Guide for Wrist and Hand Pain and Numbness

Pain in the wrist and hand can occur due to various causes such as repetitive use, tendon irritation, joint injury, trauma, and nerve compression. You must distinguish whether the numbness affects the thumb, index, or middle finger; the little finger side; or varies with neck movement.

We do not confirm the cause solely based on the fact that you have used your hands a lot; we also check grip strength, finger strength, and changes in sensation.

• Wrist pain when using a keyboard and mouse or holding objects
• Pain and swelling on the thumb side of the wrist
• Symptoms where the hands feel numb at night and require shaking to relieve the sensation
• Buttoning clothes or using chopsticks feels less coordinated
• Frequently dropping objects
• Persistent pain after falling and supporting oneself with the hand
• Finger catching or difficulty in fully extending the finger

It is important not only whether there is numbness and pain, but also whether actual hand function has changed.

If the wrist shape changes after trauma, or if it swells severely and you cannot bear weight, a fracture must be confirmed. If your fingers become pale or blue and cold, or if the area around a wound becomes red, hot, and feverish, you need prompt medical attention.

If strength in the hand and arm rapidly declines or gait becomes unstable, a neurological evaluation of the neck must be performed.

We check the location of pain, repetitive movements, trauma, and nighttime numbness. Compares wrist flexion/extension and rotation, thumb and finger movement, and grip strength.

If sensory loss is present, we examine the distribution of numbness in each finger along with elbow and neck movement to identify areas where nerves may be irritated.

Chuna manual therapy may be considered when fracture and infection have been ruled out and management of connected movement and muscle function of the wrist, elbow, and shoulder is needed. The goal is not to forcefully bend the wrist or make a sound during treatment.

Acupuncture and pharmacopuncture are selected based on pain, tendon/muscle response, and patient history. After treatment, we will recheck the range of grip strength, ability to hold objects, and numbness.

Rather than immobilizing the wrist completely for a long period, we control the force causing pain and the number of repetitions. Adjust the working tool and wrist angle, then proceed with range-of-motion and strength exercises appropriate to the condition.

If numbness and muscle weakness persist, you may consider nerve examination, imaging studies, and consultation with other medical institutions.

Depending on whether the thumb, index, or middle fingers are primarily numb, or whether the ring and little fingers are numb, or if the entire hand feels dull, the nerve pathway to be confirmed will differ. We examine whether symptoms are severe enough to wake you at night, whether they improve when shaking the hand, and whether symptoms change depending on the position of the neck and elbow.

We do not diagnose based solely on the range of tingling; we can also perform examinations of finger strength and grip strength, sensation, as well as the neck and elbow.

If you fall and then support yourself with your hand, resulting in a swollen wrist that is difficult to move, or if pressing on the thumb side of the wrist bone causes severe pain, you can check for a fracture. If the shape of the fingers changes, wounds become deep, or sensation and complexion change rapidly, prompt medical consultation is required.

Avoid bending or twisting the wrist forcefully immediately after trauma to reduce pain.

Repeated use of the hands, such as with keyboards, mice, smartphones, cooking, and beauty treatments, can accumulate strain on the tendons of the wrists and fingers. If the elbow and shoulder cannot move sufficiently, the wrist may compensate by performing more movements.

We check the range of motion of the wrist and thumb/finger movement, as well as elbow and shoulder function, together to determine which movement needs adjustment.

We assess how pain and strength differ when opening a bottle cap, using chopsticks, buttoning, writing, and holding a mobile phone. Tingling has decreased, but if you continue to drop objects or if there is a noticeable reduction in the muscles of the palm, nerve function must be re-evaluated.

Braces and rest may help reduce stimulation, but prolonged immobilization can decrease movement and strength, so the duration of use should be adjusted according to the condition.

Record whether your fingers feel numb, the time of day it occurs, if shaking your hand improves the sensation, and if grip strength has decreased to the point of dropping objects. Please inform us about the trauma from falling and placing your hand on the ground, swelling of the wrist, changes in skin color and temperature, and any assistive devices currently being used.

Even if numbness is not severe, if buttoning clothes or using chopsticks becomes clumsy, or if it becomes difficult to open bottle caps or finger muscles noticeably shrink, nerve function must be checked. Even if Chuna manual therapy and acupuncture treatment are considered, it is necessary to first distinguish which part of the neck, elbow, or wrist nerves are involved, and compare grip strength and sensation before and after treatment.

Keep the wrist in a position close to neutral, avoid gripping tools too tightly, and divide the time spent using smartphones and mice with one hand. Wrist braces can reduce numbness at night or strain during specific tasks, but wearing them all day may limit wrist and finger movement, so usage purpose and duration should be determined.

If your hand is numb, you may not be able to accurately feel the temperature of hot water or heat packs, so be careful about burns. Even if pain has decreased, if buttoning clothes or using chopsticks and opening bottle caps remains difficult, the grip strength and finger muscles, as well as the nerve pathways in the neck and elbow, must be re-evaluated.

If both hands and feet feel similarly numb, or if sensation at the fingertips gradually dulls, it is unlikely to be a problem limited to just one area of the wrist. We can confirm systemic factors such as diabetes, thyroid disease, nutritional status, and medications being taken. If your hands swell and multiple joints feel stiff for a long time each morning, evaluation for inflammatory joint diseases should also be considered.

Before your visit, please record which finger is numb, whether you wake up at night, if shaking your hand improves the sensation, and if buttoning clothes or using chopsticks has become difficult. If numbness in the hand also appears in both feet, or if finger muscles noticeably shrink, we do not attribute it solely to wrist issues but consider whole-body and neurological evaluations.

Wrist braces may help with nighttime numbness or during specific tasks, but wearing them all day can reduce finger and wrist movement. Use based on the time of symptom onset and activity, and be cautious about burns from hot water or heat packs for hands with diminished sensation.

Changes in hand function are also recorded.