All You Need to Know about De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis

De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is a painful condition that affects the tendons on the thumb side of your wrist. As the exact cause of De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is unknown, any activity that relies on repetitive hand or wrist movement, including texting, working in the garden, lifting your baby, or playing golf, needs to be avoided. If you start De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis treatment early, your symptoms will start improving.

Symptoms of De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis

Pain and swelling at the base of your thumb.

1. Difficulty moving your wrist and thumb when you’re doing something that involves pinching or grasping.
2. A stop-and-go or sticking sensation in the thumb when moving it.
3. Pain that travels into your thumb or from the wrist to your lower arm.
4. Pain and swelling that appear suddenly or develops over time.
5. Experiencing snapping or popping sensation in the wrist when moving your thumb.

These symptoms can lead to inflammation of tenosynovitis. Consequently, the inflammation can lead to swelling that hampers the smooth gliding action of the tendons within the tunnel.

If you don’t treat De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis on time, the pain may spread further into your thumb and back into your forearm or both. Moreover, grasping, pinching, and other movements of your thumb and wrist increase the pain.

Untreated De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis might make it hard to properly use your hand and wrist and limit your wrist range of motion. Therefore, it’s better to perform effective De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis treatments and reduce inflammation, prevent a recurrence, and preserve movement in the thumb.