[vetswife]

I’ve had pain in my right wrist for a few months now. I type for a living. I don’t think it’s carpal tunnel, my hands don’t fall asleep, the pain is around the knobby bone in my wrist, it’s also swollen. I didn’t injure it. I have no idea what it could be. I thought maybe it could be arthritis but I don’t know what that feels like. I’m trying to avoid going to the doctors because I don’t have insurance. Any advice on what it could be and how I can make it feel better? If it keeps up I will have to go to the doctors but I'd like to try to fix it myself first.

[Perna]

You might get yourself a wrist brace, see if that helps? http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0106112808.htm

I typed for a living too and when I took a job that required I put together 100 or so 3-ring training binders a day one week, the 1000's of pages I had to hole-punch caused my wrist to get sore. It never even occurred to me since I was so accustomed to not "seeing" individual tasks I did as part of my job. Have you had to do anything extra/new like that (hole punching) in the last few months? Differen't software program that required different mouse movements, etc.?

I went to the doctor and he gave me a brace but it didn't seem to help much but that could be because we didn't figure out the hole punching was causing the pain and I kept hole punching :-)

Does Advil or other NSAIDs help the pain?

[vetswife]

When it's real bad and I can't stop working I'll take some Advil. I'm not big on meds so I won't take it more then two days in a row, or anything stronger. I do lift my kids a lot and they are getting heavier. But that shouldn't bother me; I used to be a bodybuilder and am still pretty strong. I was looking forward to getting back into it the gym once the kids were in school but I can barely bend my wrist. I can see and feel something protruding from in-between my wrist bone and my hand bone (a ligament maybe?). I have a feeling if I go to the doctors their only going to give a wrist brace so it will be a big waste of time and money.

Thanks for responding, I'm going to have to find a comfortable wrist brace (the ones I have tried lasted a half hour before I ripped it off).

[Christina86]

Tendonitis, maybe. I had pain in both wrists simultaneously, and was diagnosed with both carpal tunnel and tendonitis.

If your wrist is swollen, put some ice on it, and pop an Advil (or was it Tylenol) ... a medication that reduces swelling.

Here's a good article with suggestions:

http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/hand...tendonitis.htm

http://www.itendonitis.com/ specifically this section: http://www.itendonitis.com/treatment.html

[(JD)]

Make sure your wrists are UP when typing. Wrist splints need to be worn at night while you sleep, so your wrists get full support and rest. Do you type 7 days a week? When you're off, make sure you don't use that wrist. It isn't how strong you are, but whether you are lifting your children properly, and without an injured wrist! imo.

Take care of yourself.

[vetswife]

Thanks for the advice! I'm off from typing 2 days a week. I will try to stay off it. I'm left handed so it shouldn't be too hard to stay off my right wrist (I hope!). I do try to concentrate on my wrist position while typing, after a while it warms up and it doesn't bother me as much, but I'll feel it later. Especially at the end of my work week. Does tendonitis go away? Also what is weird, when I'm pregnant my hands fall asleep at night (I don't plan on experience that again! lol), once in a while they still do but I think it's because of how I sleep.

Thanks again for all your responses!

[thelostone]

also watch how you pick up your kids. they are old enough to grab hold of you and you wrap your arms around them. that is how i pick up my grandson. my hands and wrists aren't strong enough to use them to pick him up. my hands go numb alot, but i am told that is from teh anxiety. they make special wrist rests that keep your wrists extended properly while you type. i used one when i was typing alot.

lost

[(JD)]

Having your hands fall asleep is one thing that shows you probably need to wear wrist splints at night, your hands are either being fisted or bent under pillows etc cutting off circulation, and that could be your problem...also make sure you have proper pillows.

Watch your diet? High salt intake can cause swelling... and if you have a touch of arthritis, white foods can aggravate it, making bones/joints hurt.

[vetswife]

I can't pick my kids up the way I used to, I can't do push ups either, I can't bend my hand that way anymore. I'm hoping this passes and isn't a permanent thing.

When I was pregnant I was always very swollen that explains why my hands would fall asleep.

I never new that about white food. What are white foods, is that carbs (pastas, breads, rice)? If I had arthritis would it be all over or can it target one area/joint?

Thanks for all the info!

[(JD)]

Unfortunately, if left untreated, it can go up the arm to the elbow, and into the shoulder.. just like regular tendonitis.

You can have arthritis worse in one joint, than the whole body, especially if that joint had been injured (or broken bone) in the past.

Yes any white food except cauliflower, just about. Rice, enriched breads, rice, grits, white pastas, etc. Also, the nightshade foods potato, eggplant etc. You can get more info at the arthritis website.