be able to hear a clicking, cracking, or grinding sound when trying to move your wrist.

Here are the types of arthritis that affect the wrist:

• Osteoarthritis in the wrist develops naturally over some time as the cartilage wears down
• Rheumatoid arthritis in the wrist will be the cause of an autoimmune disease, where the body will attack its tissues
• Psoriatic arthritis in the wrist is because of inflammatory skin and joint disease
• Post-traumatic arthritis (PA) in the wrist will occur as a result of an injury to the wrist.

People with rheumatoid arthritis are more susceptible to getting arthritis in the wrists and over time, arthritis can also make it extraordinarily difficult to even bend your wrists or perform the simplest nonstressful activities. There’s no cure for arthritis but severe symptoms can be avoided entirely with timely intervention. Aakash Healthcare provides you fast and the best access to the best doctors for hand and wrist arthritis in Delhi, the best orthopaedic doctors in Delhi, alongside some of the best physiotherapists in Dwarka, to avoid debilitating wrist arthritis in the future.

Symptoms of Wrist Arthritis

What you must know is that no two cases of arthritis are the same: people with arthritis will not have the same symptoms. How the symptoms evolve causally depends on the type of arthritis a person has and how severe their condition is. Rheumatoid arthritis will usually lead to long-lasting swelling, stiffness, and redness of the joints. Those who have rheumatoid arthritis also end up feeling general discomfort, fatigue, and loss of appetite. You can read the different symptoms of wrist arthritis depending on the severity of arthritis that is causing it.

Mild Arthritis

Patients who have mild arthritis will naturally experience mild symptoms and many patients can’t describe the symptoms to our doctors for wrist pain, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what the wrist feels like. Some patients describe the pain as an unusual feeling that’s “deep” within the wrist while others say that their wrist just hurts. There’s also a chance that people will feel a painful sensation on their wrist when they turn a door knob or handle open jars, or while gripping objects like racquets

Moderate Arthritis

In this, people report a low-level throbbing sensation all the time in their wrists. Moving is hard and there may even be pain while resting. After a while, the effects of arthritic inflammation will also become more prominent.

Severe Arthritis

In this, almost any and every activity hurts your wrist. People still experience flare-ups, but the pain is persistent. Along with decreased motion: a physical deformity may also become more noticeable as the tissues wear down. Even the idea of someone touching the afflicted wrist is terrifying.

Severe arthritis can get so painful that prescription drugs will be needed to manage it.

Please remember that in its early stages, symptoms of wrist arthritis can be quite akin to tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Wrist Arthritis Diagnosis

After understanding your symptoms, an orthopaedic Hand and Wrist doctor will ask about your medical history and perform a physical examination. Your wrist will be examined for swelling, pain, and tenderness. The exact location of the swelling can help your doctor determine which wrist joints are most affected. Problems in the wrist can also cause tendonitis.

Next, you’ll be asked to perform some movement and your doctor will examine the range of motion. This can show how mild or severe your arthritis is and even help your doctor detect carpal tunnel syndrome.

You may require X-rays and blood tests to see what type of arthritis you might have as blood tests will reveal antibodies that are indicative of rheumatoid arthritis.

Remedies for Arthritis in wrist

Arthritis doesn’t have a cure but some treatment options can help manage the symptoms and significantly relieve pain. Try limiting activities that are stressful and painful for your wrist, if you can. A splint can help with this, as it will ease the stress and provide support.

Wrist Arthritis Treatment

Medical options include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that reduce inflammation in the wrist joints like aspirin and ibuprofen. An anti-inflammatory gel, which has no side effects, can also help.

If the symptoms are moderate to severe, your doctor may suggest steroids or cortisone injections that provide anti-inflammatory relief and improvement in symptoms.

If you tried all these methods without success you may need advanced treatments, particularly for rheumatoid arthritis. There are disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), that are used fairly early in treatment these days and at times occasions as first-line therapy. There are advanced Hand and wrist surgery options to suit as well.

If you have any queries related to Arthritis wrist pain Arthritis in the thumb and wrist, or wrist joint pain treatment, call our 24/7 helpline number to book an appointment. The orthopaedics department at Aakash Healthcare, Dwarka, Delhi has one of the best wrist arthritis doctors in Delhi.

Also Read: Measures to Reduce Bone Loss in Rheumatoid Arthritis