I have this unsightly lump on my wrist…and it hurts occasionally…!
Ganglion cysts often form on the wrist and they are often harmless and painless, however they can grow fairly large and occasionally hurt or result in less movement in the joint.
The cysts are fluid filled balloons that have emerged from the sheath, or capsule of the tendon.
I’ve heard you can hit them with a heavy book…
It has been known to burst the cyst with a heavy strike, and then the fluid can drain away. However, the integrity of the tendon sheath will still be compromised and it may reappear again. (We don’t advise using a heavy book btw…!)
What do you advise?
The best thing you can do is to regularly perform specific coiling and stretching exercises that will result in the cyst draining naturally. We can advise the best exercises to perform which are based on Eastern Body Movement. Massage on the surrounding tissues can also help. There is a surgical option, which removes the affected tendon sheath, but again, there is no guarantee that the cyst will not grow again.
