Wrist and Hand Pain Treatment in Sulphur Springs, TX

Your hands do almost everything, from typing and texting to lifting kids and gripping tools. When your wrist or hand hurts, daily life gets harder fast. Most wrist and hand pain is not serious, and many people get better without surgery.

Common causes

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome. Numbness, tingling, or pain in the thumb and first fingers, often worse at night.

  • De Quervain's. Pain on the thumb side of the wrist, especially when you lift or grip.

  • Thumb base arthritis. An ache at the base of the thumb with pinching, opening jars, or turning keys.

  • Wrist sprains. Pain after a fall or twist, sometimes on the pinky side of the wrist.

  • Pain from the neck. A nerve in the neck can cause hand symptoms that feel like a wrist problem.

What helps

Women with carpal tunnel who had hands-on care improved about as much over a year as those who had surgery (Fernández-de-las-Peñas et al., 2017). Soft tissue work and nerve gliding techniques help carpal tunnel symptoms and hand function (Jiménez-del-Barrio et al., 2022). For thumb base arthritis, hands-on care and exercise ease pain and improve function in the short term (Bertozzi et al., 2015).

How we can help

A stiff wrist is a bit like a squeaky gate. Hands-on care and needling quiet the squeak, and exercise keeps the hinge strong and working well. Your plan may include:

For carpal tunnel and other nerve problems, we use neurodynamics, gentle nerve gliding movements, to help the nerve move freely again. We check your neck as part of every exam.

Common questions

Do I need surgery for carpal tunnel? Not always. Many people with mild to moderate carpal tunnel do well with hands-on care and nerve gliding first. If symptoms are severe, we will refer you to a hand specialist.

Do I need a nerve test? Not to start care. If one is needed, your medical doctor can order it.

When to seek emergency care

Most wrist and hand pain is not an emergency. Please seek emergency care if your wrist looks deformed or swells a lot after a fall, if you have pain in the thumb side "snuffbox" after a fall (this can be a hidden fracture), if the joint is hot, red, and swollen or you have a fever, or if you have a cut or puncture near a joint. Call 911 if hand numbness comes with face drooping, slurred speech, or weakness on one side of the body.

Book a visit

If your wrist or hand is slowing you down, we would be glad to help you get back to the things you do every day. Book Online or call 903-629-5126.

Pacheco Spine and Sport, 1067 Gilmer Street, Suite C, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482.

This page is for general education and is not a substitute for a personal medical exam.

Sources

Bertozzi, L., Valdes, K., Vanti, C., Negrini, S., Pillastrini, P., & Villafañe, J. H. (2015). Investigation of the effect of conservative interventions in thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Disability and Rehabilitation, 37(22), 2025-2043. https://doi.org/10.3109/09638288.2014.996299

Fernández-de-las-Peñas, C., Cleland, J., Palacios-Ceña, M., Fuensalida-Novo, S., Pareja, J. A., & Alonso-Blanco, C. (2017). The effectiveness of manual therapy versus surgery on self-reported function, cervical range of motion, and pinch grip force in carpal tunnel syndrome: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, 47(3), 151-161. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2017.7090

Jiménez-del-Barrio, S., Cadellans-Arróniz, A., Ceballos-Laita, L., Estébanez-de-Miguel, E., López-de-Celis, C., Bueno-Gracia, E., & Pérez-Bellmunt, A. (2022). The effectiveness of manual therapy on pain, physical function, and nerve conduction studies in carpal tunnel syndrome patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Orthopaedics, 46(2), 301-312. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-021-05272-2