Home / Conditions / Wrist tendonitis
Wrist tendonitis is pain in one of the tendons that cross the wrist, felt as an ache with use — often after a new or repeated activity, lifting a baby, or a spell of heavy gripping. It is an umbrella term: where exactly it hurts tells which tendon is involved, and most settle with rest, a splint or an injection.
Wrist tendonitis is not one condition. The tendons crossing the wrist are grouped around it, and where the pain sits — with what brings it on — usually tells which one is sore.
| Thumb side | Back of the forearm | Little-finger side | Palm side | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Which tendon | The tendons to the thumb | Tendons where they cross, just above the wrist | The tendon along the little-finger edge | The tendons that bend the wrist |
| What brings it on | Lifting with the thumb out — a baby, a kettle | Rowing, gym work, unaccustomed use | Twisting the forearm, racquet sports | Gripping, bending the wrist |
| A telling sign | Pain on tucking the thumb into the palm and tilting the wrist | A creaking you can feel | The tendon may snap over the bone as the forearm turns | Pain on bending the wrist against resistance |
| More on it | See de Quervain's tenosynovitis | Rest and a splint | A TFCC tear lies nearby | Rest and a splint |
A wrist that is hot, red and swollen is not tendonitis. It may be an infection or gout, and needs seeing the same day: call the clinic and come in, or go to an emergency department if we are closed. Numbness or tingling in the fingers points to a nerve, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, rather than a tendon.
The tendons from the forearm muscles cross the wrist inside smooth sheaths, held close to the bone by bands that stop them bowstringing. Where they bend around bone, pass through a tight tunnel, or cross one another, they rub — and those are the places that become sore.
What a picture cannot show is what has gone wrong. The name suggests inflammation, and the lining around a tendon can be inflamed at first, but a tendon that has been sore for weeks has mostly been overloaded faster than it could adapt — which is why rest and then gradual exercise help more than simply waiting.
It also explains the treatments. A splint lets the tendon rest; an injection settles the lining so it glides again; and where a sheath has thickened and stays tight, surgery releases it.
Treatment steps up from rest and a splint to an injection, with surgery kept for the few that do not settle. Most wrist tendonitis improves within a few weeks to a few months.
Easing off the activity that brought it on, and wearing a splint for a few weeks, lets the sore tendon settle. Changing how you lift or grip helps stop it returning.
Once the pain has settled, gentle stretching and gradual strengthening help the tendon cope with everyday loads again.
An injection into the tendon sheath eases the pain and helps the tendon glide again. It works particularly well for de Quervain's on the thumb side.
Rarely needed. Where a sheath has thickened and stays tight despite treatment, a short operation under local anaesthetic releases it so the tendon can move freely.
Wrist tendonitis here is seen by Dr Palanisamy Arul Murugan, an orthopaedic surgeon whose practice covers the hand and wrist, and who treats the full range of hand conditions with both non-surgical and surgical techniques. He holds the MRCS (Edinburgh), a Master of Medicine and the FRCS in orthopaedics, and consults in English, and in Tamil or Hindi if preferred.
Most improves within a few weeks to a few months with rest and a splint. It lasts longer if the activity that caused it carries on, so easing off early helps.
Often, yes, for a few weeks. A splint or brace rests the sore tendon and eases the pain. The right type depends on which tendon is affected.
No. Tendonitis is a sore tendon that aches with use. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a squeezed nerve that causes numbness and tingling in the fingers, often worse at night.
A creaking you can feel on the back of the forearm, just above the wrist, often comes from tendons rubbing where they cross, usually after rowing, gym work or unaccustomed use. It settles with rest.
Rarely. Most settles with rest, a splint and sometimes an injection. Surgery is considered only when a tendon sheath stays tight despite treatment.
No. Bring any wrist X-ray or scan reports, and be ready to say what activity brought the pain on.
Wrist pain · De Quervain's tenosynovitis · TFCC tear · Carpal tunnel syndrome · Ganglion cysts
Be ready to point to where it hurts, and to say what brought it on. Together they usually show which tendon is sore.
