De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis (also called Tenosynovitis de Quervain’) is an inflammation affecting the tendons that connect your thumb to wrist, often leading to pain, snapping sensation when moving your thumb or wrist or swelling of these tendons.
Healthcare providers typically diagnose this by touching along your wrist and asking you to make a fist and bend your wrist toward your little finger, in an attempt to isolate and isolate thumb tendons that cause pain when they move.
Abductor Pollicis Longus Stretch
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis (or De Quervain Tenosynovitis) is an overuse injury affecting the thumb tendons in the wrist, often caused by repetitive gripping, lifting, twisting and manipulating activities. As the thumb tendons become inflamed due to repetitive use, symptoms include pain, tenderness and swelling – an ideal time to seek medical care as this condition could rupture within its protective sheath and cause permanent damage – exercise therapy may help speed recovery while other treatments include physical therapy sessions as well as corticosteroid injections for relief.
The abductor pollicis longus muscle is one of the muscles that helps separate the thumb from other fingers. It originates on both the back/outside of ulna and on radial side of base of first metacarpal; its insertion point lies on thumb side of carpometacarpal joint (the thumb bone in wrist).
Physical examination can assist in diagnosing de Quervain’s tenosynovitis. Your physician will ask you to make a fist and slowly tilt your hand down towards the floor – known as Finkelstein stretch – until thumb/wrist pain increases, suggesting this condition exists.
Exercise can help ease symptoms of de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis. Strength training exercises may be most beneficial; starting off slowly with light resistance and gradually adding weight as your strength builds is best. But be wary not to exercise through pain – stop immediately if this occurs!
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis can be treated using several approaches, but early intervention is crucial to ensure effective care and recovery. Surgery may be necessary; in these instances, your provider will make a small cut in your sheath to give the thumb tendons more space, followed by minimally invasive surgery on which you will return home the same day. Proper gripping technique and wrist mechanics practiced regularly will also reduce excess stress on tendons as well as risk for overuse injuries.
Extensor Pollicis Brevis Stretch
Extensor Pollicis Brevis tendon runs along the top side of your thumb and helps lift it upward and out of your hand. Unfortunately, this muscle is vulnerable to developing de Quervain’s syndrome, a repetitive strain injury characterized by inflammation and swelling in its tendons and sheaths that move your thumb. Overuse injuries cause thickening sheaths which restrict tendons’ movements leading to pain at the tip of thumb tendons; leaving permanent damage and functional loss as a result. Ideally treated early as sheath bursts occuring and permanent damage is done permanently to both wrist and hand as a result.
To strengthen this muscle, try performing a simple exercise by placing one finger from your opposite hand between the end joint of your thumb and its knuckle, and trying to move your thumb away from you and towards the outside of the hand for 20 seconds at a time. Repeat this several times each day; as more you practice this drill, your thumb will become stronger over time – just take regular breaks to avoid overworking it and risk strain or injury!
This muscle is responsible for extending the thumb in the first metacarpophalangeal and carpometacarpal joints of the wrist, enabling us to pick things up, grip objects or create tools. It also participates in pinching movements which contribute to precision gripping as well as power gripping; its innervation comes via the posterior interosseous nerve.
At a physical exam to diagnose de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis, your physician will ask you to perform the Finkelstein’s Test; this involves making a fist and bending your wrist toward your little finger in a fist formation and then feeling for any pain at that location – this confirms a diagnosis of de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis.
Physical therapists will teach you a series of exercises designed to relieve symptoms and prevent recurrence, including stretching and strengthening exercises to build the strength in both thumb and wrist muscles. These exercises are essential in recovery from de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis as they will allow you to return to working or playing sports without experiencing flare-ups of symptoms.
Finkelstein’s Test
Finkelstein’s Test is a physical examination tool used to detect de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis of the wrist and thumb area, an often disabling condition for people who use their hands throughout their working day. Symptoms may include pain in the thumb area of your hand and wrist which worsens with repetitive motion; snapping/popping sensation when moving your thumb and wrist and it could spread (radiate) onto forearm or back of thumb (radiate).
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is caused by friction within the tendons and sheaths that move your thumb, including abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendons. Over time with repeated hand and wrist movements, overworked tendons may create inflammation of their tendon sheaths leading to friction within those sheaths; eventually this causes them to rub together instead of moving freely within their respective sheaths, leading to painful symptoms in patients living with de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis.
Finkelstein’s Test involves your healthcare provider asking you to extend your thumb across your palm and bend your wrist toward the little finger, producing pain on the thumb side of your wrist if this movement causes de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is present. He/She may then examine other areas such as wrist, thumb and forearm to check for additional symptoms of this condition.
The test may not always be 100% accurate, but it can help identify whether you have an orthopedic condition. A physiotherapist can conduct the test and guide you through its steps while offering exercises to reduce symptoms. Furthermore, using Finkelstein’s Test template makes the process easy for healthcare providers in different environments, which ensures all those diagnosed receive necessary treatments.
Thumb Flexor Stretch
Thumb pain is frequently the result of overuse and repetitive movements of the thumb, wrist, and hand. Overexertion causes overextended tendons to become irritated, inflamed and have difficulty moving through their sheaths or tunnels encasing them; this condition known as de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis may cause localized swelling, tenderness and numbness on one side of the wrist – exercises can help make these tendons more mobile to reduce symptoms.
Abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendons on the back of thumbs are protected within sheaths or tunnels in wrist. When overused, irritated, or inflamed they can develop thickened tissue which prevents smooth gliding through sheaths or tunnels resulting in de Quervain’s tendinitis and leading to localized swelling, pain, numbness, or tingling on thumb side of wrist.
Treatment for de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis typically entails resting the affected thumb and wrist, wearing a splint, icing the area and taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen to reduce swelling and pain. Physical therapy may also provide some relief. If necessary, your healthcare provider may inject corticosteroid into the sheath for additional support to alleviate inflammation and alleviate discomfort.
Effective exercises for de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis may include finger extension movements and wrist rotations. Make sure that these stretches and movements occur at a controlled, pain free range of motion if at all possible; if any discomfort arises during these exercises stop and modify them accordingly.
Palmer grips are another effective treatment option for de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis. When both hands are resting on a table, gently lift your thumb away from it by making an arc-like movement (akin to giving the “thumbs up sign”) before repeating for six seconds.
If these at-home treatments don’t reduce your discomfort, or if it is accompanied by numbness and tingling in your forearm or arm, seek medical advice immediately. Your healthcare provider can identify what’s causing it as well as suggest treatments to relieve it – prompt treatment can save more serious complications later. Wear a splint, modify activities accordingly, take medications or receive injections of steroids or local anesthetic into sheath or tendon structures to provide relief.
