Is this osteoarthritis of the wrist?

Arthritic

Over the past few months I have experienced pain on the right side of my right wrist (mostly when twisting to the right it) while holding something heavy. Over Christmas this got worse for some reason, so now whenever I twist it too much (even when NOT holding something heavy) it's painful.

The pain is around the protruding bone on the right side of the wrist, but can also extend to the right side of the hand and about half way up the right side of my right arm.

I saw the doctor last week and had some X-Rays taken, results are due in a few days.

In the meantime I'd welcome any advice that anyone can offer.

A few other important notes:

a) Resting it helps - however, doing anything strenous with the right hand makes the problem worse (but it's okay to do light work/small tasks with it).
b) There is no redness or swelling
c) It's usually easier first thing in the morning - no stiffness, sometimes a little pain depending on how it's been the previous day (yesterday afternoon, after some 'intensive' work, it was more painful and consequently more painful this morning, yet when I've had a few good days it is almost pain free first thing).
d) The pain varies from day to day, but up until yesterday's 'intensive' work it had been fairly good for about 5 days (but not perfect).
e) Paracetamol or Ibuprofen don't ease the pain at all
f) When it's reasonably bad (like now) even light tasks and light twisting are painful
g) Clenching my hand and twisting it also causes a fair amount of pain
h) I've tried Tubigrip (elasticated tube) on the wrist but the pressure from this just makes it more painful, specifically on the bone on the right side of the wrist. This makes me think that a wrist brace also wouldn't work as that too would put pressure on that bone.

I also can't help but wonder if it MAY be some kind of RSI-related injury - I've been intensively useing a computer mouse for nearly 30 years (I'm right handed) so maybe it's a tendon issue? Then again, maybe it's osteoarthritis ...... ?

All thoughts welcome.

Thanks!

stickywicket

Hello Arthritic. It's good to meet you though I'm sorry you had to find us.
You have given a very comprehensive description of your symptoms and the x-rays should be able to rule some things out and others in. Unfortunately, for allour vast :roll: combined experience of arthritis, in its many forms, we are not diagnosticians. All we can say is that yes, it might be but also it might not.

Mine's mainly an auto-immune form of arthritis and mornings (and evenings) are usually the worst time. All I can suggest is that, if you think it might be RSI or muscular, rest that wrist and you might find out. You can improvise a sling by knotting a scarf round your neck.

I hope the x-rays will help.

barbara12

Hello and welcome Arthritic
The xrays will show if it is arthritis,I had my x rays done last year and there was know doubt, like you say it may be RSI....mine are painful when not doing anything...I have just had injections in the worse one..and it worked brilliant..fora few months but I do think it is wearing off.
Also I have splints, they do help a lot.
Please let us know what your x rays show...good luck x

dreamdaisy

It could be OA, it could be RSI, it could be anything. As Sticky said we're not docs so can't advise. I hope you get the results through sooner rather than later, are you strongly right-handed or can you call on your left hand to help out? DD

ShulaArcher

Hello

I suffer from wrist osteoarthritis, which was diagnosed by X-ray. I go along with Sticky about making a diagnosis, and as Barbara says the X-rays will indicate if it is OA. You're able to describe your symptoms very well indeed so that's a benefit for the GP and any other healthcare professional you may see for treatment. Let us know what happens next.

Shula

shandy4greenday

I also have had this since September and have my first hospital appointment in a weeks time so I really know how you feel, you describe exactly what I have been experiencing only difference is I also get aches and pains other parts of my body but my worst pain is in my right wrist and thumb,good luck with your results and hope you get answers soon x

Arthritic

dreamdaisy wrote:

It could be OA, it could be RSI, it could be anything. As Sticky said we're not docs so can't advise. I hope you get the results through sooner rather than later, are you strongly right-handed or can you call on your left hand to help out? DD

I'm pretty strongly right-handed, but recently have been doing more tasks with my left hand - it's not easy, but I guess that practice makes perfect.

Thanks very much for everybody's replies - I'll report back when I know the X-Ray results/have seen the doc again.

BTW, I should also say - I have quite 'loose' joints - partial sub-luxation happens quite a lot in my left shoulder if I'm not careful. It's very easy to see how loose my joints are and can be demonstrated by relaxing a thumb and gently pushing it back: you can see the joint 'flick' into a different position. The doc pointed this out to me - I'd never noticed it before/assumed it was normal!

stickywicket

Your doc's clearly on the ball and that's a big plus. I do hope you fail to live up to your username but at least the x-rays should help with diagnosis.

