Wrist & Hand

Wrist & Hand Pain Relief Without Surgery

The wrist and hand are vital to nearly every daily task—gripping, writing, typing, lifting, or even just reaching. When pain or dysfunction strikes, it can disrupt work, mobility, and independence. Common symptoms include stiffness, swelling, numbness, tingling, or sharp pain that worsens with use.

The board-certified Physiatrists at Desert Spine and Sports Physicians specialize in identifying the root cause of wrist and hand pain and providing non-surgical, evidence-based treatments that restore function while avoiding the risks and downtime of surgery. 

Our approach is holistic and individualized, because your hands deserve the care that keeps you doing what you love.

Common Causes of Wrist & Hand Pain

A wide range of issues can lead to wrist and hand pain—some acute, others chronic or degenerative. Understanding what’s behind the pain is the first step toward lasting relief.

Some of the most common causes we treat include:

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A compression of the median nerve at the wrist, often causing numbness, tingling, or weakness in the hand.
• Tendonitis or Tenosynovitis: Inflammation of the tendons or tendon sheaths due to repetitive motion or overuse.
• Arthritis: Degeneration of the joints in the wrist or fingers, leading to stiffness, pain, and reduced motion.
• De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis: Painful swelling of the tendons at the thumb side of the wrist.
• Wrist Sprains or Ligament Injuries: Often caused by trauma or falls, leading to instability and persistent discomfort.
• Trigger Finger: This is a condition where the finger locks or catches during movement, typically due to inflammation around the tendon sheath.

Our Non-Surgical Treatment Options

We focus on non-invasive treatments that relieve pain, restore function, and prevent recurrence. Standard therapies for wrist and hand conditions include:

• Individualized Physical Therapy Planning: Referral-based therapy programs focused on strengthening, mobilizing, and correcting movement patterns to support healing.
• Ultrasound-Guided Injections: Precisely delivered ultrasound-guided injections to reduce inflammation and target pain in joints, tendons, or nerves.
• Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy: A regenerative treatment that uses platelets from your own blood to accelerate healing in damaged tendons and soft tissues.
• Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC): BMAC is an advanced regenerative therapy that uses stem cells to treat more severe or degenerative injuries.
• Prolotherapy: Prolotherapy stimulates the body’s healing response to strengthen ligaments and reduce pain in unstable joints.
• Electrodiagnostic Testing (EMG): Electrodiagnostic testing is used to diagnose nerve-related issues such as carpal tunnel or other entrapment neuropathies.

When to See a Specialist

Shrugging off occasional wrist or hand discomfort is common, but lingering symptoms may indicate a more serious issue. For this reason, knowing when to escalate care is critical to preventing long-term wrist or hand dysfunction.

If you notice any of these signs, it’s time to seek evaluation:

• Pain or numbness and tingling persists for more than a week
• Symptoms interfere with typing, writing, gripping, or lifting
• You experience weakness or dropping objects
• You notice swelling, popping, or locking in a finger or joint
• Home remedies like ice, rest, or braces fail to improve your condition
• There’s a prior history of arthritis, overuse, or repetitive strain

If you notice these or any other serious symptoms, you should see a specialist for evaluation.

Get Back to Yourself with Expert Wrist & Hand Care

You rely on your hands daily—don’t let pain compromise your function or quality of life. The board-certified Physiatrists at Desert Spine and Sports Physicians deliver expert, non-surgical wrist and hand care rooted in diagnostic precision and patient-centered treatment planning.

If you’re experiencing problematic pain in your wrist or hand that just won’t go away, we invite you to schedule an appointment at one of our convenient Arizona locations and start your path toward lasting relief.

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