How do I know if my wrist pain is serious?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have been experiencing persistent pain in my right wrist. The pain began after this weekend, where I was opening and closing a lot of jars (my friends and I do some canning), and I think the twisting motion messed something up. Now, when I attempt to hold things, there is a sharp pain that radiates up my forearm. The pain is specifically located just below the bone at the base of my palm on the pinky side. It also hurts when resting and not just during movements. After sleeping and resting overnight, it tends to feel much better.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I am sorry to hear about your problem, and I hope I can help you. Since the pain is on the ulnar side of the wrist, the movement starts from the hand, and the pain can be due to compressive neuropathy, FCU (flexor carpi ulnaris), tendinitis, impingement, or TFCC (triangular fibrocartilage complex) tear. I would like to get an x-ray first to differentiate between these conditions, followed by an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).