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Left wrist clicking & stiffness
Left wrist clicking/snapping for almost 1 year, which started after returning to the gym. It mainly occurs during side-to-side movement, especially toward the thumb side, and feels like something moves/snaps deep inside the back/centre of the wrist.
The wrist feels persistently stiff and has less comfortable movement toward the thumb side compared with my right wrist. I often feel the need to click it because it temporarily relieves the stiffness. Occasional mild pain, especially after waking, but no swelling or major weakness.
I'm planning to restart gym soon. What could cause this, and should I get it assessed before heavier training?
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Clicking or snapping associated with persistent stiffness and occasional pain for almost a year deserves evaluation, particularly before returning to heavy gym training. Possible causes include irritation or abnormal movement of a wrist tendon, a small dorsal ganglion, or an injury/instability involving one of the wrist ligaments such as the scapholunate ligament. Scapholunate problems can occur after significant loading or injury to the wrist and may produce dorsal wrist discomfort and mechanical symptoms.
It is difficult to determine the exact cause from photographs alone; examination while reproducing the snapping is particularly useful.
Next Steps
Consult an orthopaedic surgeon for a clinical wrist examination before progressing to heavy weights. For chronic wrist symptoms, plain wrist X-rays are generally the first imaging investigation; depending on examination and X-ray findings, MRI or other targeted imaging may be considered.
Health Tips
Until assessed, avoid repeatedly forcing the wrist to “click” and temporarily limit exercises that reproduce the snapping or pain, particularly heavy loaded wrist extension. You can continue pain-free activities with the wrist kept relatively neutral. Persistent pain or dysfunction following a suspected ligament injury warrants medical assessment.
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Clicking alone is often harmless, but in your case it has been present for almost a year and is associated with stiffness, occasional pain and restricted movement. This can happen with tendon snapping or a ligament related wrist problem, particularly after repetitive gym loading. It would be better to assess it before restarting heavy training.
Next Steps
Get an orthopaedic examination of the wrist. Depending on the clinical findings, an X ray may be done first and an MRI may be required if a ligament injury is suspected.
Health Tips
For now avoid repeatedly forcing the wrist to click and avoid heavy wrist loading such as heavy bench press, push ups and wrist curls until assessed. You can continue activities that are comfortable and pain free.
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