How To Fix Wrist Pain

A wrist injury can make so many everyday activities difficult, so it’s natural to want it back in working order as quickly as possible, and pain-free. Here’s how:

Rest *And* Exercise (But: Correctly)

The key is both resting and exercising the wrist, in the right ways.

First let’s understand what goes wrong: pain on the outer side of the wrist is often due to a Triangular Fibro-Cartilage Complex (TFCC) injury, a structure that stabilizes wrist joints during movements like pronation, supination, and displacement (i.e. normal movements in various directions). Injury usually results from compressive loading during ulnar deviation, forceful wrist extension, or impact (e.g. falls, hits, or repetitive sports motions like batting).

Now for how the problem is diagnosed: physiotherapists perform the “Piano Key Test” (pressing down the ulna styloid to check for pain) and for extra fun, the “Pain Reproduction Test” (compression and rotation of the wrist). You can see both of these in the video. As for why these tests are done, it’s because tendonitis of the wrist extensors must also be ruled out before confirming a TFCC injury.

Initial treatment (0–6 weeks): in the first week after injury, brace, protect, and ice the wrist. Healing may take 2 days to 6 weeks. During this time, keep fingers moving (e.g., finger opposition) and lightly load the wrist only with the palm facing inward (i.e. classic groceries-carrying position, or “farmer’s walk”) to prevent stiffness, while avoiding positions that could worsen the injury.

Post-acute care and mobility: once the pain and swelling subside, remove the brace and start gentle wrist stretches (flexion, extension, radial and ulnar deviation), but avoid pronation and supination initially to prevent re-injury (see video if unsure about these terms). Apply gentle heat to increase blood flow and promote recovery.

Long-term recovery and strengthening: if the pain persists, gently massage the ulnar side to reduce scar tissue buildup—stop if the pain worsens. Begin strengthening exercises using weights, resistance bands, or bottles to work on flexion, extension, and deviations (10 reps, 3 sets). Gradually reintroduce pronation and supination using a hammer, increasing resistance by adjusting your grip position (i.e. near the weight or nearer the other end, to make it easier or harder, respectively). Finish with grip strength exercises using a squishy ball (10–15 reps) to strengthen wrist muscles and tendons.

For more on all of this plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

You might also like:

Yoga Wrist Strength – 5 Minute Wrist Exercise Routine ← for if your wrists are fine now and you’d like them to stay that way!

Take care!