DE QUERVAIN’S TENOSYNOVITIS
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis involves the tendons of two muscles that is Extensor pollicis Brevis & abductor pollicis longus. These muscles are involved in thumb motion. Tendons of these muscles are covered by a sheath and that sheath or synovium makes an oily fluid that helps the tendons move freely.
It occurs due to inflammation, thickening, and stenosis of the sheath or synovium.
Causes of De Quervain’s tenosynovitis could be trauma, repetitive or overuse of the muscles, or activities such as twisting, hammering, skiing, piano playing, lifting heavy objects, texting on mobile, etc.
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis can cause pain and swell over the thumb side of the wrist. Pain can be present even by doing simple hand movements like making a fist or moving the thumb.
Finklestein’s test is a physical test to diagnose De Quervain’s tenosynovitis-This test is conducted by having the patient make a fist with the finger closed over the thumb and the wrist is bent forwards the little finger, the hand is pulled so that involved tendons are stretched, causing sharp, local pain if injury and inflammation are present.
Treatment of De Quervain’s tenosynovitis involves:
Cryo therapy during the acute stage.
Ultrasound and deep heating modalities are relieving during a later stage.
Stretching of two tendons that go to your thumb: hold your hand up straight, and take your thumb and reach over to your little finger & come back.
Now to stretch the thumb, bring your little finger down, grab it with your thumb, and hold it there for about 30 seconds and then relax.
Wrist stretching: keep your palm open and then push it down with the help of the other hand, hold it for 30 seconds, and then reverse it and stretch that way.
Strengthening exercises involve wrist Dorsi-plantar flexion and radial-ulnar deviation with holding the weight.
Exercise with rubber band: put a rubber band around all of your fingers and thumb, and then take it and stretch it out and slowly come back in. it’s just.
Strengthening exercise with a tennis ball: squeeze the ball, & and hold the squeeze for 2 seconds, and then come back out.
Transverse friction massage over the radial side of the wrist.
Kinesio taping for swelling reduction and pain relief.
