Arthritis affects millions of people in the United States. Often, arthritis strikes at the weightbearing joints of the body, such as the knees and the shoulders. A significant number of people suffer from arthritis in their wrists and hands, which makes it difficult for them to perform the activities of daily living.

Although there are hundreds of kinds of arthritis, most wrist pain is caused by just two types:

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive condition that destroys the smooth articular cartilage covering the ends of bones. The bare bones rub against each other, resulting in pain, stiffness, and weakness. Osteoarthritis can develop due to normal"wear-and-tear" on the wrist or as a result of a traumatic injury to the forearm, wrist, or ligaments.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory disease that affects the joint linings and destroys bones, tissues, and joints. Rheumatoid arthritis often starts in smaller joints, like those found in the hand and wrist. It is symmetrical, meaning that it usually affects the same joint on both sides of the body.

OA of the wrist joint manifests with swelling, pain, limited motion, and weakness. These symptoms are usually limited to the wrist joint itself.

RA of the wrist joint usually manifests will swelling, tenderness, limited motion, and decreased grip strength. In addition, hand function may be impaired and there may be pain in the knuckle joints (metacarpophalangeal, or MP, joint).

Joint swelling may also put pressure on the nerves that travel through the wrist. This can cause a lesion to develop (compression neuropathy) or it can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

The bones that make up the wrist joint include the two bones of the lower arm (the radius and the ulna) and four wrist bones (the carpals). Your physician will use a combination of physical examination, patient history, and tests to diagnose arthritis of the wrist. X-rays can help distinguish among various forms of arthritis. Some, but not all, forms of rheumatoid arthritis can be confirmed by a laboratory blood test.