Do your thumb causes pain whenever you turn your wrist, grip something or make a fist? If so, you will be looking for solutions to what is causing the pain in the thumb. After exploring all the searches over the web, you might come to know about De Quervain syndrome and would like to go for the best solution at the quickest.
Read on to know about De Quervain’s tenosynovitis – its causes, symptoms, and treatment options in detail.
What is De Quervain’s Syndrome? What are the Causes?
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is defined as a hurtful condition that occurs due to the inflammation of tendons at the thumb base, on the wrist’s thumb side. What exactly causes the syndrome to occur is not known while the most common cause is the overuse of hands or wrist when lifting things or performing side motions.
Examples of repeated hand movements or wrist motions include:
- lifting a child into the car seat
- Playing musical instruments
- Gardening activities
- Playing sports like golf or tennis
Furthermore, any direct injury or rheumatoid arthritis can also give rise to the syndrome pain.
Risk Factors of De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis
A person is more prone to develop the syndrome if:
- They are middle-aged women or you are embracing motherhood
- They have any wrist injury
- They are involved in repeated hand or wrist movements
- They have provocative arthritis
How to Identify its Occurrence?
If you are experiencing any thumb pain while doing activities, the following signs & symptoms may confirm its existence.
- Pain & swelling along the thumb side of the wrist
- Shooting pain down to the thumb base
- Decreased grasping strength
- Pain while making a fist
Treatment for De Quervain’s tenosynovitis
A patient should always prefer non-surgical De Quervain’s treatment initially which includes anti-inflammatories & giving rest to the thumb. About anti-inflammatory treatments, you can go with icing your thumb for about 10-15 minutes and taking anti-inflammatory medications for relief. In case over-the-counter medications couldn’t provide aid, you may need steroid injections.
What are other ways to reduce inflammation is giving rest to your thumb in an extended position with the wrist in a neutral position. Also, try to limit the repeated movements that can lead to thumb pain. There are also braces available to give rest to the thumb & finger.
Can it be Prevented?
Do carefully analyze the activities that are causing you pain and try to either avoid them until the pain decreases or try to change the mode of doing them. In case the problem prevails for longer durations, surgery is required to treat the condition. The surgery aims to release the tendon sheath that further allows the tendon to move. Surgery is a good choice for getting De Quervain’s treatment when other treatments fail to work.
If you have noticed the symptoms of the condition, do consult with your doctor or health care provider before seeking to cure your thumb problem. They can provide you with a diagnosis & favored treatment options for your condition.
Go for a Natural Approach
The advancements in the health care industry have made thumb tendonitis treatment easy with the new approaches. One of the best available methods to treat the syndrome & its symptoms has come in the form of tape that delivers effective results.
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis tape acts as a second skin holding the thumb & finger in place to avoid the enormous use of tendons and further inflammation. You can wear the product all day from thumb to the wrist and allow the free movement of the thumb.