De Quervain's tenosynovitis

I had this during and after pregnancy....it's the most painful and debilitating condition. I had 3 steroid injections in both wrists (maximum) and then opted for surgery. Massive improvement and pain free.

Hi Grimm

I was diagnosed with de quarvains tendinitis in 2013.

I did physiotherapy for a year ( no help at all)

I then had a steriod jab in my rIght hand. That helped for 6months and I was pain free for that period but continued to work which didn't do me any good.

I had to stop any further treatment as I had to have both my feet reconstructed which Ive finally recovered from and now, having been on crutches for 2 years it certainly has exasperated the problem.

I was a hairstylist and had been for 32 years! My hands are buggered and I believe I have wearing of the thumb joint too which may need replacing so I was told by another doc!

I have had 2 conflicting diagnosis and can't wait for either to be confirmed so I can get treated.

Haven't heard of either treatments you mentioned .

I'm seeing a new hand and wrist specialist next week and hope to get a plan of action together.

I would recommend a steroid jab if the pain is unbearable ( I know that stiffness and pain so ...)

I also get a burning in my r arm just above the crease (elbow) and it's tender to touch. This is a recent thing but bloody painful. Feels like a tendon/nerve is inflamed .

I will report back with any info that I feel you may benefit from (appnt on the 9th june)

Until then , hang in there !

Out of curiosity, what do or did you do for work? Do you think yours was work related ?

Nikky

I would recommend against steroid shots. They're temporary pain relievers, but they can cause the tendon to be weaker in the long term and pain will often come back. Look up some studies if you're considering it.

Have you tried braces yet? Have you been able to give them a good long chance to rest ? If so, then surgery actually has a high success rate will relatively low risks. If surgery is just a no go, then see a physical therapist and find exercises you can tolerate

Hi ow,

​Thank you for your message, that's very helpful.Iamnot inclined to have a steroid injection.

​Has anyone heard of the condition recovering without any intervention?

Thanks.

Grimm.

Hi Grimm yes i have this. First line if treament was a wrist thumb hard splint i guess you would call it then 2 cortisone injection first one didn't work as it was put in blindly by gp second one worked ultra sound guided. Systoms have returned after 12 months worn splint again for 3 months and have had 4 weeks off work and it has settled to a degree seeing a specialist tomorrow

Hello.  I had this condition for over a year, though my GP was a bit clueless as to what it was.  I went for physio which didn't really help and I despaired of ever gertting better ( didn't want steroid injections.) However, about three months ago, I started treating myself through dietary recommendations ( online tendonitis guide) including having some good quality protein at every meal and not skipping meals or fasting and taking supplements of flaxseed oil, turmeric, magnesium and vitamin B6. I am now almost totally pain-free and the swelling in the joint where my thumb meets my wrist has all but disappeared. I don't know which ingredient did the trick but something has worked for me. You might find that approach helps you as well. I know how debiliating the pain can be- I used to wake up several times a night and the pain was always worst first thing in the morning.  Good luck. 

Hi all- I had De Quervain's tenosynovitis from picking up my 16 mo old granddaughter over and over in the wrong way...i.e. picking her up between my thumb and forefinger. Proper form is to pick up a child in a cupping form instead. After 6 mos. of pain, I went to the doctor and he gave me a steroid shot. I wish I had tried the dietary recommendations or PT before getting the shot. I must say the shot worked about a week after I had it quite wonderfully,  but I had the side effect of thinning of the skin around the wrist after the shot and if my purse or anything rubs against my wrist (in the lightest of ways), I get horrible bruises. I wonder if I can get an implant of some fat in the wrist or something to solve this problem. It is not painful, but it looks really bad to be brused up the all the time. Again, my pain is totally gone, so maybe it is worth it, but you must know steroid shots can come with side effects. Has anyone else experienced this?

Hi Grimm,

I developed De Quervains last summer and had an operation in October as I was advised an injection was too late to try. The operation took 8 minutes and after a few days I had about 90% movement again. 9 months later it's still a little stiff at times but nothing like it was before.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Andy