De Quervain's tenosynovitis refers to tendon inflammation of the first chamber of the back of wrist. You will feel pain, tenderness, swelling or entrapment within the sheath. The primary symptom is pain. There may be redness at some of the affected area. Skin temperature of the affected area will rise for acute infection. When the affected area is touched, you may feel pain. It often affects those who frequently straighten the thumbs (such as housewife, working class, and nannies), those who use computer to type words, and those who use hand control to play computer games. In the acute phase, ice helps to relieve the symptoms of inflammation. Splint, medication and physical therapy can be used for chronic inflammation. If these treatment options do not work, surgery can be used to release the entrapped tendon.
How is De Quervain's tenosynovitis treated in practice?