Pain in Thumb and wrist --Dequervain's tendinitis Need help!!

Taimse

There is some info in de Quervain's tenosynovitis at
[url]http://www.handuniversity.com/topics.asp?Topic_ID=45[/url]

First thing is to stop doing what caused it in the first place according to the info....

I just got done having the iontopheresis ( dexamethasone adminstered throught the skin with help of electrical impulses) on my elbow. It didnt help as much as I'd hoped...but I didn't stop doing my work either.

countrykid

Had my third treatment by iontopheresis. The treatment can be painful. I guess I can't take much pain anymore.
Any one having this treatment experience the medication laying under the skin and discoloration of the treatment area? The pad is so small that the therapist has repositioned it each time. So the discoloration is getting larger.
Does it go away.
I am getting 2 treatments a week. Yesterday the wrist area was very sensitive for the entire night. This morning it is feeling better than yesterday morning.
The therapists said that this might not work and I will probably need to get the injection.
I keep my wrist in the support except for the excersise and personal hygiene tasks. Thankfully I am right handed and this is on my left wrist.
I sure hope this clears up soon. THere are SO MANY things I can't do one handed.

LadyFoxe59

I also had a problem w/this about 1 year ago. I had 1 cortisone shot which thankfully took care of it. However, I also stopped doing a lot of what I knew was aggravating the condition, such as using my PDA everyday to play games while commuting LOL.

I can empathize completley about not being able to do a lot of things w/this problem. My biggest one was (ok, too much info about to be divulged) going to the bathroom LOL. But seriously, the pressure using the toilet paper put on my wrist was excruciating. I had little to no range of motion by the time my doctor treated me.

I hope your upcoming treatment finally works. I have no wise words of wisdom, just wanted to offer my understanding and hopes that you recover soon :-)

countrykid

thanks for replying.
How painful was that shot. I haven't talked to anyone that has had this condition and had the shot. I was trying to avoid it but you said it worked for you.
I know what you mean about that personal info. Luckily like I said I am right and the problem is my left. But just the basic everyday stuff. Oh might I add getting dressed. I might have seen the days of burning the bras but I didn't go that liberated

ANNETTE73

I have had the same problem in my left wrist. I started taking NSAID, then splint, then two weeks off work, then back to work at light duties and not use that hand at all. Referred to an orthopedic specialist who did the shot and sent me to a PT. By time I got to see him I also had tendinitis in my left shoulder. PT did ultrasound treatments and exercises. None worked on my hand but the exercise finaly worked on my shoulder. While going through PT my right hand tendon became inflamed. So I had it in two hands and left shoulder at the same time. The shot itself was not painfull. My thumb was a little more sore for a few hours after but that didn't last long. The pain was nothing compared to the pain that I was already in. The shot and PT did not work for me. After that many of my joints and tendon became inflamed. For me DeQuervain's tendinitis was the begining of my Rheumatoid Arthritis. Even my RA is not as painful as my thumbs were. It seems that different treatments work for different people. Hope you get some pain releif soon.

countrykid

Thanks for letting me know the shot is not as painful as I am thinking. I had the fourth treatment by iontopheresis. My thumb feels like the treatment is making it worse. I have another tomorrow and then I see the specialist on Thursday. I think I'm going to ask for the shot and stop the prolonging of the inevitable. I now can't even get a goods night sleep without doubling up on my other pain medicine.

countrykid

Saw the specialist today and indeed I did get the cortizone injection. Boy did I really get myself in a teasy over nothing. The shot itself was not painful at all. Well it did hurt alittle but after discussing my concerns with the doctor he was great. i got the numbing spray and he said it would be 3-5 seconds for the shot and he was right. He said I might be uncomfortable for the rest of the day and possibly tomorrow but if the shot does the trick I should be better in a week. That would be sucha wonderful relief.
I sure hope this helps because I too am so tired and frustrated with the pain and inability do anything with my one hand.

countrykid

Just an update. 2 weeks post cortizone injection. What a difference today!!!!! I can't believe I put off the injection for so long.
No pain today and actually I tried sleeping for half the night without the splint. Was okay but I don't think I want to push that. No sense it upsetting the wrist.
So anyone procrasting on getting the cortizone injection I would say try it first... I am so sorry I went so many months with pain.

cerrrah

I know exactly how you feel. I've had dequervain's tendinitis for little over two years and the shots really help me. I'll go back to my Orthopedic doctor like every month just to check on it.

It's good to know that other people know how I feel. People at my work place have never heard about this and they think its just tendidnitis. They don't know how much pain we suffer and how the shots really helps. But unfortunely, I think mines is getting worse. Because when I get the shot, the pain usally doesn't come back until like five or six months. But it will be a month on Monday, since I had my last shot and last night, the pain came back again. So I will go back to the my doctor on Monday and see what he says. Anyways, just wanted to share my experience with you.

countrykid

cerrrah.....Has your dr discussed surgery? I know mine has said that sometimes the shots only work for awhile, then after that you need surgery to release the stress on the tendon from the shaft (I think that is how he put it to me).
I am sorry to hear that your pain has come back...I know what you mean ...the pain is so depilatating at times that nothing helps not even narcotics.
Do you wear splints at night and during the day? I have a minny splint (thumb stablizer) that I wear during the day.

cerrrah

yeah, my doctor has mentioned surgery to me before. But at the time that we discussed it (last year in May), I had just gone through with a laparoscopy, so I didn't feel like doing another surgery. I do have a hand brace that I use sometimes during the day and when I sleep at night. Btw, what's a minny splint (thumb stablizer)? Is it basically a brace just to stablize your thumb? Cause the brace that I have, it goes from my forearm to up and around my thumb.

countrykid

I have the big splint like you have that I wear at night. I was wearing it all the time but it was hard to wear clothes or do anything even with my fingers. The minny splint is an over the counter . The brand I bought was by ******. It is actually called "Thumb Stabilizer". It comes in 3 sizes small. medium and large. In my area it is carried at Walmart, CVS, Acme, Walgreen's. Mine is beige. I have also seen someone wearing a black one. I don't know where they got it.
The thumb stablilizer keeps the thumb from moving plus it has a support of the wrist because of the closure. Just wrap around with velcro. The one thing nice about it you can move your fingers and use the hand.
I just measured it and from the tip of the thumb to the bottom at the wrist it is only 5 inches compared to the 10 in of the big support.

edna2

Just ask your doctor to give you a local anesthetic injection first before the cortisone shot and it won't be painful. I know some docs do not. I try to avoid these kinds!

countrykid

Just another update for anyone reviewing this post. 4 weeks since shot...saw ortho today...now I am PRN...
NO MORE PAIN!!!!!!!!
One problem done now on to others!!!!