Info on Trapped Tendons

hi! i just had surgery for deQuervain's one week ago. i had the same issues as you and had 2 cortisone injections which didn't last. i tried the splint and it didn't work. it's too soon to tell if i am cured, but the surgery itself wasn't a big deal. i had a great doctor named susan adler here in austin and i saw robert walter's too. they are both well known and great. i totally sympathize-the pain is awful and it is impossible to not pick up your toddler, etc. good luck and email me any questions!!!

I would definitely find a chiropractor in your area, before resorting to surgery. Surgery should always be your last option. You will probably have the best luck with one that specializes in sports related injuries, but any good chiro should be able to help you.

I had de Quervain's tenosynovitis so bad that it felt like my wrists were going to shear off. It as due to my body making all of the relaxin for childbirth, and just took about 9 months to heal up. Even though it hurt so bad, I did not ever take the cortisone shots b/c my grandma takes them and they hurt her so bad. The Doc gave me some wrist splints, which I thought were a joke at the time and thought there is no way these are going to help. But, you have to get your thumb into a position where you minimize movement so that the tendons can tighten up. My advice would be to not go for surgery quite yet, use the wrist splints, and give it some time to tighten. I went to Dr. Stephen Brown by the Children's Museum in Houston, ###-###-#### and he was pretty good. Good luck.

Hi M.,

I just saw this, sorry so late. You might ask the orthopedic hand specialist (I'm assuming) you went to to refer you to an occupational therapist who is a certified hand therapist (see www.htcc.org/about/index.cfm). Sometimes OT's can make simple, specialized hand splints that can block the specific motion you are doing in order to rest those muscles or tendons that are strained, and sometimes rest is all that is needed. An experienced OT certified in hand therapy has also probably seen many other people with your condition and can tell you, in her experience, the stats on whether or not the surgery works. It's always best to try the least invasive things first before surgery (if it's not an emergency). Call your local rehabilitation outpatient clinics, find out if they have an OT who is a CHT on their staff, and talk to him/her on the phone if you can. Sometimes they can tell you what the referring physician should write on the doctor's order so they can evaluate and treat you properly. Good luck!

I have carpal tunnel and when they recommended surgery i went to an accupuncturist twice a week for 4 weeks. I had to end before the recommended 8 weeks, but it more or less cured it for 12 mths. It did come back in time and I learned it was probably lack of maintenance.

I had de Quervain's as well, which sounds like what you are decribing. I actually dropped my son b/c the pain was so sharp my wrist gave out(only about an inch off the bed - and he dropped back onto the bed - so no harm) but it freaked me out! So, I went to see a very well known hand surgeon here in Austin. He's phenomenal at what he does - has pt's fly in from all over the country to see him. Anyway, he NEVER starts with the cortisone shots or surgery. He starts with hand splints - that keep the thumb positioned in a healing position. And - they TOTALLY worked. It was annoying wearing them, but I am completely healed and never needed further treatment. He said it was most impt to wear the splints at night, b/c that's when the wrist is most vulnerable as we aren't aware of how we are "tweaking" it. Hope this helps!

My sister is actually suffering from something like this. They have given her a splint to wear to try to help heal it. The splint stabilizes thumb to keep it from moving so much. the They said that if they couldn't get it healed then they would have to do the cortizone in with an IV. She lives in Australia and I was just there visiting. The splint seems to help as long as she wears it. Hers is hurting from computer use and hurt when she is driving. Hope that might give you some ideas of how to help this. Good luck.

This is the response I gave Amanda G who had a question about carpal tunnel on the same day your question appeared on my mamasource.

Both my thumbs, pointer fingers, and the part connecting the two went numb while I was pregnant until shortly thereafter. Then a few year later I had the same problem in my right hand only, out of the blue. I thought/figured it was carpal tunnel. I work at a computer at least half a day, so I wasn't surprised by it.

HOWEVER, I upon my next appointment with my thyroid specialist (have been seeing him for 27 years for thyroid problems), he said it was not carpal tunnel. A blood test showed my hormone levels were all out of whack, because my thyroid meds were not working right. With a change of meds and a couple of weeks on them the numbness went away.

Since you have just had a baby your hormones are all out of whack. I would suggest you ask the doc about it and request that he run a check. When they check mine they check the TSH and the T3.

