damage to the wrist may be due to a number of causes. Its severity and duration are all dependent on the underlying cause. These may be-

• Injury- most common wrist injuries occur on falling forward onto outstretched hands. This can lead to sprains, strains or even fractures.
• Repetitive stress- activities that involve repetitive wrist motion can lead to inflammation of the tissues around joints, including the wrist. Examples of such activities include hitting a tennis ball, bowling a cello etc. De Quervain tenosynovitis is a repetitive stress injury.
• Arthritis- diseases like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are reasons for joint pain and inflammation. Both the wrists may even be affected at the same time.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome- develops due to increased pressure on the median nerve in the carpal tunnel. This causes severe pain and discomfort.
• Gout- an inflammatory condition caused due to accumulation of uric acid in the body. Inflammation and pain are the most common presenting symptoms.