Painful wrist

Do you feel pain near the base of your thumb?

Do you experience difficulty moving your thumb and wrist when you are doing activities that involve gripping, grasping or pinching? Or maybe you feel pain near the base of your thumb? You may have De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis (but don’t freak out).

What is De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis?

It is a painful condition affecting the tendons of the thumb side of the wrist. 

What causes it?

Overuse or repetitive movements of your thumb/wrist such as gripping, grasping, clenching, pinching or wringing.

How to manage it?

• Apply ice to reduce swelling or to soothe the affected area.

• Avoid repetitive hand motions, take frequent breaks if you need to.

• Massage

• Exercises: Finkelstein’s stretch 3x10, 3 times daily, fist clench + relax 3x10, 3 times daily

• Thumb/wrist splint

Consult a Physiotherapist if pain persists. 

References:

Stasinopoulos, D., & Stasinopoulos, I. (2017). Comparison of effects of eccentric training, eccentric-concentric c training, and eccentric-concentric training combined with isometric contraction in the treatment of lateral elbow tendinopathy. Journal of hand therapy, 30(1), 13-19.

Zaky, L. A., Sabet, N. A., & Mohamed, W. M. (2016). Effect of Eccentric Exercise in Treatment of De-Quervian's Disease. Journal of medical science and clinical research, 5, 10456.

By Joyce Zhi Ting Lau.