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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffSymptoms of de Quervain's tenosynovitis include:
- Pain near the base of your thumb
- Swelling near the base of your thumb
- Difficulty moving your thumb and wrist when you're doing activities that involve grasping or pinching
- A "sticking" or "stop-and-go" sensation in your thumb when trying to move it
If the condition goes too long without treatment, the pain may spread farther into your thumb, back into your forearm or both. Pinching, grasping and other movements of your thumb and wrist aggravate the pain.
When to see a doctor
Consult your doctor if you're still having problems with pain or function and you've already tried:
- Avoiding moving your thumb in the same way over and over again whenever possible
- Avoiding pinching with your thumb when moving your wrist from side to side
- Applying cold to the affected area
- Using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen (Aleve)
If the pain continues to interfere with your daily life or activities, seek medical advice.
References
- De Quervain's tendinitis (De Quervain's tendinosis). American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00007. Accessed June 13, 2012.
- South-Paul JE, et al. Current Diagnosis & Treatment in Family Medicine. 3rd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=52. Accessed June 13, 2012.
- Sheon RP, et al. de Quervain's tenosynovitis. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed June 13, 2012.
- Bray J, et al. Evaluation of the patient with thumb pain. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed June 13, 2012.
- Suttle AL, et al. Disc jockey tenosynovitis. The American Journal of Medicine. 2011; 124:e1.
- Peters-Veluthamaningal C, et al. Corticosteroid injection for de Quervain's tenosynovitis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005616.pub2/abstract. June 13, 2012.
- Amadio PC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 30, 2012.
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