Wrist Tendonitis Therapy

Wrist tendonitis (tenosynovitis) is an inflammation of the tendons in the wrist. Symptoms can include aching or a burning sensation in the wrist or forearm area. Your wrist may also pop or click when you move it. There are three types of wrist tendonitis: Wrist flexor (moves palm of hand toward the forearm), wrist extensor (moves palm of hand away from forearm) and de Quervain's tendonitis (between thumb and wrist). Treatment can include rest, ice, heat and various stretching and resistance exercises.

Rest and Ice

• According to itendonitis.com, the most most visited site on the Internet for tendonitis, rest and ice are the first steps in treating tendonitis. Rest can prevent further aggravation of your wrist tendonitis. You also can use splints or wrist braces to isolate any movement. Ice reduces inflammation and pain by narrowing the blood vessels in the wrist (vasoconstriction). Ice should be applied for the first 48 hours after the onset of wrist tendonitis. Ice is most effective if you compress an ice pack directly against your wrist at 20-minute intervals throughout the day (every 3-4 hours). Elevating your wrist above your heart also can reduce swelling and pain.

Medications

• Anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin can reduce swelling and pain caused by wrist tendonitis. These medications are Cox-2 inhibitors. They reduce inflammation and pain by reducing the effects of Cox-2 enzymes and prostaglandins (chemicals known as substance P), the body's natural inflammatory response for irritations or injuries to muscles, tendons or ligaments. Your doctor also may prescribe steroids for more severe cases of wrist tendonitis.

Stretching and Strength-Building Exercises

• The University of Michigan Health System at med.umich.edu recommends some of the following rehabilitation exercises for wrist tendonitis:

  Flexion exercise: Place the back of your hand on your knee or hold it in front of you. Slowly bend your wrist toward you, hold it for five seconds then straighten it. Repeat this exercise 10 times and repeat the exercise twice more (three total sets).

  Extensor exercise: This time, hold your wrist out in front of you or on your knee with your palm facing downward. Slowly move your fingers up toward you as far as you can. Hold that movement for five seconds, then relax. Do three sets of 10 repetitions.

  Side-to-side exercise: Bend your wrist to both sides, holding each movement for five seconds. Do three sets of 10 repetitions.

  You also can do the extension and flexion exercises with a hammer or light dumbbell for building strength in your wrist tendon. This also will help promote healing by promoting blood (which heals with oxygen and nutrients) flow to the area.

  Lastly, squeeze a rubber ball for five seconds. Repeat 10 times and do three total sets of the exercise.

Time Frame

• There is no set time frame for overcoming wrist tendonitis. However, you will typically recover more quickly if you use the entire gamut of treatments.