antebrachium

Your wrist connects your hand to your forearm. It is not one big joint; it has several small joints. This makes it flexible and allows you to move your hand in different ways. The wrist has two big forearm bones and eight small bones known as carpals. It also has tendons and ligaments, which are connective tissues. Tendons connect muscles to bones. Ligaments connect bones to each other.

Some of the more common types of wrist injuries and disorders are:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome, which happens when a nerve that runs from your forearm into your palm becomes squeezed at the wrist
• Ganglion cysts, which are noncancerous lumps or masses
• Gout, which is a form of arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid in your joints
• Fractures (broken bones)
• Osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis. It is caused by wear and tear of the joints.
• Sprains and strains, which are injuries to ligaments and injuries to muscles or tendons
• Tendinitis, inflammation of a tendon, usually due to overuse

Certain things can put you at higher risk of having a wrist problem, including:

• Doing sports, which can put you at risk for injuries and puts stress on your wrist. For example, you may fall on your outstretched hand when you are skating or snowboarding. Your wrist could be injured while doing contact sports. And other sports such as gymnastics and basketball can strain your wrists.
• Doing repetitive wrist motions, such as typing on a keyboard, working on an assembly line, or using power tools.
• Having certain diseases. For example, rheumatoid arthritis can cause wrist pain.

The symptoms of a wrist problem can vary, depending on the problem. A common symptom is wrist pain. Some other possible symptoms include swelling, a decrease in wrist strength, and sudden numbness or tingling.

Your health care provider may use many tools to make a diagnosis:

• A medical history, which includes asking about your symptoms
• A physical exam, including checking your wrist strength and range of motion
• An x-ray or other imaging test
• Blood tests

Treatments for wrist pain depends on the type of injury or disorder. They may include:

• Resting your wrist
• Wearing a wrist brace or cast
• Pain relievers
• Cortisone shots
• Physical therapy
• Surgery

To try to prevent wrist problems, you can:

• Use wrist guards, when doing sports that put you at risk for wrist injuries
• In the workplace, perform stretching exercises and take frequent rest breaks. You should also pay attention to ergonomics to make sure that you are using the proper wrist position while working.
• Make sure that you get enough calcium and vitamin D to keep your bones strong

Of the 206 bones in your body, three of them are in your arm: the humerus, radius, and ulna. Your arms are also made up of muscles, joints, tendons, and other connective tissue. Injuries to any of these parts of the arm can occur during sports, a fall, or an accident.

Types of arm injuries include :

• Tendinitis and bursitis
• Sprains
• Dislocations
• Fractures (broken bones)
• Nerve problems
• Osteoarthritis

You may also have problems or injure specific parts of your arm, such as your hand, wrist, elbow, or shoulder.

X-rays are a type of radiation called electromagnetic waves. X-ray imaging creates pictures of the inside of your body. The images show the parts of your body in different shades of black and white. This is because different tissues absorb different amounts of radiation. Calcium in bones absorbs x-rays the most, so bones look white. Fat and other soft tissues absorb less and look gray. Air absorbs the least, so lungs look black.

The most familiar use of x-rays is checking for fractures (broken bones), but x-rays are also used in other ways. For example, chest x-rays can spot pneumonia. Mammograms use x-rays to look for breast cancer.

When you have an x-ray, you may wear a lead apron to protect certain parts of your body. The amount of radiation you get from an x-ray is small. For example, a chest x-ray gives out a radiation dose similar to the amount of radiation you're naturally exposed to from the environment over 10 days.