What is De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis?
Causes
The science tells us you are more likely to develop de Quervain’s tenosynovitis if:
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Symptoms of De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis
- Swelling near the base of your thumb.
- Numbness along the back of your thumb and index finger.
- A “catching” or “snapping” feeling when you move your thumb.
Managing De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis
- Applying ice around the painful area for the first 48 hrs then switching to heat.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as nurofen.
- Avoiding activities that cause pain and swelling. Especially activities that involve repetitive hand and wrist motions.
- Altering the way you move your wrist to reduce stress on the wrist.
- Exercises to strengthen and stretch muscles in the wrist.
- Wearing a splint to rest your thumb and wrist to allow the tendons to heal adequately.
- Physiotherapy treatment to address weakness, of the wrist hand or forearm muscles. This may includes treatment of referred of wrist pain from the neck or the radial nerve of the arm.
Ilyas, A . Nonsurgical treatment of de Quervain's tenosynovitis. J Hand Surg. 2009;34A:928–9.