I just Googled "trapped tendons" because I had never heard the term but had an idea of what it must be. Here is what I have found to be helpful for my symptoms. Jackie K., a chair massage therapist, at Whole Foods on 360 near 183 is great with hands and arms.... really great. Cullen T. and Julee W. at Wellness Matters Physical Therapy are both great,too. A certain brand of B-Complex and the same brand of Alfalfa are beneficial. I am a great-grandmother and have never had to have surgery except for a torn meniscus in 1977. I know for sure I escaped a liver biopsy a couple of years ago because I choose another route. I hope you find the help you need.

Hi M.,
The pain that you have in your thumb and wrist seems pretty much similar to what I had about 3 1/2 yrs back, few months after I had my second child. I was treated for tendonitis, but when plaquinil didn't work for me after 9 months of treatment, I was referred to a hand surgon. It was the delima whether to take the shot or not, especially that the specialist herself said that the cortizone shot witll ease the pain for some time maybe years, but the pain might recure. I had the pain in both my hands and with the help of my husband and the encouragement of freinds, I took the shot in both hands. It's been 3 years, I can't say the pain is completely gone, but it's something I can live with now. I don't feel it every day. It pops up occasionally especially when I work a lot with my hands. For me, I dread hand surgery though the doctors try to promote it. You are the only one to determine the level of pain you're experiencing and accordingly I would try every possible solution before I go for surgery. And by the way, my aunt had similar pain and she took the cortizone shot twice, and the second time she felt much better, she didn't have to do surgery. Good luck in your decision. I hope this helped.

Lana Z.

Have you tried just a good hand massage? Sometimes that can help. You can get a relativly good & cheap hand massage at beauty schools. The manicuring students are taught massage for the extremeties. I'm a manicurist & I give massages all the time & it does help my customers. Good luck!!

I've had the same issues off and on for the last 18 months. The doctor suggested the cortizone shot, which I did not want since I'm breastfeeding. Being a massage therapist I knew there were other options available especially since it's pretty much all muscle related. You are using so much of your arms, forearms mainly, than before. Wendy at the Texas Healing Arts Institute is great at working with Moms with this issue. In fact, I just saw her last week and I haven't had much issue all week - this after 18 months of build up. I'm planning to see her about once a month for my wrists and neck/shoulder issues. Those too, stem from being a new Mom =)

It is sooo ironic that I am reading this!!! My left wrist has been hurting so much lately. I too had the same thing and as another mom posted earlier was diagnosed with De Quarvain's syndrome. I've already had 2 cortisone shots into the wrist and they did help tremendously but was told by the hand surgeon he will not do anymore and that surgery is next. I too am trying to delay the surgery and have been seeing a chiropractor. I have since had a weird bump pop up on that wrist and the surgeon told me it is the sheath(which is like a tunnel that the tendons run through)_has thickened from the inflammation of tendons and that the surgery would be to snip the sheath (tunnel) so that the tendons could move more freely. I really don't want to do that and have been massaging the bump and wrist all week. I'm on vacation right now but when I get back I will try to see the chiro again. I wouldn't be afraid of the cortisone shot. It hurt for a few minutes but had tremendous relief later. It originally hurt so badly if I moved it the wrong way I thought I would vomit from the pain. It's also know as "washer woman's wrist". It's common in new mom's. I got mine from lifting my new baby (she's now 2 yrs old!!) out of the crib and from patting her on the back. I try to avoid that movement now. F.Y.I. I too bought a hand splint and the surgeon told me to get rid of it.It makes it worse he said.
Good luck!!!!
B.

Sounds like DeQuervains. I had that, shots, surgery, etc. and am now fine. If you're in the Austin area, Dr. Robert Walters is the best, http://robertwaltersmd.com/. I had one shot at another office and it hurt worse than you could imagine. Dr. Walters did my second shot and believe it or not I didn't even feel it! He did my surgery also. Good luck!

M. D,
I had the surgery for "deQuarvin's Tendonitis" (not sure spelled correctly) in May of this year. At the same time I had surgery for severe trigger finger on the same hand. According to my doctor you can only take 2 cortisone shots without it causing permanent damage to the tendons. I was in bandage for about 2 weeks but was encouraged and able to use my hand without restriction. You just don't use it to pick up heavy objects at first. I currently have no pain at all in my thumb, wrist or finger. I encourage you to have the surgery as that is the only way you will find relief. BTW, I went to the "Hand & Wrist Center" in Houston. Dr. Henry is fantasic.