Let us look into the mystery that is De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis. De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is a painful condition that affects the wrists on the thumb side of the hand. The disease is caused by repetitive motion like playing video games, hitting a tennis ball with a tennis racket, or sending text messages on a cell phone. De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis occurs when the two main tendons, the abductor pollicis longus, and extensor pollicis brevis, become inflamed. The inflammation of these tendons makes movements extremely difficult and very painful. If untreated, the tendon sheaths in the wrist can burst, or actions in the wrist can be permanently affected. De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is the second most common entrapment tendinopathy behind the trigger finger. It is more common in middle-aged adults ranging from 30 to 50. Women are more likely to contract de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis, especially mothers of babies and infants. The mothers develop de Quervain’s from repeatedly lifting their babies and young children, usually in and out of a car seat or stroller. In 1,000 women, there are, on average, 2.8 cases of de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis; this is at 0.6 cases for men. There are over 200,000 reported cases in the United States every year. Thankfully, De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is curable, and the most common and often most effective treatment is rest. Completely stopping the repetitive motion that caused the condition, while using a splint or brace to support the wrist. Doctors also prescribe anti-inflammatories and pain killers in some cases to help in the healing process. It takes around 6 to 12 weeks to recover from De Quervain’s completely. In extreme cases, a patient may require surgery to treat their De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis. Recovery from surgery is known to take several months. Usually, a full recovery is experienced, and there is no pain or discomfort at all.
