Preventing wrist pain while working from home

Hand and wrist pain are common complaints of people who spend several hours typing, but can also occur due to sprain or sudden injury to your hand or wrist. Although occasional wrist pain may go away with rest, if yours persists and causes stiffness in wrist, it would be best to consult a doctor. Wrist pain can result from injury, overuse of your hand, and activities which cause repeated use of wrist muscles, such as cycling, karate, and baseball.

In this article, we will unfold what’s possibly going on around your wrists and what you can do about it!

Diagnosing wrist pain

Your health care provider will take gradual steps to figure out the cause of your hand and wrist pain. A complete medical history and physical examination will give some clue about the cause of pain. In case of suspected acute injury, your doctor will run down a series of scans which include radiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), before discussing further on the management of wrist injury.

Gear up for a pain-free wrist

Here are key management steps to relieve wrist pain:

Rest and immobilisation of the injured hand and wrist with a splint will minimise pain and facilitate healing.
Finger stretching is a great way to relieve pain and reversing stiffness in the wrist.
Icing helps in reducing wrist inflammation and pain.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are common painkillers that provide temporary pain relief.
Corticosteroid injections are commonly used in chronic hand and wrist pain.

Surgery serves as the last resort to fix injuries and deformities that are not managed by conservative treatment alone.

Bottom line

It’s obvious that working from home has taken a heavy toll on your hands and wrists. Even if you’re a diehard sports person, hand and wrist pain is almost inevitable. If your pain is consistent, don’t take it for granted and get your hand and wrist assessed right away. Your doctor will examine your affected hand and tailor up a treatment plan accordingly.