After years of golfing, my game has improved vastly; as they say, “practice makes perfect”. I have tightened up on my approach play and improved my long game with many practices.
To cut a long story short, I played a round with the guys before work the other day, like we do every week. Well, I was up by three shots on the back nine, but as I approached the green to putt in for a birdie, I felt a shot of pain in my right wrist.
I brushed it off as maybe a sprain but struggled to finish off the round. Well, it’s been a couple of weeks, and not only is my wrist hurting when I play golf, but it is happening whenever I use it now. I’m at my wit’s end; please help!!!
What is going on here?
Well, all signs point to De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis, a condition that affects over 200,000 people in the United States every year. The disease is caused by the wrist and thumb’s repetitive movements, like twisting the wrist in a drive or while making a putt.
As you move repeatedly, it causes inflammation of the tendon sheath, which causes pain every time the thumb or wrist is moved. People who play golf suffer from De Quervain’s disease because of the wrists’ repetitive turning as they play.
However, playing golf is not the only activity that is known to cause De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis.
What causes De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis?
As mentioned earlier, the condition is caused by repetitive movements of the wrist or thumb. Repeating simple activities like carrying groceries or typing on a keyboard is known to cause the swelling of the tendon sheath resulting in De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis developing.
The condition is also known as Mother’s Wrist or Mummy Thumb; this is because mothers of young children are very prone to the infection. The act of lifting up and putting down their children causes the disease to develop.
It has been proven that the condition develops in mother’s when they have to place children in a crib or high chair.
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is also referred to as Gamers Wrist; this is because the condition is common in people who play video games regularly.
The movement of the thumbs when using the video game controller can cause the disease to develop. People who wash clothes by hand on a washboard are also prone to the condition; it is known as Washerwoman’s Sprain for this reason.
Another name for the disease is Texting Thumb or BlackBerry Thumb; this is because the movement used when sending text messages, playing games, or browsing the internet on a cell phone can trigger the condition.
How do you treat De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis?
There are several options for De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis treatment. The best treatment is to give the wrist and thumb a break from the repetitive motion. The problem is that just stopping is not an option for everyone.
A young mum can’t just stop picking up her child, a receptionist can’t stop typing, and a chef can’t stop chopping vegetables. So what can they do?
Doctors often recommend the use of a splint or brace. These will prevent movement and help reduce inflammation; however, splints and braces are cumbersome and make activities challenging to carry out.
A splint can also cause pain in the wrist as it puts pressure on the tendon in the wrist. Definitely not ideal for everyone.
A steroid injection is also used to treat De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis; this will reduce inflammation and give relief from pain. The steroid injection has some potential risks; these include nerve or tendon damage, pain at the injection site, irritation, and excessive bleeding.
There are also several side effects of steroids like heightened blood pressure and mood swings to be wary of. Steroid injections are usually a temporary solution for De Quervains disease sufferers and will be used sparingly by doctors.
Conclusion
The best De Quervains Tenosynovitis treatment available on the market is the De Quervains wand. When coupled with the De Quervains jelly, the De Quervains wand will work in healing the issue at its source.
By using the far-infrared and ultrasound, the wand will penetrate the wrist, providing relief from the symptoms associated with the condition. The wand is perfect for priming the wrist for the use of the De Quervains tape.
The De Quervains tape is applied to the wrist over the thumb’s top to stabilize them and prevent movement. Unlike a splint or brace, the tape is not cumbersome and allows for activities.
What makes the De Quervains tape ideal is that the tape is waterproof and lightweight, so it can be worn all day without being irritating. All of these items can be found at dequervainscure.com.