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De Quervain's tenosynovitis is a painful condition that affects the tendons in your wrist. It occurs when the 2 tendons around the base of your thumb become swollen. The swelling causes the sheaths (casings) covering the tendons to become inflamed. This puts pressure on nearby nerves, causing pain and numbness.
- How long does De Quervain's tendonitis take to heal?
- How do you fix de Quervain's?
- What happens if De Quervain's goes untreated?
- Is De Quervain's tenosynovitis the same as carpal tunnel?
How long does De Quervain's tendonitis take to heal?
It may take 6 to 12 weeks for your hand to heal completely. After you heal, you may be able to move your wrist and thumb without pain. How soon you can return to work depends on your job. If you can do your job without using your hand, you may be able to go back after 1 or 2 days.
How do you fix de Quervain's?
Therapy
- Immobilizing your thumb and wrist, keeping them straight with a splint or brace to help rest your tendons.
- Avoiding repetitive thumb movements as much as possible.
- Avoiding pinching with your thumb when moving your wrist from side to side.
- Applying ice to the affected area.
What happens if De Quervain's goes untreated?
Due to inflammation surrounding the tendons that control thumb movement, De Quervain's can cause pain and tenderness when moving the thumb or wrist. If left untreated, this pain may spread up through the arm as well.
Is De Quervain's tenosynovitis the same as carpal tunnel?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and de Quervains' tenosynovitis splints are very different. Remember, the area of the wrist/hand affected is different, so they must be splinted differently. Both CTS and de Quervains' tenosynovitis responds well to manual stretching; however, they are stretched differently.
