De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis
This is an inflammation of the thumb side of the wrist. This condition is also popularly called a gamer’s thumb. This condition commonly results from holding a video game controller for a long time.
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is a painful condition that affects the tendons on the thumb and the sides of the wrist. Although this condition affects the wrist, it also causes thumb pain due to the connective tendons the wrist and the thumb have. Its cause is unknown, but any activity that relies on repeating the hand or wrist movements is making it worse. These activities include working in the garden, playing golf, lifting a baby, and playing sports with a racket.
The most common symptom of De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is pain near the base of the thumb. This is the first sign that a person suffers from De Quervain’s tenosynovitis. Other symptoms include swelling near the base of the thumb, difficulty in moving the wrist and thumb when grasping and pinching, and sticking or a stop-and-go sensation in the thumb. When De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is left untreated, the pain will spread farther into the whole thumb, resulting in the inability to move the thumb due to pain.
