A sharp pain at the thumb side of your wrist when you lift your baby, pour a kettle or type on your phone. It is easy to blame a sprain, but this pattern is very often De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, and it responds well to early treatment.
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is irritation of the two tendons that move the thumb, causing pain at the thumb side of the wrist. It is common in new parents and heavy phone users. It usually settles in several weeks with a thumb splint, load changes and physiotherapy, and surgery is rarely needed. Numbness and tingling point to a different problem.
What Is De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis?
Two thumb tendons run in a tight tunnel along the thumb side of the wrist. When repeated pinching, gripping or thumb use irritates them, the tendon sheath thickens and gliding becomes painful. Pain is felt at the base of the thumb and wrist, and sometimes a tender swelling appears.
Repetitive phone use, lifting and carrying a baby, gardening, gaming and mouse work are common triggers, and pregnancy and breastfeeding are also linked.
It is the tendons of the thumb, not the wrist bones. That is why changing how you grip, lift and text matters as much as any treatment.
How It Differs from Other Wrist and Hand Problems
Carpal tunnel causes numbness and tingling in the fingers, as covered in our carpal tunnel syndrome guide, whereas De Quervain’s causes pain at the thumb side of the wrist. It also differs from tennis elbow, which affects the outside of the elbow, though both are overuse tendon problems.
A simple test called Finkelstein’s test helps confirm it, and assessment also rules out arthritis at the base of the thumb.
Treatment That Works
A thumb-spica splint for a period lets the tendons settle. Alongside that, you adjust the tasks that irritate it, such as how you lift your baby, grip and use your phone, and use graded tendon loading and gliding exercises as pain eases. A corticosteroid injection can help persistent cases, and surgery is rarely needed.
Correcting how you set up your hands and workspace, as in our ergonomics advice, helps stop it returning.
Book a Wrist Assessment at Sevens Physiotherapy
At Sevens Physiotherapy in HSR Layout, Bangalore, we confirm the diagnosis, build a splint and rehab plan and help you change the habits that caused it. Book at hello@sevensphysiotherapy.com or call +91 99009 01958.
