Alternative Treatment Options for Wrist Pain

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Do you have sharp or aching pain in the wrist joint that seems to never go away? The wrist joint consists of eight bones connected by tendons and ligaments and is prone to injury from overuse or trauma. These injuries and the subsequent wrist pain can be debilitating and interrupt work and school activities as the use of your hands and wrists, in particular your thumbs, is essential for many activities in daily life.

Common types of wrist & hand injuries include:

  • Osteoarthritis of the  Wrist, Thumb and Fingers
  • Carpal Metacarpal (CMC) Joint Injury
  • Scapholunate Ligament Injury (SLI)
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex (TFCC)
  • Tendon injury or overuse

Often, it’s difficult to give the wrists enough time to rest and heal because we use them all day every day. While no single wrist pain treatment works for all types of ailments, fortunately, wrist pain and injuries are particularly responsive to regenerative medicine.

So, if you have wrist pain that seems to never go away, you’re probably asking yourself how can I relieve wrist pain? Here are some proven wrist pain treatment solutions.

There are numerous options available to relieve wrist pain, many of which our practice manages with patients. The recommended treatment plan is different for each patient so please consult with your doctor to determine the best course of action.

Acupuncture

This is a low-risk and minimally invasive option that can help patients suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome and other wrist injuries experience less pen. Acupuncture can provide direct healing effects to the source of the pain, and healing may begin to occur in some patients.

Hydrodissection

Hydrodissection is a technique used when treating peripheral nerve entrapments. It involves using a solution of dextrose or Platelet Rich Plasma to separate the nerve from the surrounding tissue, fascia, or adjacent structures. To ensure precision and the results desired to relieve wrist pain, we conduct this procedure under ultrasound guidance. The most common nerve treated with Hydrodissection is the Median Nerve for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Neural Prolotherapy (Lyftogt Technique®) – PIT

Neural Prolotherapy, or NPT, also commonly called perineural injection therapy (PIT), is a distinct and separate treatment modality when compared to traditional Prolotherapy. PIT was developed by Dr. John Lyftogt to target superficial nerves. It consists of a series of small injections immediately under the skin that targets painful areas where nerves are sensitive. If a nerve is the source of your wrist pain, Neural Prolotherapy can reduce, and in some cases eliminate, chronic pain and inflammation from a neurogenic source using simple and natural substances.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)

Platelet Rich Plasma, or PRP, is an innovative, all-natural, regenerative option for wrist pain treatment. PRP is a safe non-surgical approach that uses the proteins and growth factors contained within platelets and plasma from your own blood that promote healing.

The steps of Platelet Rich Plasma are:

  • Collection of blood
  • Separation of platelets
  • PRP injection

We collect and concentrate your own platelets so they contain a greater amount of healing properties. We then inject them into the site of your wrist pain or injury. By facilitating the healing of the joints, ligaments, or tendons surrounding the injured area, we achieve stability, strengthening, and pain reduction.

Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy repairs and strengthens connections between bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles to decrease or eliminate wrist pain. Think of Prolotherapy as welding together structures that have been weakened. It uses injections of a natural irritant to jumpstart the body’s natural healing response. By triggering the body’s inherent healing mechanisms. Prolotherapy is a solution to wrist pain, not a cover-up like pain medication or steroid injections.

Prolozone™

Prolozone™ is a homeopathic oxygen-ozone injection technique developed and pioneered by Dr. Frank Shallenberger as a form of non-surgical ligament reconstruction treatment for chronic pain. Prolozone™ therapy consists of injections that can include collagen-producing substances like vitamins, minerals, and dextrose—similar to Prolotherapy—plus ozone gas. These work together to help reconstruct damaged or weakened connective tissue that may be causing your wrist pain. For wrist pain therapy using Prolozone™, substances are injected in the area of your injury to rebuild damaged areas.

Stem Cell Therapy

At Krasnick Regenerative Medicine, we perform Autologous Stem Cell Therapy. Meaning the stem cells used in your wrist pain treatment are taken from your own bone marrow, not a donor. Using your body’s stem cells in your treatment reduces the risk of infection and eliminates the possibility of immune rejection. For an Autologous Stem Cell Therapy procedure, we draw a sample of bone marrow from your hip. The sample is then filtered and concentrated before being injected into the area of your wrist pain under ultrasound guidance to ensure the greatest accuracy.

A repetitive strain injury is a common reason to need wrist treatment. Injecting these concentrated regenerative cells into the area of your wrist experiencing degeneration will kick start your body’s ability to heal itself and reduce wrist or wrist bone pain.

Surgery

Surgery may be the best option for some patients, especially if they have suffered bone fractures. If surgery is necessary, Krasnick professionals will work with you to find the best options and providers.

Ultrasound Therapy

A surge of high-intensity ultrasounds may help to raise the targeted body tissue area’s temperature which will decrease pain while supporting natural healing abilities. Research on the effectiveness of this approach is largely inconclusive but some patients experience relief from wrist pain utilizing this therapy.

Wrist Exercises and Therapy

This may be a supplemental approach to relieving wrist pain in conjunction with one or more of the treatment options listed above. Regularly engaging in wrist exercises and stretches can help relieve less serious wrist pain situations. Additionally, splinting or bracing can be helpful in the treatment and recovery.  Be sure to speak with a Krasnick professional to learn more about wrist exercises that are best for you.

Yoga for Wrist Pain 

An example of alternative therapy, yoga provides a base for postures that can strengthen and balance a patient’s joints and upper body to help eliminate or reduce pain and improve the overall wrist strength. Like other alternative therapies, it can supplement any of the treatments above to further support pain relief.

The Specialists At Kraskick Regenerative Medicine Can Help You Relieve Wrist Pain

At Krasnick Regenerative Medicine, we offer effective wrist pain treatment solutions that are non-surgical and drug-free. Many of these options can be performed as standalone treatments or in conjunction with other regenerative treatments. Dr. Krasnick and our team will work with you to diagnose the cause of your wrist pain and develop the best treatment plan for you.

All of the regenerative treatments we perform do not contain:

  • Steroids
  • Narcotics
  • NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal-Anti-Inflammatory-Drugs)

While those options may provide temporary wrist pain relief, they tend to cover up the problem instead of solving it. Plus, they often have detrimental side effects on the body.

Regenerative medicine treatments, on the other hand, allow the body’s own natural healing mechanisms to recover and restore your wrist injury to full health. Sometimes, a procedure may not be needed and we can seek other noninvasive and holistic approaches to relieve your wrist pain. Please contact us today to schedule your consultation at our Ann Arbor location.