Why do I have pain on the outside of my wrist?

The answer to this question might not be too easy to find on your own, but an experienced physical therapist can help you figure it out. 

The answer can often depend on what type of job you have or how active you are: Research shows that 24% of people who have physically demanding occupations or who play sports suffer wrist pain annually. Not only can a physical therapist help you determine the cause of your pain, they can help you find effective treatment for pain on the outside of your wrist. 

Some common causes of pain on the outside of the wrist

Pain on the outside of the wrist is something medical professionals call ulnar wrist pain. This is pain that specifically occurs on the pinky side of your wrist, and it can be caused by different issues. A few of the problems that can cause pain in this area include: 

• Wrist arthritis
• Tendinitis in the wrist
• Wrist fractures
• Nerve compression
• Triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) injury
• Ulnar impaction syndrome

What a physical therapist can do to treat the pain on the outside of your wrist

Helping you find the source of your ulnar wrist pain is just the first step a physical therapist can take to help you. These specialists can also provide effective treatment for your pain. Typically, this will involve your physical therapist creating a therapy plan that’s crafted to fit your needs, and such a plan can make use of therapy methods like: 

• Dry needling intended to reduce tension and pain in the forearm and wrist. 

• Ergonomics assessments that can help you learn if your workspace or how you do work tasks is leading to wrist pain. 

• Therapeutic exercises to stretch and strengthen the wrists and forearm muscles. 

• Joint mobilization intended to improve wrist joint mobility. 

• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) designed to break down scar tissue left behind by previous forearm and wrist injuries. 

Get effective ulnar wrist pain treatment from Advent Physical Therapy

Looking for ways to treat the pain on the outside of your wrist? Our therapy specialists at Advent PT are primed to help you reduce your pain. We offer free screenings intended to reveal the cause of your wrist discomfort. Additionally, our team excels at building individualized therapy plans designed to offer benefits like: 

• Decreased pain.
• Improved function.
• Reduced risk of future injuries and pain.

Our patients can even get help right from their own homes, and it’s our virtual therapy and at-home care services that make this type of care possible. Furthermore, we don’t require that you have a doctor’s referral before we start treating your wrist issue. 

Contact our team today for more information about our wrist pain treatment services or to schedule an initial appointment.