Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooGanglion Cyst of the Wrist and Hand

Ganglion cysts are the most common lumps in the hand. They are not cancerous and in most cases are harmless. They can occur in many places, but they often develop on the back of the wrist. These cysts are filled with fluid. They can appear and disappear quickly, and change in size. Many ganglion cysts don't need treatment. If a cyst becomes painful, limits movement or bothers you because of how it looks, there are several treatment options (AAOS, n.d.).

Doctors don't know exactly what causes ganglion cysts. They are more common in women, in people aged 15 to 40, in joints with arthritis, and in gymnasts, who put repeated stress on the wrist (AAOS, n.d.). Sometimes they happen after an injury causes fluid to leak from a joint (NHS, 2025).

Ganglion Cyst of the Wrist and Hand Anatomy

A ganglion cyst grows out of a joint or tendon lining, like a balloon on a stalk. It grows from the tissues around a joint, such as the tendon sheaths (the tunnels that tendons slide through) and the joint lining. Inside the balloon is a thick, slippery fluid similar to the fluid that lubricates your joints. These cysts can develop at many joints in the wrist and hand, including the base of a finger and the end joint of a finger. They vary in size. Some cysts get bigger with more activity, and get smaller again with rest (AAOS, n.d.).

How to Treat a Ganglion Cyst of the Wrist and Hand

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Tips

• Most ganglion cysts form a lump that is easy to see, but smaller cysts can stay hidden under the skin (AAOS, n.d.). The doctor will ask how long you have had the cyst and check its size.
• The doctor may press on the cyst to check for tenderness (AAOS, n.d.).
• If the cyst presses on the nerves that pass across the joint, it can cause pain, tingling and muscle weakness (AAOS, n.d.).
• Large cysts can bother people because of how they look, even if they don't hurt.

I don't treat a ganglion cyst itself: I keep pressure off it and never try to burst or squash it. What I can help with is the wrist and hand around it: the ache, stiffness and tight forearm muscles that can come with a cyst, protecting the joint, and getting your strength back after surgery. After an operation to remove a cyst, I need your surgeon's okay before any hands-on treatment.

I assess how your wrist and fingers move, your grip, and the feeling and strength in your hand. Tingling or weakness can mean the cyst is pressing on a nerve, and that should be checked by your family doctor or nurse practitioner.

While You're Watching the Cyst

• Gentle hands-on work for the forearm, wrist and hand, staying off the cyst, with warm applications for stiffness
• Gentle joint mobilisation and tendon-gliding exercises to keep things moving
• Joint protection: balancing activity with rest, using built-up handles and avoiding long spells in one grip
• Help working out whether a wrist support or compression wrap would help, and how to get one

After Surgery, Once You're Cleared

1. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (n.d.) Ganglion cyst of the wrist and hand. OrthoInfo. Available at: https://www.orthoinfo.org/diseases--conditions/ganglion-cyst-of-the-wrist-and-hand/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
2. NHS (2025) Ganglion cyst. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ganglion-cyst/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).