De Quervains Tendonitis is very common with new mothers, mechanics, and anyone who has to do repetitive lifting or manipulation with their hands.

Symptoms

• Shooting pain along radial wrist and forearm
• Weakness
• Inflammation and swelling
• Sensitivity to light touch
• Limited thumb and wrist range of motion

Pathology

De Quervains tendonitis is caused by the inflammation of the synovial lining of the extensor pollicis brevis and abductor pollicis longus (Cleveland Clinic, 2020). These two tendons are responsible for pulling the thumb into extension and away from the palm. Basically providing you with the ability to open your hand so that you can wrap your thumb around a cup of coffee, door knob, small child, or even your steering wheel. This is primarily caused by overuse. That overuse results in damaged tendon fibers, the repair and removal of these damaged fibers is what results in the inflammation.

Treatments

The most effective way to conservatively address these symptoms is with splinting to stabilize the thumb in a functional but safe position. This takes stress off of the effected tendons. Stretching and modalities (such as heat and ice) are also very useful to obtain more range of motion and reduce inflammation.

Surgical intervention involves the release of the tendon sheath which relieves pressure on the tendons. This allows the tendons to glide more efficiently when moving the wrist and thumb. It is recommended to apply gentle stretches to the thumb along with modalities (heat and ice) after surgery to ensure a more efficient recovery from the procedure.

References

Cleveland Clinic. (2020, April 1). De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis: Treatment, causes & symptoms. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10915-de-quervains-tendinosis.