What can I do now?

You and your doctor may decide that there are some things you can do now to manage your pain without surgery.

Treatment without surgery.

Lifestyle changes

Talk with your doctor about the kinds of exercises that may strengthen your grip, improve your range of motion, and help reduce your pain. Avoid repetitive tasks and take frequent breaks from any activity that requires use of your hands – typing, repair work, crafts, etc.

Self-care

The acronym R.I.C.E. stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Your doctor may suggest these practical and conservative approaches to help joint pain from injury or overuse.2 Rest to avoid further injury. (Especially avoid repetitive tasks.) Ice your wrist on and off for 15 minutes at a time. Apply an elastic bandage for compression of your wrist to help reduce swelling and provide some support. Elevate your hand and wrist when you rest.

Physical therapy

Physical therapists may be able to help lessen your pain and improve pain-free movement. Your physical therapist may perform manual therapy or recommend stretching and strengthening exercises, depending on your anatomy, joint functioning, and disease progression. A physical therapist may even recommend a wrist brace to remind you to keep your wrist in a neutral position.

Medication

Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter or prescription anti-inflammatory medicines to take the edge off the swelling and pain in your hand and wrist. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen, can be helpful even when taken for a long period of time; steroid medications, like corticosteroid injections, can’t be used as often because, although they’re effective, they may further damage the joint you’re trying to protect.2 Use of these medications must be monitored by your doctor.

Talk with your doctor about the non-surgical approaches to decreasing your wrist pain. If these approaches don’t lessen your pain, you’ve still got options. Learn more about surgical approaches to relieve your wrist pain.

Learn more about wrist replacement

Important information

VariAx 2 Wrist Fusion System

Indications: The Stryker VariAx 2 Wrist Fusion System is indicated for wrist arthrodesis and fixation of fractures in patients with wrist arthritis or fractures of other small bones of the carpus. Specific indications include: Post-traumatic arthritis of the joints of the wrist, Rheumatoid wrist deformities requiring restoration, Complex carpal instability, Post-septic arthritis of the wrist, Severe unremitting wrist pain related to motion, Brachial plexus nerve palsies, Tumor resection, Spastic deformities, Contra-Indications: The physician’s education, training and professional judgment must be relied upon to choose the most appropriate device and treatment.

For all warnings and precautions please refer to the appropriate labeling.

Conditions presenting an increased risk of failure include: Any active or suspected latent infection or marked local inflammation in or about the affected area, Compromised vascularity that would inhibit adequate blood supply to the fracture or the operative site, Bone stock compromised by disease, infection or prior implantation that can not provide adequate support and/or fixation of the devices, Material sensitivity, documented or suspected, Obesity. An overweight or obese patient can produce loads on the implant that can lead to failure of the fixation of the device or to failure of the device itself, Patients having inadequate tissue coverage over the operative site, Implant utilization that would interfere with anatomical structures or physiological performance, Any mental or neuromuscular disorder which would create an unacceptable risk of fixation failure or complications in postoperative care, Other medical or surgical conditions which would preclude the potential benefit of surgery
Source: VAX-ST-23

ReMotion Total Wrist System

Indications: The ReMotion Total Wrist System is intended for replacement of the painful wrist joint due to rheumatoid arthritis, osteo-arthritis, or post-traumatic arthritis.
Contraindications: Bone, musculature, tendons, or adjacent soft tissue compromised by disease, infection, or prior implantation, which cannot provide adequate support or fixation for the prosthesis.
Known sensitivity to materials used in this device. Skeletal Immaturity
Source: V15114

The information presented is for educational purposes only. Stryker is not dispensing medical advice. Please speak to your doctor to decide which type of surgery is right for you. Only your doctor can make the medical judgment which products and treatments are right for your own individual condition. As with any surgery, joint replacement surgery carries certain risks. Your surgeon will explain all the possible complications of the surgery, as well as side effects. Additionally, the lifetime of a joint replacement product is not infinite and varies with each individual. Also, each patient will experience a different post-operative activity level, depending on their own individual clinical factors. Your doctor will help counsel you about how to best maintain your activities in order to potentially prolong the lifetime of the device.

Stryker Corporation or its divisions or other corporate affiliated entities own, use or have applied for the following trademarks or service marks: ReMotion, Stryker, T2, Together with our customers, we are driven to make healthcare better, VariAx. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners or holders.

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