PAIN EDUCATION • JOINTS, TENDONS & NERVES
Wrist & Hand Pain
Pain, tingling, stiffness, or weakness in the wrist and hand can have joint, tendon, nerve, inflammatory, or injury-related causes.
UNDERSTAND THE REGION
Anatomy matters.
Symptoms in the same body region can come from different tissues and may feel similar. A clinical evaluation helps determine which structures may be involved.
This page is educational and does not diagnose the cause of your symptoms.
Wrist & Hand — interactive 3DDrag/rotate and zoom inside the NIH 3D viewer when supported.
Region-specific educational anatomy. Open the NIH 3D model in a new tab if the embedded viewer is unavailable. This model is for education and does not diagnose the cause of pain.
POSSIBLE CAUSES
What may contribute to wrist & hand pain?
Common categories
- Overuse / tendon irritation
- Arthritis
- Carpal tunnel / nerve compression
- Sprain or injury
- Referred nerve symptoms
Evaluation may include
- Medical history and symptom review
- Medication review
- Focused physical / neurologic examination
- Review of prior records or imaging
- Additional testing or referral when indicated
Care may include
- Neurologic and musculoskeletal examination
- Activity / splinting guidance when appropriate
- Medication options
- Therapy
- Testing, imaging, or referral when indicated
Seek urgent or emergency care for concerning symptoms
New severe weakness, major trauma, loss of bowel or bladder control, chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke-like symptoms, rapidly worsening neurologic symptoms, or other severe/rapidly worsening symptoms may require urgent or emergency evaluation. Call 911 for an emergency.