Wrist Specialist
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Performance Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine
Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeons located in Shrewsbury, Toms River, & Wall Township, NJ
The best advice for any type of wrist injury is to get a full orthopaedic evaluation as soon as possible. Getting prompt treatment promotes faster healing and prevents loss of fine motor function. David Dickerson, MD, and the team at Performance Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine specialize in the advanced care needed to properly treat and rehabilitate wrist injuries. To schedule an appointment, call the office in Wall Township, Toms River, or Shrewsbury, New Jersey, or use the online booking feature.
Wrist Q & A
What causes wrist pain?
Your wrist is capable of a remarkable range of movement thanks to its three separate joints. Your two forearm bones, the radius and ulna, each form a joint with the wrist bones. Then the forearm bones create a third joint where they meet near the wrist.
The team at Performance Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine often treat patients whose wrist pain is caused by conditions such as:
- Tendonitis
- Ligament injuries
- Wrist fractures
- Wrist sprain
- Osteoarthritis
- Ganglion cysts
- Tendon injuries
- Compressed nerves
Acute injuries frequently cause wrist problems. They typically occur when you try to stop a fall using your outstretched hand.
What causes carpal tunnel syndrome?
The median nerves run down each arm and into your hands, where they deliver motor signals to your hand and several fingers. The nerve and numerous tendons pass through your wrist using a narrow passageway called the carpal tunnel. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve is pinched as it passes through the tunnel.
Many patients are more prone to carpal tunnel syndrome simply because their carpal tunnel is smaller than average. You can also develop the problem due to a wrist injury, repetitive movements, and performing activities with your wrist bent.
If conservative treatment such as a brace and stretching exercises fail to improve your symptoms, Performance Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine may recommend surgery to cut the carpal ligament and enlarge the tunnel, called a carpal tunnel release.
What should I know about wrist fractures?
When you’re told you have a broken wrist, it means the radius, the largest forearm bone on the side of your thumb, has fractured near the wrist. This condition, called a distal radius fracture, is the most common type of wrist fracture.
Any of the eight bones that form your wrist can break. However, a scaphoid fracture is one of the most common.
The scaphoid bone lies near your thumb, just below the radius. Like a distal radius fracture, a scaphoid fracture is often caused by taking a fall onto an outstretched hand.
Your treatment for both types of fractures ranges from a splint or casting to immobilize the bones while they heal, to surgery to realign the bones when they’re out of their normal position.
If you suffer a wrist injury, call Performance Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine or schedule an appointment online.
