De quervain’s tenosynovitis is an injury that is associated with swelling of the two tendons at the base of your thumb. As a result of this swelling, the tendon sheath becomes inflamed and starts to press on nearby nerves in the hand.. The result is difficulty moving your thumb and wrist as well as pain and numbness on the thumb side of the wrist. Another name for this condition is De quervain’s syndrome. Yet another is de Quervain’s tendinosis.
Doctors are unclear as to the cause of De Quervain’s tenosynovitis. However, researchers have detected an apparent connect between the appearance of this injury and extensive performance of activities that require repetitive hand or wrist movements. We will detail the symptoms of this condition below, describe the main treatments and make some suggestions as to how you may be able to reduce the risk of its recurrence.
As we have explained above, there is no known direct cause of this condition. However, it appears most often in individuals who have overused the wrist in repetitive movements. Examples of such activities include lifting a child into a car seat and lifting heavy grocery bags by the handles.
Other cases of de Quervain’s tenosynovitis appear to be linked to having a recent wrist injury that has caused scarring, or to a history of rheumatoid arthritis in the hands.
The following factors appear to increase your risk of falling victim to de Quervain’s tenosynovitis:
As we have mentioned above, the main symptoms of De Quervain’s tenderness, pain and swelling at the base of the thumb. Other signs and symptoms include:
If you have any of these symptoms, you should consider making an appointment with your doctor for a medical examination and diagnosis.
To perform a diagnosis, your doctor will ask you questions about the location of your pain. He or she may also ask about any repetitive movements that you perform as part of a hobby, sporting pursuit or occupational responsibilities.
In most cases, your doctor will also perform a test known as the Finkelstein test. To do so, he will ask you to:
If following these directions produces pain or tenderness at the base of your thumb, you are probably suffering from de Quervain’s tenosynovitis.
In most cases, your doctor will not need to request an X-Ray or other imaging scan.
As an initial treatment of your de Quervain’s syndrome, your doctor may recommend the following conservative treatments:
If a conservative treatment approach does not produce improvement, your doctor may recommend surgery. This is usually an outpatient procedure and involves making a small cut in the tendon sheath. The hope is that this will increase room for the tendons to move and reduce their irritation. This will in turn reduce your pain and swelling from de Quervain’s tenosynovitis.
An important part of either the conservative or surgical treatments will be having you work with a physical therapist. The therapist can devise an exercise program to strengthen the muscles of your hand and thumb. Stronger wrists and thumbs will be more able to withstand the repetitive movements that may have caused your de Quervain’s tenosynovitis in the first place.
Your doctor may also refer you to an occupational therapist. He or she will interview you about the daily tasks you perform that may have contributed to your de Quervain’s syndrome. You will then be given suggestions about changes to your equipment or techniques that will reduce the stress on your wrist and thumb and help you to avoid this condition in the future.
A natural question to ask is whether there is anything that you can do to avoid the recurrence of this painful condition. While complete avoidance may not be possible, you can reduce your risk of recurrence by:
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The Bio Skin Thumb Spica controls movement of your CMC and MP joints and protects your thumb against painful movements in order to promote healing. It does so while allowing you full use of your other fingers. No laces!
The Mueller Sports Medicine Thumb Stabilizer features an adjustable metal splint and a shock absorbing foam at the base of the thumb for comfortable fit.
The McDavid Thumb Stabilizer will help to immobilize your thumb joint during recovery from injuries such as Gamekeepers’ Thumb or de Quervains.
Wrist brace to control motion of the CMC and MP joints
The Bio Skin Wrist / Thumb Spica regulates movement of the CMC and MP joints by preventing painful movements of the thumb and wrist but allowing unrestricted use of the fingers.
