What is De Quervain’s tenosynovitis?
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is irritation of the two tendons that run along the thumb side of your wrist. They pass through a narrow tunnel, and when they swell they catch and rub as the thumb moves. The result is a sharp or aching pain on the thumb side of the wrist, sometimes with swelling.
It is a common reason for wrist pain in people who use their hands a lot. It is also known as “mother’s wrist” or “gamer’s thumb”, because of the movements behind it.
What does it feel like in everyday Ipoh life?
The pain usually shows up when you pinch, grip or twist. Picking up a grandchild with your thumbs hooked out, wringing a wet cloth, lifting the heavy wok in the kitchen or opening a tight jar can all set it off.
Plenty of people also notice it after a long stretch of phone use. Typing long WhatsApp messages with one thumb, or scrolling with the phone balanced on one hand, loads exactly the tendons that are sore.
You may feel a catching or creaking when the thumb moves, and the area can be tender if you press on it. Some people drop things because the grip hurts too much to hold on.
Who is it most likely to affect?
It is more likely in women, and in people whose hands do repeated gripping with the thumb out to the side. New mothers and grandparents who carry babies for most of the day are a typical group. So are people who cook in large quantities, do heavy manual work or spend long hours on a phone.
Hormone changes after pregnancy can also play a part. Whatever the cause, it is rarely a sign of anything serious, and it responds to a change in how the hand is used.
What does a physiotherapist check first?
We start with your day: which tasks hurt, which hand you use most, and what has changed lately. Then we look at the wrist and thumb.
We usually check:
- where the tenderness sits along the thumb side.
- how the thumb and wrist move, and which movements bring on the pain.
- grip strength and pinch strength compared with the other hand.
- the neck and elbow, because pain can be referred from those areas.
- how you lift, grip and hold a phone.
If the picture looks more like carpal tunnel syndrome or thumb joint wear, we say so and adjust the plan.
What helps?
Most people improve by easing the load for a while and then building the hand’s tolerance back up. The plan usually has three parts.
- Settle the tendons. A short period of reduced thumb load, sometimes with a splint that rests the thumb and wrist.
- Change the habits that feed the pain, such as a lighter lifting grip or phone use split into shorter spells.
- Rebuild strength and movement in the thumb, wrist and forearm step by step.
Hands-on techniques can ease stiffness around the wrist, and our page on manual therapy explains what that involves. Recovery varies between people, so we review progress with you at every visit and your doctor’s advice comes first if an injection is being considered.
What can I do this week?
Small changes make a difference quickly.
- Lift a baby with both palms under the body and the wrists straight, not with the thumbs hooked.
- Use both hands to wring cloths, or squeeze them against the sink instead of twisting.
- Hold your phone with two hands, or use voice messages for long replies.
- Take the heavy wok in two hands and slide it, rather than lifting with one.
- Rest the forearm on a cushion while you sit, so the wrist is not bent for long.
- Move the fingers and wrist gently through a comfortable range five or six times a day.
Stop an exercise if it brings on sharp pain that lingers after you finish.
When should I see a doctor first?
See a doctor if the wrist is red, hot and swollen, especially with a fever, or if it follows a fall or a blow. See one too if the thumb or fingers feel numb or tingly most of the day, or if the pain wakes you at night and keeps getting worse.
A doctor can also talk to you about an injection if the pain has not eased. Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Fatimah Hospital and Pantai Hospital Ipoh all have clinics that can see you. We can continue exercises and handling advice alongside their care.
How do home sessions in Ipoh work?
A physiotherapist visits your house, listens to what hurts, and then watches you do the tasks that bother you: lifting a child, cooking, opening a container, using the phone. Treatment and advice are matched to those tasks, in your own kitchen and living room.
Visits across Ipoh are available now, and our Canning Garden centre near Fatimah Hospital is opening soon. Prices are quoted on WhatsApp after a short description.
Read how home physiotherapy works, or see the broader page on wrist and hand pain. If your fingers lock in a bent position, trigger finger may be the better match.