A woman in a grey blazer sitting at a desk and clutching her painful wrist, seeking carpal tunnel and repetitive strain relief at Signature PT in Manhattan.

Wrist Pain

Your hands and wrists are your primary tools for interacting with the world. When pain, numbness, or weakness interferes, it affects every aspect of your day. At Signature Physical Therapy, we provide a specialized clinical approach to distal extremity health. Our doctor-led treatments focus on nerve decompression, joint mobilization, and ergonomic re-training to restore your dexterity and strength without surgery.

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Close-up of a senior woman holding her painful wrist, illustrating symptoms of joint stiffness and chronic inflammation commonly associated with arthritis.

Symptoms and Causes

Common Symptoms

  • Numbness & Tingling: "Pins and needles" in the thumb, index, or middle fingers.

  • Weakness in Grip: Difficulty opening jars, holding a pen, or carrying grocery bags.

  • Localized Swelling: Puffiness around the wrist joint or the base of the thumb.

  • Sharp, Shooting Pain: Sudden discomfort that travels from the wrist up into the forearm.

  • Nighttime Discomfort: Waking up with the need to "shake out" your hands to restore feeling.

Leading Causes

  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Compression of the median nerve as it passes through the wrist.

  • De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis: Inflammation of the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist.

  • Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI): Overuse from prolonged typing, gaming, or manual labor.

  • Wrist Sprains & Fractures: Ligamentous damage or bone stress following a fall on an outstretched hand (FOOSH).

  • Ganglion Cysts: Non-cancerous lumps that can place pressure on the joints or nerves.

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A professional physical therapist perform manual wrist joint mobilization and structural re-alignment therapy on a patient to restore function and relieve pain.

How We Treat

Our Comprehensive Wrist & Hand Protocol

We look beyond the wrist to assess the elbow, shoulder, and neck, as nerve issues in the hand often originate "upstream."

  • Nerve Conduction & Mobility Testing: We assess how well your nerves "glide" through the wrist to identify the exact site of entrapment.

  • Specialized Manual Therapy: Hands-on mobilization of the carpal bones and soft tissue release of the forearm muscles.

  • Neural Gliding Exercises: Specific movements designed to reduce nerve tension and eliminate numbness and tingling.

  • Ergonomic Workstation Review: We provide tailored advice on mouse, keyboard, and tool positioning to remove the mechanical stress on your wrists.

  • Tendon Loading & Strengthening: Progressive exercises to rebuild the endurance of the wrist stabilizers and improve functional grip.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes, absolutely. For mild to moderate cases, conservative care is highly effective. Our Washington Heights wrist specialists utilize targeted manual therapy, tendon and nerve-gliding exercises, and custom bracing strategies to reduce swelling within the carpal tunnel, alleviate pressure on the median nerve, and restore grip strength.

  • De Quervain’s is an inflammation of the tendons on the thumb side of your wrist, often aggravated by repetitive gripping, twisting, or lifting. Our 1-on-1, doctor-led sessions address this by using localized manual techniques to decrease tendon friction, modifying ergonomic triggers, and progressively strengthening the forearm to prevent future flare-ups.