My De Quervain Tenosynovitis journey♥

source: Google

Have you heard about De Quervain Tenosynovitis?  Actually I was not familiar with this until last December (2023).  When I had it...

My story:

Mid-December of last year, I started experiencing pain on my wrist (running from my wrist to my right thumb).  It was so painful, that I really had a hard time using my right hand.  Honestly, I cried because of the severe pain.  What's frustrating about it is that - I am right handed (it's my working hand).  I thought the pain will go away after taking pain reliever, wrist/hand massage, applying topical pain reliever but it did not.  

I tried researching about this and I found out that it was called "De Quervain Tenosynovitis".  So what exactly is it?  How can you get it?

According to Mayocliniq.org: 

"De Quervain Tenosynovitis" - it is a painful condition that affecting the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist.    If you have DQT you will probably feel pain when you turn your wrist, grasp anything or make fist.

How can you get it? It's most common on women between ages 30 and 50.  Whose job or hobbies that involve repetitive hand and wrist motions.  (In short my hand is overworked).

Cures:  (1) Taking pain relievers such as Ibuprofen, Naproxen: these only relieve the pain not remove it;   (2) Non surgical option is getting a steroid injection on the affected wrist; (3) Surgery; and (4)  Immobilizing the affected wrist with a splint or brace to rest the wrist.

I am not really into taking pain killers or pain relievers that is why I opted to endure the pain.  But as days go by it started getting worse.  I again researched for exercises to ease the pain, as well as other natural cures for it.  I tried them... it relieves the pain for a few hours and it goes back again.  I don't want to have steroids injection because of it's side effects.  Of the four (4) options mentioned above, I chose the last one - immobilizing my wrist with a splint.  So I bought a splint from Shopee at around P295.00.

I wore the splint from the time it arrived from morning til night time (I just remove it when washing and bathing).  The first few days it's still so painful even with the splint especially in the morning.  As days go by I started feeling less pain.  Please note that until now as of this writing (January 2024) there is still pain but it improved.  But I tried not to overwork my hand.  

Realization:  Things really happen for a reason... maybe my body is telling me to slowdown because I am not getting any younger.  Yes, I am guilty of overusing my hands - cooking, cleaning and doing a lot of things.  When this happened I realized I needed to rest.

I hope and pray that my hands will get better soon...  Please pray for me also. :)

And I hope you also learn from my experience.  Believe me it's not easy...

xo,

Chiq♥