Medical History
In most cases, a medical history can be enough to suspect a diagnosis. 70% of patients can be diagnosed with a medical history, but it should be done after a detailed conversation with the patient. Thus, one of the first steps your doctor will take is talking to you about your symptoms, and if you want an accurate diagnosis, you should be as specific as possible about the type of pain you’re feeling, the timing, radiation, severity when it starts, and what you do to relieve the pain.
Mechanical causes are easy to diagnose with a medical history because they are sustained after trauma. You can also contribute to the diagnosis in this step. For instance, if you provide the background and say that the injury happened after falling on an outstretched hand, this will give doctors a clear idea of what articulations and bones can be affected. This type of injury causes a scaphoid fracture, and you can also have a distal radius fracture. Even before looking at imaging studies, doctors can have a concrete idea of what’s going on.
Ligament injuries are also diagnosed with a medical history, and the key sign, in this case, is a popping or clicking sound and excessive extension of the articulation. Ligament injuries can be partial or total tears, and the most commonly affected ligaments are the lunotriquetral and scapholunate ligaments. The severity of pain is suggestive of a torn ligament, and that’s why you need to be as accurate as possible when doctors ask you to measure the severity of pain.
The type of sport you practice and the job you have are also crucial to making the diagnosis. For instance, a doctor may suspect an injury in an area known as triangular fibrocartilage complex if you’re a hockey, racquetball, or tennis player. This type of injury is also common in gymnasts.
In a nutshell, the medical history will not only focus on your wrists. Your doctor can ask various questions related to different systems, not only the musculoskeletal system. This thorough medical exam can help them detect rheumatoid arthritis, gout, mechanical injuries, or nerve entrapment syndromes. Even hypothyroidism and diabetes are predisposing factors, and knowing that you have these ailments can guide the diagnosis.