Wrist Pain

Wrist pain can hinder your ability to enjoy the activities you love most. If you have wrist pain and are looking for the most experienced hand specialists in the region, you can count on the team at the UVM Medical Center. Our hand specialists and surgeons diagnose and treat the full range of wrist problems, including chronic wrist pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, wrist fractures and other traumatic injuries.

Wrist Pain Care at UVM Medical Center

Wrist pain can be causefrom a wide range of conditions. At the UVM Medical Center, our team of surgeons, nurses and therapists are some of the most knowledgeable and caring specialists in the area. When you choose to receive care at the UVM Medical Center, you can expect:

• Personalized Care - you, the patient, is always the focus of our care. We will assess your condition and create a personalized treatment plan based on the severity of your condition, the type of pain you have and your personal preferences.
• An Experienced, Expert Team - the team at the UVM Medical Center includes surgeons, nurses and therapists are trained in the most advanced technology in the field. We work together and use the latest medical knowledge to inform your care.
• Accolades - the three hand surgeons at the UVM Medical Center are fellowship-trained and board-certified with a Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in Surgery of the Hand.
• Research Backed Treatments - as a university hospital, our team members are also involved in research and in educating medical students and orthopedic residents. This ensures that you are receiving the most up to date care.
• Advanced Therapy - each therapist on our hand & wrist therapy team is either an occupational therapist (OT) or a physical therapist (PT). They have all completed a minimum of five years of additional medical training in treating injuries of the hand, wrist, fingers & elbow.

Wrist Pain: Conditions

No matter what your hand or wrist injury, our goal is to help you return to the things you love and to enable you to live a healthy, active life. Some of the wrist conditions that we diagnose and treat are as follows:

• Chronic and acute wrist pain
• Wrist fractures and dislocations
• Wrist fracture nonunions and malunions
• Wrist sprains, strains and ligament injuries
• Nerve compression (carpal tunnel syndrome)
• Tendon injuries and inflammation (tendonitis)
• De Quervain's Tenosynovitis
• Arthritis of the wrist
• Ganglion cyst
• Nerve injuries

Wrist Pain Diagnosis

Our team includes radiologists who are specially trained in advanced bone imaging. We use the latest technology to diagnose wrist problem. Some of the diagnostic tests we perform include:

• X-ray imaging
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Computed tomography (CT or CAT) scan

Treatments for Wrist Pain

At the UVM Medical Center, our hand surgeons, non-surgical providers and therapists offer the full spectrum of care for wrist problems. Non-operative and conservative treatment, casting and complex surgery are all treatment options depending on the severity of you condition.

We work closely with you and your family so that you understand all the information about the different treatment options. We'll help choose the right course of treatment for you and your condition, with treatments including:

• Wrist Casting - a splint or case may be recommended to promote proper healing.
• Wrist Therapy - therapeutic rehabilitation may be prescribed for the management of acute or chronic wrist pain, or to increase motion, dexterity and strength.
• Corticosteroid Injections - powerful anti-inflammatory medicines injected into your wrist to relieve pain and swelling due to arthritis and other conditions.
• Wrist Surgery - surgery may be recommended to repair wrist fractures, ruptured or torn ligaments, or to relieve pain associated with joint degeneration. Our skilled hand surgeons are experts in a wide variety of techniques:
  • Cyst & Tumor Removal - an outpatient procedure that uses local, regional or general anesthesia depending on the size and location of the cyst. This procedure includes excision of ganglions.
  • Fracture Fixation - when fractures require surgery to properly set or stabilize the broken bone, fracture fixation is used. Fractures may be stabilized with pins, screws, plates, rods or with an external device.
  • Joint Realignment & Fusion - surgery may be used to reconstruct, realign or fuse the joint to eliminate page. This is typically used in cases of arthritis of the wrist, where the cartilage layer responsible for smooth movement wears out.
  • Wrist Arthroscopy - in select cases that involve ligament injuries, arthritis and fractures, a minimally invasive procedure called wrist arthroscopy may be used to assess the internal structure of the wrist and to perform surgical repair.
  • Carpal Tunnel Surgery, Open Carpal Tunnel Release & Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release - when symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are severe or do not improve, surgery may be needed to enlarge the tunnel. This makes more room for the nerve and decreases the pressure that causes pain.
  • Microsurgery & Peripheral Nerve Surgery - with these procedures, the operating room microscope is used to repair damaged nerves or blood vessels.
  • Wrist Tendon or Ligament Repair - a variety of methods exist for repairing wrist tendons or ligaments that have been cut or torn. Tendon repair surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure.
  • Tendon Transfer - this procedure takes a functioning tendon and shifts it to a new attachment, restoring or improving lost function in the hand or wrist.