Are some of your favorite activities causing you pain in your thumb or wrist? Or maybe, you have noticed pain in those areas while completing everyday chores around the house like folding towels or pulling weeds. If you regularly experience pain at the base of your thumb, wrist, or forearm, you may be interested to know how a hand surgeon can help with DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis.

DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis, more commonly referred to as DeQuervain’s, is noticeable pain at the base of your thumb, in your wrist, and possibly extending into your forearm. It is also noticeable when you complete activities that require you to move these parts of your body.

In addition to the pain in the thumb and wrist, you may see a few other symptoms. Other symptoms include redness on the thumb side of the wrist and also possibly swelling. If your wrist makes a clicking sound when you move it, this is another symptom that could be associated with DeQuervain’s.

Diagnosing and Treating Pain In The Thumb and Wrist

A hand surgeon can examine your hand and talk to you about your symptoms to diagnose this condition. If necessary, an MRI may be used.

Since this is a condition involving inflammation with two specific tendons near the wrist, certain activities can aggravate this condition. Activities that require repetitive movements with the hand and thumb can make this condition worse. A perfect example of this is cutting with scissors.

If these symptoms sound all too familiar, contact a hand surgeon for an evaluation. If diagnosed, your surgeon will start out with conservative treatments and non-surgical approaches to help resolve the inflammation and your pain. These include anti-inflammatory medications, rest (a splint may help you rest it), corticosteroid injection (maximum of two), and/or hand therapy.

If those treatments prove not helpful in easing the pain and inflammation, then hand surgery may be considered to open a part of the tendon sheath and reduce pressure around the tendons to alleviate the swelling and pain.

Now that you know more about what may be causing pain in your thumb and wrist…

…contact Dr. Yospur to schedule a consultation. With a fellowship in surgery of the hand, he can help reduce and treat any pain in your thumb and wrist possibly caused by DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis to get you back on your way to enjoying the activities that you love so much, pain-free.

Contact us today.