What is De Quervain tenosynovitis?
Tendons that straighten the thumb and move it away from the hand run through a tendon tunnel on the side of the wrist. Irritation of these tendons in the tunnel can cause pain and weakness on the side of the wrist.
A test to diagnose De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is to grip the thumb in the palm with the fingers and move the wrist sideways towards the side of the little finger. In De Quervain’s tenosynovitis this move will cause increased pain on the thumb side of the wrist.
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Treatment for De Quervain tenosynovitis
Treatment of De Quervain’s tenosynovitis can start with splinting or a steroid injection in the tendon tunnel. If that fails, the tunnel can be surgically released to allow the tendons to glide freely.