De Quervain’s Tendinitis (Tenosynovitis)

What is De Quervain’s tendinitis?

De Quervain’s tendinitis is a painful condition that affects the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist. It occurs when the tendons that help move the thumb become irritated or inflamed as they pass through a narrow tunnel near the wrist. This inflammation makes everyday movements — such as gripping, pinching, lifting or twisting — painful and difficult.

The condition is common and treatable, but without care it can worsen over time and significantly limit hand and wrist function.

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De Quervain's Syndrom is inflammation of the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist, causing pain and difficulty in movement

How De Quervain’s tendinitis develops

The thumb is moved by two main tendons that run from the forearm, across the wrist and into the thumb. These tendons normally glide smoothly through a protective tunnel (called a tendon sheath). In De Quervain’s tendinitis, the tendon sheath becomes thickened or inflamed, restricting tendon movement and causing pain and swelling along the thumb side of the wrist.

Overview

Symptoms

Symptoms of De Quervain’s tendinitis may include:

Pain when using your thumb, hand or wrist, sometimes in both wrists
Pain that gets worse when you tuck your thumb into your palm and bend your wrist toward your pinky finger
Tenderness over the bony area on the thumb side of your wrist
Swelling, clicking or popping along the thumb side of your wrist

Causes

De Quervain’s tendinitis is usually caused by overuse or repetitive hand and wrist motions. Common contributing factors include:

Swelling due to pregnancy or repetitive lifting of newborns
Overuse or repetitive activities of the thumb/wrist
Work or sports injuries
Inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid, gout)
Direct injury to the wrist tendons

Diagnosis

Why treatment matters

Treatment depends on how severe your symptoms are and how long you've had them. Most patients improve with nonsurgical care.

Nonoperative treatments

Nonsurgical treatment options may include:

Activity modification recommendations
Wrist splinting
Anti-inflammatory medications
Steroid injections

Many patients experience significant relief with a combination of these treatments.

Operative treatments

Surgery may be recommended if symptoms are severe or do not improve with nonsurgical treatment. During the procedure, the surgeon releases the tight tendon sheath to allow the tendons to move freely again. This typically relieves pain and restores function, with a high success rate.

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Our board-certified specialists are here to help you heal. They can often diagnose the problem in one visit and get you started with a personalized treatment plan. We offer a wide variety of treatment options.