Wrist Drop: Causes, Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment

Wrist Drop is a condition affecting the muscles of the wrist and fingers. The condition weakens or paralyses these muscles and it becomes nearly impossible for the patients to carry out normal wrist or hand functions, like movement or grip. Learning about the cause of wrist drop or hand drop will surely help you in preventing the disorder by eliminating its cause. It will also guide you to choose the best treatment option for quick relief. So, read on.

What is Wrist Drop?

Wrist Drop is also known as radial nerve palsy or radial neuropathy, as it’s caused by the damage or compression of the radial nerve which controls our wrist and finger muscles.

Wrist Drop Symptoms

The symptoms of wrist drop can vary from patient to patient depending on the type or severity of their condition.  If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, you need to get a detailed checkup from a neurologist or orthopedic specialist for a proper diagnosis.

Some of its common symptoms are:

• The wrist, hand, or finger muscles may appear droopy and limp.
• Muscles of the wrist or fingers become so weak that it becomes difficult for the patient to extend them to perform any normal functions.
• It becomes difficult for the patients to grip any object in their hands.
•  Patients find it difficult to perform activities related to the fine motor movement of the finger, like picking up a small object with fingers or buttoning a shirt.
•  Patients might feel pain in their fingers, hands or forearms.
•  Patients might also feel numbness or a tingling sensation in their fingers, hands, or forearms.

Wrist Drop Causes

As wrist drop is associated with damage to the radial nerve in our wrists or fingers, different factors can be responsible for causing this damage. So the underlying cause of wrist drop can be different for every patient.

Some of the common causes are:

• An injury or trauma of the wrist, elbow or upper arm which has damaged the radial nerve.
•  Compression of the radial nerve due to prolonged or severe pressure.
•  A fracture or dislocation of the upper arm or the forearm also compresses or damage the radial nerve.
•  Systemic Diseases like diabetes or autoimmune disorders can also negatively affect the radial nerve.
•  Sometimes exposure to certain toxic chemicals can also affect our nerves and can lead to certain neuropathic conditions or wrist drop.
•   A neurological disorder can also weaken our nerves or paralyze the muscles connected with our fingers or wrists.

How to Prevent Wrist Drop?

As several factors or conditions develop wrist drop, you can certainly take preventive measures to avoid some of these. Just a few simple lifestyle changes or taking care of a few aspects of your life can minimize the risk of radial nerve injury or compression.

So let’s have a look at a few tips to help you prevent wrist drop:

Avoid putting too much pressure

Don’t put too much pressure at a certain point on your wrists or arms for a prolonged period as it can sometimes compress or damage the Radial Nerve.

Maintain proper ergonomics

It’s important to maintain proper Ergonomics during all your activities. So just make sure that your chair, work desk, or computer table is helping you maintain a good posture and is not straining any of your muscles, including fingers, wrists, and forearms during the work.

While lifting any heavy object, you should always try to keep it close to your body to avoid staring, twisting, or bending your wrists and forearms unnecessarily.

Use protective gear

You should use protective sports gear (wrist guards etc.) while playing any games that involve wrist movement to protect yourself from getting injured. You should take breaks in activities involving repetitive or excessive wrist movement to protect them from getting strained.

Exercise to increase flexibility

Make a habit of exercising to strengthen your wrists and arm muscles. Especially include some stretching exercises involving your wrists and arms to increase the flexibility of these muscles.

Seek medical help

Consult your healthcare professional immediately if you feel any symptoms of wrist drop to deal with the condition before it gets worse.

Wrist Drop Treatment Options

The treatment of Wrist Drop often depends on its cause and around 70% of radial nerve palsy wrist drop cases are cured with conservative treatment options. So it might not be necessary for you to go through a surgical procedure to manage its symptoms. Your healthcare professional can make a wrist drop treatment plan based on your overall health, past medical history, etiology, and severity of the disorder.

These are the 2 best non-surgical treatment options for managing radial nerve palsy wrist drop:

Homeopathic Treatment

Homoeopathic treatment is one of the best choices for dealing with the symptoms and causes of wrist drop. Although in some cases where a fracture needs to be fixed or surgery is required, one should not avoid these treatments. Still, you can find effective Homeopathic medicines for dealing with the symptoms or any associated disorder like Diabetes.

Homoeopathic Medicine To Cure Wrist Drop

• Aurum Met 0/30: Useful for nerve-related conditions with heaviness.
• Plumbum Met 10M: Effective for muscle weakness and paralysis.

For Injury-Related Wrist Drop:

• Hypericum 200: Great for nerve injuries, reduces pain and inflammation.
• Arnica 200: Treats bruises, strains, and swelling.
• Causticum 200: Helps with muscle weakness and nerve damage.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy or physiotherapy can help a lot in recovering the affected muscles. Your physical therapist can make a plan of exercises for the treatment of radial nerve palsy based on your health conditions. The therapists may include a combination of motion, stretching, flexibility, strengthening, and resistance training exercises targeting your fingers, wrists, or forearm muscles affected by wrist drop.

Recovery Time

The prognosis of wrist drop depends on its underlying cause and severity. It can usually be cured within 3 months of the treatment if the nerve is not torn or lacerated.  Similarly, underlying medical conditions like diabetes or autoimmune disorders might need a longer time to get cured. 

In a few cases, only physiotherapy might be enough to strengthen the muscles, improve the fingers’ grip, and increase the stretch of the wrist and forearm. In some severe cases, on the other hand, even surgery might be necessary to repair the damaged nerves or release the compressed nerves.