De Quervain’s is a medical condition in which the excessive use of the fingers and thumb cause the tendons in your hand to swell. This swelling causes diminished functionality in the impacted digits. This can happen to anybody, but certain groups of people are more at risk than others.
How It Happens
Tendons in your hand are used for all your hand movements, such as gripping, holding, rotating, clenching, and pinching. When you move your hand, two tendons in your hand move toward the base of your thumb to help carry out your hand movement.
If one particular motion is repeated again and again, this will agitate the sheath around those tendons, causing them to thicken and swell. This prevents the successful movements being carried out by the hand.
Causes
De Quervain’s is caused by repetitive movement of the hand. This condition may be on by other inflammatory diseases such as arthritis that impact joints. Additionally, injury such as a direct blow to the thumb can result in this condition.
Extra Risk
De Quervain’s can happen to anyone, but some people are more at risk than others.
People who have jobs that require repetitive workplace or home place tasks such as data entry, picking up small children, and the like are more susceptible. Athletes or leisure activities that use rackets require extended use of the thumb such as tennis and racquetball players.
Additionally, farmers and those who professionally or cultivate hobby gardens that use their thumb extensively are at higher risk. Other risk factors include being female, over 40 years old, pregnancy, and other underlying medical conditions.
Treatment
De Quervain’s treatment options include surgical or non-surgical methods. Surgery may be required if the condition of the patient is advanced, but in most cases, it is treated nonsurgically.
One example of this is De Quervain’s Wand. This product is easy to use at home, as well as appropriate for all ages. It is cost-effective and has proven to be effective in restoring movement of the hand with proper use.
De Quervain’s should be taken seriously and treatment sought as soon as symptoms present. It can be progressive and result in loss of mobility in the arm if not treated in time. Catching this early can be the difference in treatment via non-invasive means, versus surgery.