Arthritic

This is most curious, I've found a way to greatly ease the pain when twisting my wrist - simply massage my right forearm (there's a small amount of pain in my forearm as I do this)! I can now twist my wrist really well and 99% pain free.

Weird ......... but how long will it last?

stickywicket

In the dim, distant past, when my wrists moved :roll: I do vaguely remember something of the kind. I suspect it's something to do with giving some support in the area that's needed at the time. I doubt whether this, of itself, would indicate arthritis as it could be the muscles needing support but...interesting. It might be helpful to make a note of such things for when you next see the doc.

Arthritic

Must admit that I'm beginning to wonder if my problem is not in my wrists, but perhaps in the ligaments of my arms (at least, in some ways I hope it is!).

12 hours since my 'discovery' my wrists still feel much better - not perfect, but massaging the underside of the mid section of my right forearm definitely helps. And more to the point, the massage seems to 'permanently' help - it's not just a quick, short lasting 'fix'.

Mat48

I have RA and my wrists were the part of me that was worst affected. As others have said we can't diagnose you but I can tell you that when the pain in my wrists was at it's worst - prior to diagnosis - it was screamingly painful and it would flare up, particularly in my right wrist, so badly that I got caught out after driving kids through to town and had to get the oldest to turn the ignition on for me and even help steer to get us all home! It felt more like a fracture or a corosive acid burning type of pain than the one you describe - like extreme toothache and even one time as if I were being tortured with a poker prizing my knuckles apart. It was usually worse first thing in the morning and I found that splints did help as long as they didn't sit on my knuckles too much and a night resting splint which the OT made for me still sometimes comes out to keep my wrist completely static. Hope this helps eliminate inflammatory arthritis from your enquiries perhaps :roll: ? Mat

mrsshazbat

My right hand/wrist is my worst-affected joint - I'm also right-handed. Ironically, using a mouse/keyboard doesn't really bother me whereas writing/holding a pen does! Sometimes I can hardly control my car, I struggle with opening bottles/cartons, squeezing/wringing cloths, dressing, carrying the shopping, ironing, brushing/drying my hair, lifting/pouring the kettle/pans, either pulling or pushing heavy doors (to push I have to use my forearm) and anything fiddly like earrings/jewellery, loose change, keys or turning pages. Even washing/personal hygiene hurts like hell :oops:

Mine started out years ago as RSI but it was never as bad as it is now. My GP suggested OA but it's still under investigation, and I've just been referred to a rheumatologist. I have pain in a variety of other joints as well, including my left elbow which restricts the use of my other hand although the hand itself is fine.

Mat48

Sounds like this does need investigating mrsshazbat. If your problem turns out to be inflammatory arthritis then there are effective drugs that can modify it. Ask your GP to take blood tests to measure your inflammatory markers if they haven't already and make notes of painful joints - also photograph any visible inflammation and show the rheumatologist in case it doesn't show up on the day.

mrsshazbat

I've had blood tests and they showed up nothing, hence my GP saying it wasn't arthritis. I don't have any visible inflammation anywhere, which is one of the difficulties. To look at, there's nothing wrong with me.

Mat48

Well you could be sero-negative or have osteoarthritis still - just because it doesn't show up in blood doesn't mean there's nothing going on. My wrists never showed swelling but my fingers and knuckles, which were far less painful - did look swollen and inflammation in my blood was obligingly high. Osteoarthritis doesn't show up in blood so your GP could just be plain wrong?
Mat x

mrsshazbat

Mat48 wrote:

Well you could be sero-negative or have osteoarthritis still - just because it doesn't show up in blood doesn't mean there's nothing going on. My wrists never showed swelling but my fingers and knuckles, which were far less painful - did look swollen and inflammation in my blood was obligingly high. Osteoarthritis doesn't show up in blood so your GP could just be plain wrong?
Mat x

Thanks for the advice. My left thumb is a bit swollen and has been for some time but other than that, unlike my right, my left hand isn't at all painful or uncomfortable although I still have no grip or strength in it. My GP did say if anything, it could be osteo. It would just be nice to have some consistency!

Mat48

Sounds more like Osteo than RA or other stuff if you have it in your thumb. I have some secondary OA in my thumb too but the OA doesn't feel nearly as weird or painful in my hands as the RA did so I just accept it as one of those things. Mat x