Ganglion Cyst

What is a Ganglion Cyst?
  • A ganglion cyst is a fluid-filled sack of joint fluid that protrudes outside the joint space.
  • These are benign "bumps" that can spontaneously appear and spontaneously disappear.
  • Common locations for a cyst to form are on the front or the back of the wrist.  They can also occur at the base of a finger. 
  • Symptoms
    • A visible, contained swelling or bump
    • Often, cysts are pain-free.  However, at times they can be tender and can cause pain with joint movement, or when placing body-weight onto the hand or wrist.
    • In more severe cases, joint movement may become stiffer and painful.
Common Treatments may include:
  • Use of a wrist brace, splint or orthotic at night to immobilize the joint allowing the inflammation or pain to go down.
  • Implementing Ergonomic Improvements & Activity Modification
    • Avoid activities that cause pain.
  • Use of Heat and cold 
    • Use cold packs for acute pain or swelling.
    • Use heat packs to control more chronic pain or relax the muscles.
  • Wearing compression or Isotoner gloves at night may help control swelling and provide a comforting, neutral warmth.
  • Perform gentle exercise to keep the joints flexible.
  • Use of topical pain relieving creams if helpful and as needed.
  • Modalities such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation and iontophoresis may be helpful to reduce pain and inflammation.
  • Therapeutic taping may be helpful to reduce pain and provide gentle support.
  • A short course of anti-inflammatory medications, such as NSAIDs, may be helpful as prescribed by an MD or over-the-counter (Advil, Aleve) if not contraindicated by other medical conditions.
  • A Cortisone injection may help to reduce inflammation and pain.
  • A physician may use a needle to try to remove (aspirate) excess fluid.
  • If conservative treatment methods do not alleviate the symptoms, surgical options may be considered.
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