Ulnar Wrist Pain

Wrist pain on the little finger side is often called ulnar wrist pain. The ulna is one of the two bones in your forearm. This pain can be caused by a variety of issues. Problems with the bones, tendons, and ligaments in the wrist can all contribute to discomfort on the side opposite your thumb. Different kinds of injuries can lead to this type of wrist pain. For example, you might have injured a bone, tendon, or ligament in your wrist.

Ulnar wrist pain can cause several problems. One common symptom is pain that gets worse when you try to hold onto something tightly, or when you twist your wrist. You might also notice a decrease in your grip strength. Moving your wrist or turning your forearm could become difficult. Sometimes, you might hear a popping or clicking sound when you move your wrist.

Wrist pain can be tricky to figure out because many things can cause it. Ulnar wrist pain, pain on the pinky finger side of your wrist, often has these causes:

• Falls and sudden impacts: A common wrist injury happens when you fall and land on an outstretched hand. This can hurt the ligaments (sprains), muscles (strains), or even break the bones (fractures).

• Doing the same thing over and over: Any activity that makes you move your wrist repeatedly can irritate the tissues around the joint or even lead to small breaks in the bone, called stress fractures. The more time you spend doing repetitive wrist movements without stopping, the higher the chance of injury. Examples include typing for long periods, playing certain sports, or using tools.

• Joint problems (arthritis): Arthritis can cause swelling and stiffness in your wrist. Two main types of arthritis, osteoarthritis (wear and tear) and rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disease), can both lead to wrist pain. Osteoarthritis happens over time as the cartilage in your joints wears down. Rheumatoid arthritis is when your body's immune system attacks the joints, causing inflammation.

Ulnar wrist pain can be caused by several things.

1. Sports: Many sports activities can lead to wrist pain. This includes sports with direct impact on the wrist, like football, and sports with repeated wrist movements, like tennis, golf, and pickleball. The repetitive motions or forceful impacts can strain the wrist ligaments and tendons, leading to pain.

2. Jobs that involve repetitive movements: If your job involves using a computer mouse or keyboard frequently, you may be at risk for ulnar wrist pain. This is because these actions often lead to repeated flexing and extending of the wrist. Similarly, tradespeople like carpenters and plumbers, who often use tools in awkward positions, can experience wrist pain due to repetitive strain. This strain can happen even if the movements don't seem very forceful.

3. Health conditions: Some medical conditions can increase your risk of ulnar wrist pain. Having loose ligaments in your wrist means the ligaments may be more prone to injury. Conditions like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout can also cause inflammation and pain in the wrist joints, making them more susceptible to injury.

To figure out why your wrist hurts on the pinky-finger side (ulnar side), your doctor will likely do a physical exam. This means they'll move your wrist and hand around to see where it hurts. They'll also check how far you can move your wrist (range of motion) and how strong your grip is.

Sometimes, more tests are needed to see what's going on. These tests can help pinpoint the cause of your pain:

• X-rays: X-rays are a common way to check for wrist problems. They use a small amount of radiation to create pictures of your bones. These pictures can show if there are any broken bones or signs of wear and tear (osteoarthritis) in your wrist joints.

• CT scans: A CT scan gives a more detailed view of your wrist bones than an X-ray. This can be helpful in finding tiny fractures that might not show up on an X-ray. Think of it like getting a close-up view of your wrist bones.

• MRI scans: MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging. It uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create detailed images of the soft tissues and bones in your wrist. This is important because it can show problems with the tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues that aren't as easy to see on X-rays or CT scans. For a wrist MRI, they might use a smaller machine that fits around your arm, which is often more comfortable than a full-body MRI machine.

• Ultrasound: An ultrasound is a quick, painless, and non-invasive way to look at the tendons, ligaments, and soft tissues in your wrist. It uses sound waves to create images. This can help find things like cysts or inflammation in these areas.