Does De Quervain’s tenosynovitis go away?
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis normally doesn’t go away unless you take appropriate action. Most of the time this just means a steroid injection, some simple stretches, and activity modification. I frequently treat De Qervain’s tenosynovitis in my orthopedic practice in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Most of my patients get better without surgery, however there are some that need it.
What causes de Quervain’s tenosynovitis?
De Qervain’s tenosynovitis is usually caused by overuse, such as in golfers or those that play racquet sports. De Qervain’s tenosynovitis is inflammation of the 1st extensor compartment of your wrist (there are 6 wrist extensor compartments). There are two tendons in that 1st compartment that help with moving your thumb, and in some people that first compartment becomes inflamed and causes pain on the thumb side of your wrist. If you do have De Qervain’s tenosynovitis, you will have pain with activities such as using a frying pan or picking up a child. Postpartum mothers can also get De Qervain’s tenosynovitis, as well as those that had a recent trauma to their wrist, such as a car accident.
How do you fix De Quervain’s tendonitis?
The first step to try if you have De Qervain’s tenosynovitis is some simple stretches like in this video. Most don’t need formal PT. If you find that simple stretching on your own isn’t helping, then you may benefit from a steroid injection to the 1st extensor compartment. Anti inflammatories wearing a thumb spica splint during activities that normally cause discomfort will also help. Some require more than 1 steroid injection to the wrist before their De Qervain’s tenosynovitis will go away. Sometimes, if all else fails then there is a simple outpatient surgery that works very well. That is a surgery that I do as an orthopedic surgeon in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
How long does De Quervain’s tendonitis take to heal?
De Qervain’s tenosynovitis will normally heal in 4-6 weeks if you are getting treatment for it. If you need surgery then it will usually be 4-6 weeks after you get the surgery done. If you don’t seek any treatment for your De Qervain’s tenosynovitis, then it can stay around indefinitely.
I hope I was able to answer some of your questions about if De Quervain’s tenosynovitis goes away. If you would like me to treat your De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, contact us below to make an appointment if you are in the Colorado Springs area. I also am available for virtual consults.
