Ulnar Wrist Pain Treatment | Fort Washington, MD
If you’re dealing with ulnar wrist pain, you know how frustrating it can be to perform even simple tasks like gripping, lifting, or typing. At Kaizo Health, we specialize in ulnar wrist pain treatment to help you regain strength, mobility, and comfort in your wrist. Whether your pain is caused by an injury, overuse, or an underlying condition, our team of expert chiropractors and physical therapists will create a personalized plan to get you back to feeling your best. With 4 convenient locations in Fairfax, Landover, Rockville, and Fort Washington, let us help you move through life pain-free and with confidence!
What Is Ulnar Wrist Pain?
Ulnar wrist pain is discomfort or pain on the pinky side of your wrist, where the ulna bone is located. This type of pain can be sharp, dull, or even come and go depending on your activities. It may be caused by injuries like sprains, fractures, or repetitive strain from sports or work. Other common causes include arthritis, tendonitis, or pressure on the nerves in the wrist. Ulnar wrist pain can make it hard to grip, twist, or move your hand and wrist normally, impacting your daily life and favorite activities. Recognizing the symptoms early is key to finding the right treatment and relief.
Symptoms of Ulnar Wrist Pain
- Numbness and tingling – you might feel overall discomfort around your wrist, or the feeling can travel through your fingers, wrist, and forearm.
- Pain – you might feel sharp pain going all the way up the elbow and even reaching your shoulder.
- Lack of grip strength – you might be unable to properly grip items in your hands, or you might feel pain when doing so.
- Lack of Mobility – there may be a lack of wrist mobility, so it might be more difficult and painful for you to move both your hand and forearm.
- Popping – you might hear excessive popping and cracking when rotating your hand.
Causes of Ulnar Wrist Pain
Physical injury
experiencing a sudden impact can lead to nerve compression, sprains, strains, and fractures.
Overuse
continual, repetitive movement can lead to overuse injuries and cause you to develop ulnar pain.
Continual stress
leaning on your hand or putting continual stress on the wrist over long periods of time, such as when using a computer mouse, can lead to issues with ulnar wrist pain.
Carpal tunnel
if you already have carpal tunnel syndrome, you’re at a heightened risk of developing ulnar pain.
Underlying conditions
other underlying health conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis can also cause ulnar wrist pain.
Ulnar Wrist Pain Relief with Chiropractic Treatments
In more advanced cases, patients who are experiencing unbearable pain or have extreme problems performing typical daily activities, it’s best to consult a health professional. Depending on the severity, it’s more than likely that your ulnar wrist pain can be treated with personalized chiropractic methods.
At Kaizo Health, all chiropractic treatments are designed to increase blood flow to the affected area and minimize inflammation and promote faster healing.
We first diagnose the severity of the symptoms and thoroughly assess the overall wrist range of motion and mobility. Then, we analyze the extent of nerve compression and identify other potential issues that might be causing ulnar wrist pain.
We can then start designing personalized treatment plans. Some of the most effective chiropractic techniques that can alleviate pain in the ulnar area of the wrist include:
- Chiropractic adjustment – realigning bones in the wrist and elbow to alleviate discomfort;
- Soft tissue therapy – myofascial release techniques that target tendons, muscles, and ligaments, promote muscle relaxation and increase blood flow for improved healing;
- Rehabilitative exercises – custom-designed exercises that increase wrist mobility, strengthen the surrounding muscles, alleviate pain, and reduce the risks of recurring injuries.
Depending on patient needs and unique circumstances, we also offer chiropractic treatments like joint mobilization, dry needling, and cupping.
Conditions Associated With Ulnar Wrist Pain
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
This syndrome is characterized by compression of the median nerve in the wrist and is typically followed by numbness and tingling in the palm of your hand. It’s most noticeable in the thumb, pointer, and middle fingers, whereas ulnar issues are most noticeable in the pinky and ring fingers.
Specialists often use endoscopic carpal tunnel release to alleviate pressure on the nerve. Carpal tunnel can also be treated with non-surgical methods. Using a wrist brace has proven to be helpful, for instance. Other treatments include dry needling, massaging, performing specialized exercises, and using ice and heat therapy.
Specialists often use endoscopic carpal tunnel release to alleviate pressure on the nerve. Carpal tunnel can also be treated with non-surgical methods. Using a wrist brace has proven to be helpful, for instance. Other treatments include dry needling, massaging, performing specialized exercises, and using ice and heat therapy.
Ulnar Nerve Compression
Often referred to as cubital tunnel syndrome, it’s a compression of the nerve in the cubital tunnel that sits on the pinky side of your wrist.
This condition can be treated with surgical intervention in more severe cases. Here, the doctor would use nerve transposition surgery to move the affected ulnar nerve to a position where it wouldn’t be as prone to compression or stress.
Non-surgical treatments are available in milder cases and include massage, cold and heat therapy, dry needling, and other chiropractic treatments.
Non-surgical treatments are available in milder cases and include massage, cold and heat therapy, dry needling, and other chiropractic treatments.
Arthritis
This disorder is characterized by swelling and tenderness in the joints. It can affect any and all joints, including the wrist. Although arthrities cannot be cured, it can be managed and its symptoms can be alleviated with proper therapy.
Patients with arthritis typically find exercises and anti-inflammatory medicine to be helpful. Putting on a wrist splint or a brace during an arthritic episode could also work well for relieving the pain.
Patients with arthritis typically find exercises and anti-inflammatory medicine to be helpful. Putting on a wrist splint or a brace during an arthritic episode could also work well for relieving the pain.
FAQs
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a compression of the median nerve in your wrist. While ulnar wrist pain can be similar, it’s localized in a different area. Unlike the former, the latter is felt on the pinky side of your wrist.
Depending on the cause, ulnar wrist pain can be alleviated and overcome with chiropractic treatments. Some of the most effective methods include chiropractic adjustment therapy, soft tissue therapy, and exercise therapy.
Some of the most common symptoms of ulnar wrist pain include a numbing or tingling sensation in the wrist following the line of your pinky finger. Other signs include weakened grip, difficulties rotating the wrist and forearm and popping sounds during wrist movement.
Preventative measures include frequent exercises to improve the strength and mobility of the wrist, avoiding continual, prolonged stress on the wrist, and changing hand positions while using the computer.
More severe cases of ulnar wrist pain can be treated with surgery. A common approach is ulnar nerve transposition surgery, which relocates the affected nerve to a position where it won’t be exposed to as much stress.
Kaizo Health has convenient locations in Fort Washington, MD, and we accept most major insurance plans, as well as personal injury and workers’ compensation claims.
Kaizo Health has convenient locations in Fort Washington, MD, and we accept most major insurance plans, as well as personal injury and workers’ compensation claims.
