We understand wrist pain can be a debilitating problem that affects daily quality of life and can even make work difficult. At Apex Manual Therapy, our experienced team will identify the root cause to effectively and efficiently treat the problem to provide wrist pain relief.  Whether you’re suffering from a wrist ligament injury or generalized wrist joint pain, we can help.

  
Our advanced physical therapists have obtained the highest level of orthopedic physical therapy training and are recognized as Fellows of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (FAAOMPT).  This educational achievement is beyond the doctorate level and guarantees the gold standard care for musculoskeletal conditions.
 

When you work with Apex Manual Therapy each visit is spent entirely one-on-one with a fellow to provide the very best wrist therapy and wrist pain treatment.

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If you live in the greater Austin or Pflugerville, Texas area schedule a free consultation with our advanced therapists. We guarantee you’ll see the difference in our approach and your results.

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Wrist Anatomy

The wrist and hand have a total of 27 bones, several muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves to provide a wide range of movements.  The wrist and hand are connected to the elbow and shoulder.  When these structures are not working in sync with one another you are more likely to experience wrist joint pain, a wrist ligament injury, carpal tunnel syndrome or other related problems.

 
Below are some of the most common causes of wrist pain and how wrist therapy is used to provide relief.

Movement Dysfunctions

Movement dysfunctions are the result of sustained posture, repetitive movements or a single major trauma such as a motor vehicle accident.  Sustained postures and repetitive movements are more common than a single major trauma. This is because the body will adapt to the demands placed on it.  Simply put, you get what you train. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Extension radial deviation syndrome is a common movement dysfunction of the wrist. This is a condition where the wrist moves towards the radius while extending.  


Muscle Imbalances

There are several muscles in the forearm and wrist that make movement possible. When these muscles become imbalanced it can cause wrist pain. 
 

Muscles will adapt to the demands placed on them. When a muscle is held or used in a lengthened position over an extended period, the muscle will begin to develop more muscle fibers to adapt to the lengthened position.  A lengthened muscle can also create the sensation of tightness but should not be stretched as this would only worsen the muscle imbalance.  
 

On the other hand, when a muscle is repeatedly held in a shortened position, the muscle fibers begin to adapt to this new state of being physiologically shorter. Muscle who have lost muscle fibers and are physiologically shorter need to be stretched to adapt to their optimal working position. However, stretching a muscle alone will not teach a muscle how to properly contract.  Wrist physical therapy must include training the muscles to properly activate and deactivate with the appropriate amount of force if the muscle imbalances are to be corrected.

 

Example of muscle imbalances include:

• Strong muscle overpowering a weak muscle.  


• Long muscles (increased muscle fibers) verses short muscles (decreased muscle fibers).


• Dominate or overactive muscles versus muscles with a poor activation.  This is not the same as saying a muscle is weak or strong. This is referring to poor ability to turn the muscle on or off.  


Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex (TFCC) Injury

The TFCC (triangular fibrocartilage complex) is made up of several ligaments that help stabilize the wrist and transfer forces.  It is located on the ulnar side of the wrist, the same side as your pinky finger.  Wrist pain after doing pushups, carrying groceries or using hand tools are some of the common complaints from people suffering from TFCC wrist injuries.  

 

This ligament can be injured from a direct trauma or repeated stress.  The movement dysfunction extension radial deviation syndrome place repeated stress on the TFCC causing it to degenerate and breakdown.

  

Wrist Pain Treatment

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Wrist injury treatment must include assessing joints higher up the limb, such as the elbow, shoulder and neck as these structures could be contributing to wrist pain. Nerves which innervate the wrist originate in the neck and travel all the way down to the fingers.  Therefore, to experience wrist pain relief, a thorough evaluation of the neck is required.

Wrist physical therapy also includes posture and movement education as well as teaching proper weight distribution through the entire upper limb (shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist). A quadruped position is a great way to begin assessing proper distribution of weight through the upper limb.  The photos below further explain of how to properly load and distribute forces through the wrist.

 

When loading the wrist, the arches of the hand must be maintained. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re suffering from wrist joint pain or in need of wrist injury treatment, our advanced physical therapists can help. Wrist physical therapy begins with a thorough evaluation to identity the root cause of the wrist pain as this can be different from person to person. Next, a custom wrist pain treatment plan is created to meet the goals for your individual needs. Each visit will be spent entirely one-on-one with the highest level of educated physical therapy to provide effective and efficient wrist pain relief. 

 

Don’t spend another day dealing with wrist pain. Schedule a free consultation at Apex Manual Therapy.

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