How to Manage Ulnar-Sided Wrist Pain with a Brace?

Wrist pain is a common ailment, as wrists are used in many activities. Everyone from professional athletes to office workers may be susceptible to wrist pain or injury.

The pain can come on quickly or develop slowly over time. One of the most common treatments is wearing a brace, which offers a simple solution to wrist pain. In many cases, more than one treatment plan is necessary to alleviate symptoms.

Anatomy of the Wrist

The wrist is made up of the radius and ulna, which connect to the carpal bones at the base of the hand. These bones are also used to distinguish parts of the wrist and the hand – there is a radial side of the wrist and an ulnar side.

When hands are placed on a table with the palms facing downward, the internal side of the wrist is the radial side and the exterior is the ulnar side.

Bones often have a piece of articular cartilage where it will need to make contact with another bone. This type of cartilage occurs most often in joints and acts as a cushion between bones. The wrist and hand also contain tendons, ligaments, and cartilage that provide support for joint movement.

Each of these structures can encounter its unique sets of issues. As a result, the exact cause of ulnar-sided wrist pain may be difficult to diagnose at first.

Causes of Ulnar-Sided Wrist Pain

There are many potential causes of wrist pain. Some of the most common reasons an individual may develop this condition are:

• Overuse: repetitive motion of the wrist, such as with a tennis player or an office worker typing on a keyboard, can cause the joint to deteriorate more rapidly over time.
• Injury: it can lead to torn ligaments, broken bones, a sprain, or a strain (torn muscle or tendon). Injuries can occur from arduous activity or an accident such as a fall or car accident. In some cases, injury can lead to structural differences over time if it does not heal correctly.
• Arthritis: soft tissue in the body deteriorates naturally over time. This condition can become problematic when soft tissue such as articular cartilage deteriorates to the point where bones are rubbing against one another. This condition can cause pain, tenderness, and swelling.
• Structural abnormalities: some individuals are born with improper alignment of bones. This does not often lead to pain until the soft tissue surrounding them begins to deteriorate. This may also be referred to as ulnar impaction syndrome and can lead to pain and discomfort.
• Tendonitis: the condition of tendon damage or injury. This condition may occur due to overuse, injury, or arthritic structural changes.

Due to the many structures and systems that are interacting throughout the wrist, there may be other conditions that are causing pain as well. A proper diagnosis of what is causing pain will lead to the most effective treatment.

Diagnosis

The process of diagnosing ulnar-sided wrist pain begins with a consultation with a doctor. In many cases, doctors can perform a simple series of tests to locate the cause of pain, which can lead to a diagnosis. These tests consist mainly of hand and wrist movements.

Pain during certain motions can indicate the cause. Doctors may also check for tenderness or swelling in the wrist. If these minimally invasive tests do not result in a diagnosis, doctors may turn to image technologies to provide a more accurate picture of what is happening. These imaging tests may include:

• MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging can produce an image of a patient’s soft tissue. It may reveal the source of discomfort if the cause of wrist pain is associated with a ligament, muscle, tendon, or cartilage.
• X-ray: this imaging technique is used to determine the bone structure. If the cause of wrist pain is a fracture of the bone or an abnormality in the bone’s alignment, an X-ray will determine this.
• CT scan: this form of imaging can produce a 3D image of what is occurring, and can be used to diagnose most conditions.

Once a diagnosis is reached, doctors will begin to devise a treatment plan that is unique to each patient.

Signs and Symptoms

There are several symptoms associated with ulnar-sided wrist pain. These may include:

• Pain: can be anywhere from a short, stabbing pain to a persistent dull ache. Pain can occur chronically or only during certain activities.
• Tenderness or soreness: the skin may feel tender to the touch or ache.
• Weakness: an individual with wrist pain may have trouble using their hand and wrist for normal activities such as gripping or lifting items.
• Limited range of motion: an individual experiencing wrist pain may have less flexibility than they had before the pain.
• Popping sensation or sound: the wrist may “pop” when bent in a certain way. This could be indicative of several conditions associated with wrist pain.

