The wrist joint is a condyloid synovial joint of the distal upper limb that connects the forearm and hand. Carpal tunnel is the passageway from the wrist to the hand. It is made of tendons, ligaments and bones. The median nerve passes through this tunnel and provides sensation to your thumb, index finger, middle finger and the thumb side of the ring finger.
- SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF WRIST PAIN
- CAUSES OF WRIST PAIN
- PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF WRIST PAIN
- DIAGNOSIS OF WRIST PAIN
- TREATMENTS FOR WRIST PAIN
- PROGNOSIS OF WRIST PAIN
- COMPLICATIONS OF WRIST PAIN
- WRIST PAIN AND AYURVEDA
- NIDANA- AYURVEDIC CAUSES OF WRIST PAIN
- PURVAROOPAM- AYURVEDIC PREMONITORY SYMPTOMS OF WRIST PAIN
- SAMPRAPTI – AYURVEDIC PATHOGENESIS OF WRIST PAIN
- LAKSHANA- AYURVEDIC SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF WRIST PAIN
- AYURVEDIC PROGNOSIS OF WRIST PAIN
- CHIKITSA- AYURVEDIC TREATMENT FOR WRIST PAIN
- AYURVEDIC LOCAL TREATMENT FOR WRIST PAIN
- AYURVEDIC SAMANA TREATMENT FOR WRIST PAIN
- AYURVEDIC SHODHANA TREATMENT FOR WRIST PAIN
- COMMONLY USED AYURVEDIC MEDICINES FOR WRIST PAIN
- HOME REMEDIES FOR WRIST PAIN
- DIET AND BEHAVIOUR FOR WRIST PAIN
- YOGA FOR WRIST PAIN
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF WRIST PAIN
- Pain and tenderness in the wrist joint
- Inflammation on the wrist joint
- Burning, tingling, numbness in the palms, thumb, index and middle fingers
- Weakness in the hand
- Difficulty in holding things
- Shock-like sensations that radiate to the thumb and index, middle, and ring fingers when the median nerve is compressed
CAUSES OF WRIST PAIN
- Doing activities in extreme flexion or extension of the hand and wrist for a prolonged period cause wrist pain.
- Repeating the same hand and wrist movements over a prolonged period may aggravate the tendons in the wrist, causing swelling and pain.
- Injuries
- Inflammation
- Osteoarthritis
- Bursitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF WRIST PAIN
Due to the above-mentioned causes, the median nerve gets compressed. Nerve compression hinders the conduction of impulses. So the numbness, tingling sensation, weakness are manifested. Inflammation of the wrist produces pain, tenderness and swelling.
DIAGNOSIS OF WRIST PAIN
- EXAMINATIONS
- Inspection
- Palpation – pressing on the nerve may trigger symptoms
- Movements – Flexion, Extension of wrist
- INVESTIGATIONS
- X – rays
- Nerve conduction study
- Electromyography
TREATMENTS FOR WRIST PAIN
- A splint that holds the wrist can help relieve symptoms of tingling and numbness.
- A few cases may require surgery.
- Medications – Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Analgesic.
- Treatment of underlying pathology.
- Ultrasound therapy
PROGNOSIS OF WRIST PAIN
- Prognosis is based on the cause of the disease, duration and condition of the patient
COMPLICATIONS OF WRIST PAIN
- Atrophy of muscles
- Weakness of muscles
WRIST PAIN AND AYURVEDA
- In Ayurveda,wrist pain falls under Vata vyadhi or a Vata dosha imbalance disorder.
- According to Ayurveda, it may be considered as Vata vyadhi with mamsakshaya
- Vata vyadhi can be correlated to neurological or neuromuscular disorders. The causes and pathogenesis of diseases caused by the vitiation of Vata dosha, in general, are the exclusive cause and pathogenesis ofpain, numbness, tingling sensation.
NIDANA- AYURVEDIC CAUSES OF WRIST PAIN
- Excess consumption of ununctuous, cold food
- Excessive physical exercise.
- Suppression of natural urges.
- Trauma
- Injuries
PURVAROOPAM- AYURVEDIC PREMONITORY SYMPTOMS OF WRIST PAIN
- Dull intermittent pain and numbness in the wrist on movement.
SAMPRAPTI – AYURVEDIC PATHOGENESIS OF WRIST PAIN
- Vata, pitta and kapha dosha move through all channels of circulation. Due to the subtle nature of vata it impels the remaining two doshas.
- The aggravated vata having provoked these two doshas, exacerbated and fills up the empty channels and moves greatly inside them or by getting enveloped by the other doshas.
- The aggravated vata resides in the wrist joint and produces different kinds of aches and pains.
LAKSHANA- AYURVEDIC SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF WRIST PAIN
- Toda – Pain on wrist joint
- Sada – weakness
- Sosha – atrophy of muscles
- Tingling sensation
- Numbness
AYURVEDIC PROGNOSIS OF WRIST PAIN
- Pain associated with traumatic injuries is difficult to cure – krichra sadhya
CHIKITSA- AYURVEDIC TREATMENT FOR WRIST PAIN
Ayurvedic local treatment for wrist pain
- Svedam – local fermentation
- Pain-relieving lepa application
AYURVEDIC SAMANA TREATMENT FOR WRIST PAIN
- Dasamoolarishtam
- Gandha tailam along with milk
- Rasaraj ras
- Laksha guggulu
- Trayodasanga guggulu
- Mahayogaraja guggulu
AYURVEDIC SHODHANA TREATMENT FOR WRIST PAIN
- NASYA-Ksheerabala
COMMONLY USED AYURVEDIC MEDICINES FOR WRIST PAIN
Internal administration
- Balarishtam
- Gandha tailam
- Rasaraj ras
- Laksha guggulu
- Trayodasanga guggulu
- Mahayogaraja guggulu
External application
- Snehadhara – with balaswagandha tailam and ksheerabala tailam
- Shashtika Sali panda sweda
HOME REMEDIES FOR WRIST PAIN
- Heat application on the affected area by a towel dipped with hot water
- Massage the painful area for 15 minutes ( NOT too much pressure )
DIET AND BEHAVIOUR FOR WRIST PAIN
- Avoid food items that produce vata dosha imbalance like cold and dry food, hard to digest. Because vata imbalance aggravates the symptoms.
- Consume easily digestible food items, cow’s milk
- Avoid heavy exercises which further aggravate the conditions.
- Oil massage on affected area advised. Which alleviates vata dosha
- Take proper rest.
YOGA FOR WRIST PAIN
- Nadi Shuddi Pranayam – calms the mind and gets relief from aches and pains
The patient needs to be seated in a meditative posture with the head and spine erect, with the body relaxed. The patient has to close his one nostril (e.g. left nostril if using the right hand and vice versa) with the thumb and exhale completely through the other nostril. Again, he will have to breathe in deeply through the other nostril while the opposite nostril is still closed with the thumb.
· Tadasana
· virabhadrasana
- Anjali mudra