Wrist pain from "loose" carpals
Wrist pain is quite common and can be caused by a lot of different factors. One common cause is from the carpal bones , which are small and very mobile to allow our wrist quite a bit of motion to accomplish our tasks. Sometimes with repetitive stress the bones might move into a position that it gets stuck and cannot return to its neutral position. That could happen especially if the wrist muscles are weak or too tight in certain directions. Lunate is the most common carpal to be pushed out of its optimal position. Other than repetitive stress, it could also happen with a fall or a car accident when the wrist is impacted in a flexed position. When people come in to see a physiotherapist with a wrist pain, we will assessment the wrist range of motion and strength and to find out where the pain is coming from. When we determine the pain is from a loose carpal, most likely the lunate, we can often perform a quick manipulation of the carpal to bring the small bone back to its ne