Wrist Tendonitis

What is wrist tendonitis?

Wrist tendonitis is a condition that occurs when one or more tendons in the wrist or hand become inflamed. Tendons are strong, cord-like tissues that connect muscles to bones, allowing your wrist and fingers to move smoothly. When tendons are irritated, they may stop gliding normally, which can lead to pain, clicking, stiffness or weakness.

At Novant Health, we understand how wrist discomfort can affect your work, hobbies and daily activities. Our goal is to help you understand the cause of your symptoms so you can get the care and guidance you need.

Wrist tendon anatomy

Most of the muscles that move your wrist and fingers sit in your forearm. Their tendons travel through tight compartments in the wrist before attaching to the small bones in your hand and fingers. When your muscles contract, they pull on the tendons like puppet strings, allowing you to bend, straighten and rotate your wrist and fingers.

When tendons become inflamed, thickened or scarred, they no longer glide smoothly. This can cause pain, clicking, popping or a grinding sensation when you move your wrist or fingers.

Overview

Symptoms

Symptoms of wrist tendonitis often develop gradually and may worsen with activity. They can include:

Pain or stiffness around the wrist or along the tendon into the hand or forearm, sometimes described as aching, burning or sharp
Clicking, popping or grinding sensations with wrist or finger movement
Swelling or tenderness over the affected tendon
Weakness or fatigue in grip or pinch, making it harder to lift objects or perform daily tasks

Causes

Wrist tendonitis can develop from sudden injuries or long-term strain. Factors that can increase your risk include:

Repetitive activities, such as gripping, lifting, typing or sports that require frequent wrist motion
Swelling during pregnancy or from repetitive lifting of newborns
Inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout
Minor injuries, jams or direct trauma to the wrist that irritate tendons

Diagnosis

Your hand and wrist specialist will talk with you about your symptoms and medical history and perform a physical exam of your wrist, hand and forearm. This often provides enough information to identify tendon irritation.

In some cases, additional imaging such as an MRI may help locate the inflamed tendon, evaluate the severity of the injury, or rule out other causes of wrist pain. At Novant Health, we can often diagnose the problem in a single visit and guide you toward the next steps in care.

Why treatment matters

Nonoperative treatment:

Activity modification recommendations
Splinting
Anti-inflammatory medications
Steroid injections
Hand therapy

Operative treatment:

Acute tendon lacerations and ruptures almost always require urgent surgical repair for the best outcome. Once the tendon retracts and scars in, it can be difficult or impossible to repair, and generally will not heal on its own. If you have sustained a cut to your fingers, hand or wrist, and are no longer able to normally move a finger, please seek urgent medical attention.

Even small skin wounds can hide a surprising amount of deep damage to the tendons and nerves. We can usually surgically repair cut tendons diagnosed within the first few days. The procedure typically involves a regional numbing block of your arm, followed by some sedation in the operating room, and suturing the cut or ruptured tendons. After surgery, it’s important to follow all your surgeon’s recommendations for activity limitations, splinting and hand therapy to reduce the risk of permanent stiffness and rupture of the tendon repair.

Take the next step

Our board-certified specialists are here to help you heal. They can often diagnose the problem in one visit and get you started with a personalized treatment plan. We offer a wide variety of treatment options.