Wrist Tendonitis: Causes and Cures
Wrist Tendonitis, also known as Tenosynovitis, is a painful condition experienced in the wrist. Tendons are fibrous tissues that connect the muscles to the bone, and they perform an important role of keeping the wrists supple and strong. Multiple tendons surround your wrists and pass through a tendon sheath known as tenosynovium. Wrist tendonitis usually occurs when the tenosynovium is unable to facilitate the smooth passing of the tendons. The tendons are then unable to move in a low-friction manner, and this causes immense pain around the wrist joints.
Wrist Tendonitis can be broadly attributed to injury, strain, and age. There may be other medical conditions that cause wrist tendonitis, but statistics point out that injury, strain, and age account for the highest occurrences of wrist tendonitis.
• Overuse of the wrists: The wrist tendons tend to get injured when they are overused. Certain groups of people specifically tend to overuse their wrists. For example, people who work on the computer for long hours tend to repetitively use their wrists and fingers. Tennis players tend to overuse their wrists while playing shots. Wrist Tendonitis may also be common in people who play musical instruments like the piano.
• Strains on tendons: The wrist tendons tend to get injured when athletes and bodybuilders work out using poor techniques. For example, a bodybuilder may lift weights the wrong way or without properly warming up his/her body and wrists. This puts the tendons under immense strain and may cause injury.
• Injuries: One can also pick up Tendonitis due to injuries to adjacent parts of the tendons. For example, wrist tendonitis may also develop because of injuries to elbow tendons. Associated injuries like these usually occur because the injury in the adjacent body parts has not healed completely.
• Age: Older people are believed to be more prone to wrist tendonitis. This is because their tendons tend to lose the natural suppleness and elasticity with age and become more rigid. The tendons are no longer able to pass smoothly through the tenosynovium and consequently, the wrist suffers from inflammation.
Treatments for wrist tendonitis
There are two main treatment options for wrist tendonitis: medical intervention and natural cures. Medical intervention may require all or any combination of anti-inflammation medicines, Cortisone injections, and surgery. Each of these options has the potential to cure or at least alleviate wrist tendonitis to varying degrees.
However, many medicines are usually accompanied by side effects and may cause other complications. Therefore, an individual needs to take medicines under strict supervision and according to one’s condition.
Natural cures, on the other hand, are typically devoid of side effects and can be equally effective in alleviating wrist tendonitis. The other unique selling propositions for natural cures are that they are cheap, applicable to all age groups, and can address the problem from the roots.
Here are several natural remedies for Wrist Tendonitis:
• Follow sound ergonomic principles: Talk to a body specialist, or a certified physiotherapist and identify the exact actions or wrist postures that are responsible for the inflammation. Once this is determined, stop repeating the postures immediately. If you work on the computer throughout the day, evaluate your work space to see whether it follows standard ergonomic principles. If it does not, restructure your desk area to comply with sound ergonomic principles. Always make sure your desk allows you to keep a natural wrist position while working.
• Immobilization: If the inflammation is due to overuse of the wrist, make sure that it gets adequate rest. Place your wrist in a splint or brace to rest your tendons. The inflammation will decrease with sufficient rest.
• Keep your wrist healthy: One can keep the wrists healthy and supple by training the muscles to respond and work, thus reducing the solo work load of tendons. If you combine the use of muscles and the tendons, the latter will not wear out as quickly.
Also, take periodic breaks from work, as this will decrease the stress applied on your tendons. Try alternating between both arms while doing some work. For example, if you are right handed and use the computer mouse, try using the mouse with your left hand. The idea is to lessen the burden on one set of muscle and tendon groups.
• Apply ice: Applying an ice pack on the inflamed area will help cool the inflammation and stimulate the blood flow.
As is obvious, natural treatments for tendonitis emphasize modifications in our lifestyles, and the way we go about our daily activities. With these measures, our tendons are more equipped to take on the strains and stresses of everyday life, provided you give them adequate rest, a healthy diet, and appropriate care. Natural remedies can thus prevent, as well as alleviate, Wrist Tendonitis.
If these alternative treatments are too difficult for you, watch this short video.
