Wrist Pain

During the physical exam, your healthcare professional may:

• Check your wrist for tenderness, swelling or deformity.
• Ask you to move your wrist to check for a decrease in your range of motion.
• Check your grip strength and forearm strength.

Imaging tests

Imaging tests may include:

• X-ray. This is the most commonly used test for wrist pain. Using a small amount of radiation, X-rays can reveal bone fractures or signs of osteoarthritis.
• CT. This scan can provide more-detailed views of the bones in the wrist. CT may spot fractures that don’t show up on X-rays.
• MRI. This test uses radio waves and a strong magnetic field to produce detailed images of the bones and soft tissues. For a wrist MRI, you may be able to insert your arm into a smaller device instead of a whole-body MRI machine.
• Ultrasound. This simple, noninvasive test can help examine tendons, ligaments and cysts.

Arthroscopy

If imaging test results do not provide enough information, you may need an arthroscopy. This procedure uses a pencil-sized instrument called an arthroscope. The arthroscope is inserted into the wrist through a small incision in the skin. The instrument contains a light and a tiny camera, which projects images onto a television monitor. Arthroscopy is considered the gold standard for evaluating long-term wrist pain. In some cases, an orthopedic surgeon may repair wrist problems through the arthroscope.

Nerve tests

Your healthcare professional might order an electromyogram (EMG) if carpal tunnel syndrome is suspected. The EMG test measures the tiny electrical discharges produced in the muscles. A needle-thin electrode is inserted into the muscle, and its electrical activity is recorded when the muscle is at rest and when it’s contracted. Nerve conduction studies also are performed to check whether the electrical impulses are slowed in the region of the carpal tunnel.