I never remember associating wrists with arthritis, but mine seem to be a couple of my most problematic joints. A wrist strain and subsequent All-Body Joint Explosion(tm) is what eventually led to me seeing the doc last summer and getting a diagnosis.
But along with general wrist pain and incessant pop-pop-pop, I have this specific kind of pain that is just bizarre to me. All I can think is that it feels like an electric shock, right in the little round tip of the -- ulna? -- that's at your wrist. The little bony...wrist bone that sticks out? It's in both wrists, and it's like getting a cattle prod right on that little tip. And oh man does it hurt. I've never felt anything like it. Utterly unlike the achy, kinda -- grindy feeling of the regular discomfort. ZAP.
If it were in soft tissue I'd suspect some sort of nerve impingement. But it's bony bone-bone.
I plan to try to focus my doc's attention next month on my toes and wrists anyway, but what the heck? Why do my wrists get this electro-shock thing going on?
(Bearing in mind you are not my doc, and all that. I'm just stumped as to what could be causing this.)
Sometimes when a particular area is inflamed, the area is hyper sensitized, and any touch can set off zingers of nerve pain. Or the zingers of nerve pain just happen randomly with no touch. And this type of pain isn't necessarily in the joint. Do I have any real answers? no. Just a "been there done that" reply :)
Def. have your rheumy check it out, get some x-rays or ultrasound, to at least keep an eye on what is happening.
I had something, it wasn't like that, but it felt like a mild electric shock through my whole body, that was the only way I could describe it. After a looooong wait, I saw the leading MS doctor here, and he ran me though an entire work up for MS. Turns out, I didn't have that, I didn't have Sjogrens either. He belived me, but in the end it was blamed on stress. I had just found out I had to change medications, and I guess that set me off. He handed me the sheet they give you with the orders for blood work on it; I asked him what they were testing me on, and he "everything", meaning everything on that paper. Wow! He was very complete and my Doctor said "he was the guy", so I guess he was. The feelings went away, and have not returned since. But I know I don't have any demyleation (sp) or MS.! Good news, I had enough stuff. I hope you find a solution to your zingers.