De Quervain's Tenosynovitis Treatment

De Quervain's tenosynovitis is a condition involving the sheaths of the tendon on the thumb side of the wrist. The tendon sheath is like the casing on a hot dog--it protects what's inside. When this sheath becomes inflamed or swollen, it restricts the amount the tendon is allowed to move.

Signs & Symptoms

• According to the Mayo Clinic, "the main symptoms of De Quervain's tenosynovitis include: pain and swelling near the base of the thumb; numbness in the back of the thumb and index finger; a fluid-filled cyst in the same area as the swelling and pain; difficulty moving the thumb and wrist when doing activities that involve grasping or pinching; 'sticking' or 'stop-and-go' sensation in the thumb when trying to move it and a squeaking sound as the tendons try to move back and forth through the inflamed sheaths."

Causes

• The causes of De Quervain's tenosynovitis are many and include overuse of the wrist when gardening, playing music, sewing or knitting or typing. Other causes include direct injury to the wrist or tendon, scar tissue from a previous injury or arthritis.

Other Causes

• New mothers are particularly prone to De Quervain's Tenosynovitis. This is because taking care of an infant creates awkward hand positioning. Also, a wrist fracture can make someone more prone to De Quervain's due to increased stresses across the tendons.

Treatment

• Treatment for DeQuervain's tenosynovitis involves immobilizing the thumb and wrist with a splint or brace, avoiding repetitive thumb movements, avoiding pinching with the thumb, applying heat to or icing the affected area and using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.

Surgery

• While surgery isn't usually necessary, in extreme cases surgery can relieve the inflammation, pain and stress on the tendons due to De Quervain's tenosynovitis.