- Home
- Conditions
- Wrist
- De Quervain's Tenosynovitis
De Quervain's Tenosynovitis
De Quervain's affects the two tendons running along the thumb side of the wrist, where they pass through a tight sheath. It is strongly associated with new parenthood — repeatedly lifting a baby under the arms loads exactly these tendons — and with any sudden increase in thumb-heavy gripping. It responds well when the aggravating load is genuinely reduced.
5.0
Does this sound like you?
Most people have several of these, not all of them.
- Sharp pain on the thumb side of the wrist
- Pain lifting objects with the thumb out, or turning a key
- Swelling and sometimes a creaking sensation along the tendon
- Pain that shoots up the forearm from the wrist
- A strongly positive response to bending the thumb into the palm and tilting the wrist down
Why it happens
- Repeated lifting with the thumb spread, classically lifting a baby
- A sudden increase in gripping, wringing or thumb-heavy work
- Phone and device use over long periods
- Hormonal changes in pregnancy and after birth
- A direct knock to the thumb side of the wrist
What we would do about it
Roughly in this order — each step waits for the one before it.
- A thumb spica splint to rest the tendons through the irritable phase
- Practical changes to lifting technique, which for new parents is most of the answer
- Soft tissue work and gentle tendon gliding
- Progressive strengthening once the sharp pain has settled
- Load management advice so the return is gradual
- Referral for a cortisone injection where it will not settle
See a doctor first if
- Your pain followed a significant injury
- It is getting worse rather than settling
- It comes with numbness, weakness or unexplained weight loss
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so the right treatment depends on an assessment.
Very common after a new baby, and very treatable
Changing how you lift is usually the difference between this settling in weeks and dragging on for a year. We can show you how in one appointment. Ask a question first, or call us on 0403 907 587.
Trouble with the form? Open booking in a new tab or call 0403 907 587.
Other wrist conditions we treat
Related reading: thumb base pain from joint wear, numbness and tingling in the hand and wrist pain after an injury.
General information only, not advice about your own problem — nothing here replaces an assessment. Source: De Quervain's Tenosynovitis on Physiopedia.
