Diagnosis, Symptoms and De Quervain's Tenosynovitis Treatment

 A painful condition that affects the tissues in the thumb side of the wrist is De Quervain's Tenosynovitis. It happens when the two muscles in the base side of your thumb become swollen. The swelling causes the tissues covering the muscles to become swollen. This puts pressure on nearby vain, causing pain and numbness.

Symptoms

The key symptom of De Quervain's Tenosynovitis is pain or soreness at the thumb side of the wrist. You may also feel pain spreading to your forearm. The pain develops gradually or comes all of a sudden. It also gets worse when you use your hand, thumb, or wrist.

Other symptoms include:

·         Swelling at the base of your thumb.

·         Numbness at the back of your thumb and index finger.

·         A "catching" or "cracking" feeling while moving your thumb.

·         A squeaking sound as the muscles move within the swollen tissues.

Diagnosis:

To identify De Quervain's Tenosynovitis, the doctor performs a simple test called the Finkelstein test. Start with bending your thumb so that it rests across the palm. Then make a fist closing your fingers over the thumb. Last, try to bend your wrist toward your little finger. If you have soreness at the base of your thumb, you are suffering from having De Quervain's Tenosynovitis. Other tests, including X-rays, are usually not needed to start De Quervain's Tenosynovitis treatment.

De Quervain's Tenosynovitis treatment:

De Quervain's Tenosynovitis treatment focuses on decreasing the pain and swelling. It includes:

·         Applying ice to the affected area.

·         Taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

·         Avoiding wrist movement that causes pain and swelling.

·         Wearing a splint 24 hours for 4 to 6 weeks to rest your thumb and wrist.

·         Using De Quervain's Wand effectively restores the movement of your thumb.