Treating Ulnar-Sided Wrist Pain

Injuries in the wrist are not often serious. Treatment for wrist pain typically begins with minimally invasive procedures that increase in intensity over time if they do not relieve pain. The treatment timeline is as follows:

• Rest: the first step to recovery is simply resting the joint. The human body is fairly capable of repairing damage on its own, so allowing it to heal can sometimes be enough to reduce pain.
• Anti-inflammatory drugs: over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen can help to alleviate pain while the wrist heals.
• Physical therapy: if rest and pain management is not enough to reduce symptoms, doctors may recommend physical therapy. The main goal of physical therapy is to restrengthen muscles that may have grown weaker throughout the injury and to provide support for the injury while it heals. Physical therapy exercises can also increase blood flow, which improves the healing process.
• Corticosteroid injections: these types of injections deliver a densely concentrated anti-inflammatory hormone into the pain site. These injections can be effective for treating pain in the short-term, but may not be recommended for patients of a certain age and activity level as they have been proven to damage soft tissue over time.
• Surgery: there are several forms of surgery that may be considered to treat wrist pain. These surgeries all come with their set of risks and complications and should therefore be discussed thoroughly with a doctor or surgeon before a patient decides to undergo surgery.

Wearing a Wrist Brace

Wrist braces are a common form of treatment for managing pain. They can be purchased at most pharmacies and big box stores, even some grocery stores. They are often simple to put on and take off and are fairly inexpensive.

Doctors will often recommend that patients experiencing wrist pain wear a brace, as it allows the joint to remain stabilized. Stabilization of the joint can allow it to heal quicker. When an individual continues activity in the same way that they did before the injury occurred, they could be allowing further damage to occur.

For example, if the wrist pain is caused by a torn ligament, resuming normal activity could tear the ligament further. It is generally recommended that an injury be stabilized to help it heal – this is why bone fractures require casts.

It is often recommended that patients wear their brace during sleep, as the wrist is more likely to get bent during this time. Some patients may wear their brace during certain activities as well, especially activities that cause pain or contribute to the injury.

Wearing a brace is often coupled with other treatments such as physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medication.

Alternative treatments may offer a solution to wrist pain as well. The innovative field of regenerative medicine offers a different solution to chronic wrist pain.

How Regenerative Medicine Can Help Ulnar-Sided Wrist Pain?

When seeking treatment for wrist pain, it is important to consider all available options. The field of regenerative medicine offers pain relief for those who are experiencing certain forms of chronic pain.

These types of therapy have yielded positive results for conditions such as arthritis, joint complications, tendonitis, and more. There are two types of regenerative medicine offered at CELLAXYS:

• Cell-based therapies. Also known as stem-cell therapies, cell-based therapies take a patient’s own cells or “autologous” tissues, process them to make them more concentrated, and inject them into the patient’s injury site. These cells are primarily taken from two places, your adipose (fat) tissue and bone marrow. When they are taken from adipose tissue, the process is called Minimally Manipulated Adipose Tissue (MMAT) transplant. When they are extracted from the bone marrow, the process is called Bone Marrow Concentrate (BMAC). These cells can help the healing processes that are already naturally occurring.
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy. This therapy isolates platelets from the patient’s blood plasma, processes them, and reinjects them into the patient’s injury site.. Platelets contain healing abilities and 10 Growth Factors that stimulate the growth of healthy tissues in the blood. They also produce fibrin, a sticky web-like structure that supports the development of new tissues in the injury site, i.e., the wrist. Injecting platelets into the injury site can speed up the body’s natural healing process.

Both forms of therapy use an imaging technique such as MRI or ultrasound to identify the exact location. These are outpatient procedures, which means the doctor may ask you to go home after the procedure. Cell-based therapies take about 1.5-2 hours, while PRP takes 45 minutes to complete.

Regenerative therapies are often coupled with other treatments – in the case of wrist pain. They might be coupled with physical therapy, medication, or wearing a brace. Though wearing a wrist brace may be somewhat effective in relieving symptoms of wrist pain, it can become even more effective when coupled with other treatments.