Wait or PayFaster paths to NHS treatment
Get your free dashboardFree dashboard

Scans and tests your GP or consultant may recommend for Wrist pain (other)

This is information about which scans and tests may be used to assess Wrist pain (other), and what each one is: not a recommendation. Your clinician decides which scan or test, if any, you need. Prices below are typical UK private ranges; enter your postcode to see the NHS wait near you.

Wrist pain is common and has many causes, including a sprain or strain, overuse, a previous injury, or conditions such as tendon irritation, a ganglion cyst or arthritis. About wrist pain (other) and NHS waits →

Get your free companion dashboard for Wrist pain (other) to support you through your journey: the faster hospitals near you and every option, compared.

Get your free companion dashboard→
Examination first
Wrist pain is first assessed from your symptoms and an examination of the wrist. An X-ray is sometimes taken to check the bones and joints.
MRI
Used when a soft-tissue or cartilage problem is suspected, or when the cause is unclear and symptoms persist.
An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to build detailed pictures of soft tissues such as muscles, ligaments, cartilage, discs and the brain. It uses no radiation.
How long: Usually 15 to 45 minutes, lying still inside a tunnel-shaped scanner.
Good for: Soft-tissue and joint detail: ligament and cartilage injuries, the spine and discs, and the brain.
Typical UK private cost: £300 to £1145. Usually bookable within days.
Ultrasound
Sometimes used to look at the tendons and soft tissues around the wrist in real time.
An ultrasound scan uses high-frequency sound waves to produce live images, via a handheld probe on the skin. It uses no radiation.
How long: Usually 15 to 45 minutes.
Good for: Soft tissues near the surface, tendons and muscles, the abdomen and pelvis, and anything best seen moving in real time.
Typical UK private cost: £185 to £495. Usually bookable within days.

Sources: NHS, Clinical / imaging literature.

See the wait and price near you

Enter your postcode for the NHS wait at your nearest hospital and the private price range from clinics within 25 miles.

All conditions, scans and tests →MRI waits by hospital →All NHS waiting times →

Wait or Pay is independent and is not the NHS. NHS waits are from DM01 diagnostics data. Nothing here is medical advice; your clinician decides which scan, if any, you need.

How long will you really wait, and how could you go sooner?

Your free companion dashboard compares all four paths for Wrist pain (other): wait, switch to a faster NHS hospital, part-private, or fully private. It names the faster hospitals near you, shows what going private would cost, and gives you letters ready to send. You can print it or save it as a PDF. Free, and nothing is locked or paid.

Get your free companion dashboard→