Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsOsteoarthritisTendonitisDe Quervain’s TenosynovitisJoint Instability
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Osteoarthritis
Tendonitis
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis
Joint Instability
Popping and cracking in your wrist (also known ascrepitus) can be an uncomfortable sensation that arises during many of your daily activities. Reasons your wrist is popping or cracking may include osteoarthritis, tendon issues, or an unstable joint.
Although the origins of this joint noise are not always clear-cut, paying attention to your symptoms can help identify the potential cause. This article highlights the most common reasons why your wrist is popping or cracking.
Verywell / Ellen Lindner
A Word From Verywell
—ANITA C. CHANDRASEKARAN, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Osteoarthritisoccurs when the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones in your wrist begins to thin and wear away. Normally, this cartilage helps the bones in your hand slide smoothly along one another when you move your wrist. When the tissue begins to degenerate, however, friction develops, and clicking and popping can occur with movement.
The increased friction associated with osteoarthritis can also cause new bone to build up in the joint, further impacting your range of motion and potentially causing popping and cracking.
In some instances, a condition calledKienböck’s diseasecan also lead to wrist osteoarthritis. In this syndrome, the blood flow to one of the wrist bones—called the lunate—is impacted and the bone slowly dies. As this occurs, the bone collapses and normal hand motion is disrupted, leading to cartilage degeneration.
In addition, other systemic forms of arthritis (like psoriatic arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis) can cause similar joint changes and lead to popping and cracking in the wrist.
Other Symptoms
In addition to joint noise, there are several other symptoms that can indicate you have osteoarthritis in your wrist. These include:
Treatments
Osteoarthritis cannot be cured, butit can be treated. Icing, over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication, and avoiding irritating activities can be helpful after a painful symptom flare-up. Other treatment options include:
In some cases, surgery may ultimately be necessary if your arthritis is severe enough. This can include the removal of one or more wrist bones, the fusion of several bones together, or a total wrist replacement.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
If your wrist symptoms are progressively worsening or if they begin to impact your daily activities, it is important to speak to your healthcare provider. Osteoarthritis is typically diagnosed with a thorough examination and an X-ray, which can help detect any changes to the joint space or new bone formation.
In some cases, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) may also be ordered as it provides a more detailed look at the bone and the surrounding structures. If your healthcare provider is trying to rule out rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, blood tests may also be necessary to provide a correct diagnosis.
In addition, sports with repetitive wrist movements like tennis or golf can also be to blame. Regardless of the cause, because thistendon inflammationalters the way your hand muscle functions, it can lead to a clunking feeling or noise when moving the wrist.
In addition to crepitus, another extremely common complaint with tendinitis is pain. This pain is usually much worse with activity and better (if not resolved) when you keep the wrist still. In addition to pain, symptoms can include:
One of the most important ways to treat tendonitis is to avoid or modify the activity that is causing the tendon irritation in the first place. Treatments can include:
In rarer cases, surgery may even be necessary if the typical early treatments fail to address your tendon condition.
Tendinitis is usually relieved with some of the conservative treatment methods discussed above. However, if your symptoms are worsening or if the pain begins to linger even after the aggravating activity, it is important to speak to your healthcare provider.
Don’t ignore the pain and push through it as this may lead to further tendon damage and ultimately to surgery.
Wrist Tendonitis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Another tendon-related issue that can cause wrist popping or cracking isde Quervain’s tenosynovitis. Muscle tendons run through a tunnel-like structure called a sheath that helps them glide smoothly as the muscle moves. In people with de Quervain’s, the tendon sheath at the base of the thumb gets inflamed, leading to increased friction in the area. This, in turn, causes a popping or snapping sensation near the inside of the wrist with thumb movement.
What Is the Finkelstein Test?
Symptoms of de Quervain’s tenosynovitis include:
Treatment
Initial treatment for this issueinvolves:
If your thumb symptoms do not improve with the conservative measures listed above, it is a good idea to speak to your healthcare provider. This is also true if you are unable to control your hand swelling or if your thumb movements are getting progressively more limited.
Your healthcare provider can perform a thorough examination and can recommend the treatments that are appropriate for you.
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis: Conservative Management and Surgical Treatment
Excessive or abnormal movement in the bones of the wrist can make the joint unstable and can contribute to popping or cracking noises. This type of instability can occur for a variety of reasons.
All of these can further contribute to wrist instability.
Causes of Wrist Cracking and Popping
Other instances of joint instability occur as a result of a chronic condition. In some people, hypermobility disorders like Marfan syndrome orEhlers-Danlos syndromecause laxity, or looseness, in the body’s ligaments or connective tissue and excessive movement in the joints (also known as being double-jointed).
Ultimately, this hypermobility leads to frequent joint subluxation or dislocation, even during seemingly harmless movements or activities. This joint disruption can also cause crepitus and may eventually lead to early-onset osteoarthritis.
After a traumatic injury, you may experience:
Depending on the condition, chronic wrist instability can lead to a variety of other symptoms, including:
Depending on the degree of damage, treatment can consist of:
When treating the wrist hypermobility associated with chronic disorders like Marfan or Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, improving stability in your joints is important. This can include:
In addition, pain and anti-inflammatory medications can be used to manage the joint soreness that can occur. A splint can also temporarily help reduce your wrist movement and decrease the pain or snapping associated with it.
A thorough evaluation can help you get an appropriate diagnosis and determine whether you have a hypermobility disorder.
Summary
Popping or cracking in the wrist can cause discomfort and can significantly impact your daily life. Despite this, however, it is important to not give up hope. In most cases, there are conservative treatments available that can relieve your symptoms. Be sure to speak with your healthcare provider about what you are experiencing in order to determine a plan that is right for you.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Arthritis of the wrist.Penn Medicine.Treatment for tendonitis in the hand and wrist.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.De Quervain’s tendinosis.American Society for Surgery of the Hand.TFCC tear.Hypermobility Syndromes Association.What are hypermobility syndromes.National Health Service.Joint hypermobility.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Arthritis of the wrist.Penn Medicine.Treatment for tendonitis in the hand and wrist.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.De Quervain’s tendinosis.American Society for Surgery of the Hand.TFCC tear.Hypermobility Syndromes Association.What are hypermobility syndromes.National Health Service.Joint hypermobility.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Arthritis of the wrist.Penn Medicine.Treatment for tendonitis in the hand and wrist.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.De Quervain’s tendinosis.American Society for Surgery of the Hand.TFCC tear.Hypermobility Syndromes Association.What are hypermobility syndromes.National Health Service.Joint hypermobility.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Arthritis of the wrist.
Penn Medicine.Treatment for tendonitis in the hand and wrist.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.De Quervain’s tendinosis.
American Society for Surgery of the Hand.TFCC tear.
Hypermobility Syndromes Association.What are hypermobility syndromes.
National Health Service.Joint hypermobility.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
