Taping the wrist | Wrist Root

Taping the wrist

The wrist is a very stressed part of the body, both in many sports and in everyday life. In order to protect an already affected wrist from further damage caused by this stress and to promote healing of minor injuries, a tape bandage can help in many cases. This is a bandage made of adhesive plaster tape, which essentially has a supporting function and is intended to prevent the wrist from being overstretched.

In contrast to other bandages, it allows a fairly high degree of joint mobility despite stabilization. Furthermore, in contrast to other types of bandages, it only leads to a very slight impairment of the blood circulation. It is mainly used in physiotherapy and sports medicine.

Inflammation of the carpus

The most common inflammations of the carpus are those of the tendon sheaths (tendovaginitis). These are mainly caused by a permanent strain from monotonous mechanical work, such as frequent work at the PC. Infections with bacteria can also be the cause of the inflammation.

However, since the tendon sheaths are not superficial structures, they are usually preceded by a stab or cut injury. The symptoms are usually expressed as a diffuse pain over the carpus, which can extend into the forearm, i.e. along the muscular vision. A special form is the so-called tendovaginitis stenosans de Quervain.

This is a constriction of the tendon of the short thumb extensor and the longer sight of the thumb spreader in its tendon slide bearing caused by the inflammation. Here, too, it is assumed that the cause is mostly occupational overstrain. However, since this disease mainly affects women after menopause, other causes are also discussed.

Here too, the pain is expressed over the wrist and increases especially when holding and grasping objects firmly. The therapy usually consists mainly of immobilization by means of a cuff or bandage and the administration of medication to counteract the inflammation. Cooling, resting, elevation and massages can contribute to the acute relief of symptoms. If there is a bacterial infection, additional therapy with antibiotics is carried out.