HealthInfo West Coast-Te Tai Poutini
De Quervain's tenosynovitis
Iohere whakawaikura a de Quervain
De Quervain's tenosynovitis is a painful wrist condition affecting the 2 tendons that control your thumb.
The 2 tendons are on the back of your hand, running down the back of your thumb and down the side of your wrist.
In de Quervain's tenosynovitis, they get inflamed and swollen within the tendon sheath (which is like a tunnel that the tendons move through). This means they can no longer slide smoothly when your thumb moves. This causes pain at the base of your thumb. This is especially so when doing things like giving a thumbs-up, using scissors, grasping and pinching or texting.
The base of your thumb may become swollen and tender to touch, or hard and lumpy. You might have symptoms in both wrists at the same time.
Causes of de Quervain's tenosynovitis
Health professionals are not sure what causes it, but repetitive actions make it worse. Once you develop the condition, physical activities at work, in the garden and in sport can make it worse.
De Quervain's tenosynovitis can happen after you have injured the back of your wrist, but for many people there is no obvious cause.
People aged between 30 and 50 are most likely to get it. It is more common in women than in men.
You are more likely to get it if you are a woman in late pregnancy or with small pēpi (babies). Hormones are thought to play a part, but it may also be related to the repeated wrist action involved in lifting a pēpi.
Diagnosing de Quervain's tenosynovitis
Your general practice team or physiotherapist will diagnose the condition after talking to you and examining your hand. You will probably not need any other tests. An X-ray is only useful if your health professional thinks something else might be causing your pain.
HealthInfo recommends the following videos
- Mayo Clinic – Is your thumb pain de Quervain's tenosynovitis?
This brief video from the Mayo Clinic explains de Quervain's tenosynovitis and how it is treated.
On the next page: Treating de Quervain's tenosynovitis
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed November 2024.
SourcesReview key: HIDQT-329615
