Wrist Tendinitis Recovery

Tendinitis is a condition that causes irritation and inflammation of a tendon. The wrist is a common location for tendinitis to develop and it can severely limit normal hand and arm function in severe cases. Several treatment options exist to help speed wrist tendinitis recovery.

Bracing

• Wearing a wrist brace or splint to help support and immobilize the wrist can help reduce wrist tendinitis pain and inflammation and help speed healing. There are wrist-specific braces available, including velcro braces, that can be purchased, or simple gauze and/or medical tape can be used to craft a brace.

Anti-Inflammatory Medication

• Treating wrist tendinitis pain and inflammation with the use of anti-inflammatory pain medications, aka NSAIDs, can help speed healing and recovery of the affected soft tissues. These medications, such as Tylenol or Advil, can be taken on an as-needed basis as symptoms persist.

Rest

• Simply resting the affected wrist and protecting it from excessive or unnecessary use is often times sufficient wrist tendinitis treatment that can help reduce pain and speed recovery.

Light Stretching

• As wrist tendinitis pain and inflammation begin to abate, gently stretching and moving the affected wrist throughout its normal range of motion can help improve wrist flexibility and strength and speed healing. Regularly stretching the affected wrist can also help prevent wrist tendinitis from reoccurring.

Steroid Injection

• For severe and/or chronic cases of wrist tendinitis, a steroid injection made directly into the inflamed tendon may be necessary to reduce tendon pain and inflammation. Steroid injections are generally well-tolerated and very effective at relieving pain.