Hand and wrist pain: what causes it?
In this age of texting with smartphones, video game controllers, computers, the keyboard, mouse, and even the mouse surface on our laptops, it's no wonder that many people have pain in their hands and wrists. Made from dozens of small bones, our hands and wrists can easily hurt. The wrist alone has eight aligned bones, four at the top and four at the bottom. All eight bones are connected by ligaments that hold the joints together, while providing a wide range of motion for our hands. There are also many tendons that run through the wrist. These control the movement of our wrist, fingers, and thumb. Because each of those parts has a purpose in movement, if even one area of the wrist becomes inflamed or injured, you will feel it. Injuries or conditions affecting the hands can make previously simple and straightforward tasks painful and difficult. Something as mundane as raising a cup of coffee or brushing your teeth can lead to arm pain. Pain can even cause you to change the way ...