De Quervain's Tenosynovitis — Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
Also known as De Quervain's Tenosynovitis. Causes, symptoms and how physiotherapy treats De Quervain's Tenosynovitis — without surgery or medicines.
Understanding De Quervain's Tenosynovitis
De Quervain's Tenosynovitis affects people differently, and the right care starts with understanding how it affects you. Its day-to-day impact — on movement, strength, energy and confidence — is where physiotherapy does its work.
Our role in De Quervain's Tenosynovitis is practical: protect and rebuild movement and daily function with a plan set after a careful assessment, in coordination with your doctor wherever medical management is involved. No two plans look the same, because no two cases behave the same.
Causes & risk factors of De Quervain's Tenosynovitis
What commonly drives it — your assessment pins down which of these apply to you.
More than one possible driver
De Quervain's Tenosynovitis can have several contributing factors — a careful history and physical assessment separate them rather than guessing.
Reduced movement and deconditioning
Whatever the trigger, less movement quickly adds weakness and stiffness of its own — usually the most reversible part.
Daily-life load and habits
Work posture, repeated tasks, sleep and stress all shape how a condition behaves day to day.
General health and history
Overall health, previous injuries and existing conditions influence both the picture and the plan — the assessment takes all of it in.
When physiotherapy is the right call
If any of these sound like you, an assessment is the right first step.
- ✓ A new diagnosis of De Quervain's Tenosynovitis and you want a clear rehabilitation start point
- ✓ Daily tasks, walking or stairs are getting harder than they used to be
- ✓ Strength, stamina or balance has visibly dropped
- ✓ You want a structured clinic + home program with measurable milestones
- ✓ Family members need guidance to support you safely
Your treatment journey
Step by step — from your first assessment to a tracked recovery plan.
A detailed first assessment
History, movement testing and strength checks — a focused session to find what is actually driving your De Quervain's Tenosynovitis.
A diagnosis you understand
Your physiotherapist explains the findings in plain language — what is affected, why it happened and what that means for you.
Active, tracked treatment
Hands-on therapy, the right modalities and graded exercise — progressed session by session and tracked on Fizo IQ™.
Prevention, built in
The final phase rebuilds strength and habits so the same problem does not come back — with a home plan you keep.
What recovery looks like
- ✓ More independence in daily tasks
- ✓ Better strength, balance and stamina
- ✓ Fewer setbacks, with red flags monitored
- ✓ A program your family understands and can support
- ✓ Progress measured milestone by milestone on Fizo IQ™
When to see a doctor — red flags
How CB Physiotherapy treats De Quervain's Tenosynovitis
At CB Physiotherapy, treatment for De Quervain's Tenosynovitis starts with finding its cause: a structured, physiotherapist-led assessment before anything is prescribed. Your plan then combines hands-on therapy, targeted exercise and the right modalities — delivered at a clinic near you or at home, and coordinated with your doctor where medical care is involved.
Every case runs on Fizo IQ™, our recovery engine: diagnosis, root cause, plan, milestones and goals, tracked session by session. You always know where you are in your recovery — and what comes next.
Exercises that help with De Quervain's Tenosynovitis
Make these exercises yours — a CB physio personalizes, doses and tracks your plan week by week.
Get my personalized planGeneral guidance only — stop if an exercise increases your pain, and check with your physio before starting a new routine.
Get De Quervain's Tenosynovitis treatment near you
Certified physiotherapists at a clinic near you or at home — same-day slots, assessment-led care.
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Chat with us on WhatsAppDe Quervain's Tenosynovitis, answered
De Quervain's tenosynovitis or washerwoman's sprain or mummy thumb or radial styloid tenosynovitis is a painful condition affecting the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist. It causes painful swelling or inflammation of the tendon of the thumb. It is a tendinosis of the tendon sheath that covers the two tendons of the thumb, the extensor pollicis longus, and the abductor pollicis brevis. The pain may extend from the forearm to the thumb base. De Quervain's tenosynovitis hurts while turning the wrist, grasping, or making a fist.
Symptoms of de Quervain's tenosynovitis can radiate to the forearm, also other symptoms include:
- Pain along the side of the wrist on the side of the thumb.
- Pain aggravated by pinching, grasping, thumb and wrist flexion, and other movements of the thumb and wrist.
- Swelling near the thumb.
- Tenderness at APB/EPL at wrist crease.
- Snapping or popping sensation in the wrist when moving the thumb.
De Quervain's tendinitis can be caused by several factors, including:
- Overuse.
- Direct blow to the thumb
- Repetitive grasping
- Inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
- Wear and tear
- Repetitive strain injury
- Lifting the newborn baby
- Opening a can or bottle
- Gardening
- Playing golf or racket sport
- Racquet sports (tennis, racquetball)
- Skiing
- Using a hammer.
Pathology
De Quervain's tendinitis is the inflammation of the tendons which control the movement of the thumb and the tendon sheaths. The repetitive movements result in pain at the outer side of the wrist. Pain and discomfort increase while gripping or rotating the wrist.
De Quervain's tenosynovitis does not require any investigation it is easily diagnosed by the Finkelstein test.
The patient is asked to make a fist with the fingers wrapped over the thumb. Keeping the hand in a fist position, the wrist is moved up and down, the motion of shaking someone's hand. The swollen tendons are pulled through the narrowed sheath and result in pain, thus diagnosed as de Quervain's tenosynovitis.
Medication: Anti-inflammatory medication, such as naproxen or ibuprofen, steroid injection.
NOTE: Medication should not be taken without the doctor's prescription.
Non-surgical treatments
Splints:
Splints or braces are recommended for rest. These are used to immobilize the wrist and thumb at the meta-carpo-phalangeal joint but also allow the thumb end joint and other fingers to move.
Surgical treatments
Surgery may be recommended if non-surgical treatments do not help relieve pain and swelling. A tiny cut is made in the sheath to pass the tendon. The sheath is cut which allows more room for the tendons to slide. Surgery is done to alleviate pain and swelling and restore range of motion. After recovery, physiotherapy is done to strengthen the muscles.
Apply ice to the thumb and wrist to decrease the inflammation, swelling, and amount of pain. Avoid activities that are causing pain and swelling.
Heat therapy or thermotherapy can help relax and loosen tight musculature.
Transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS) can be used to relieve pain.
Ultrasound therapy helps to accelerate the healing process of the soft tissues such as tendons and synovial sheath.
Laser therapy is found to be the most used and effective in reducing pain and increasing functionality in patients with De Quervain tenosynovitis.
The taping technique can also be used to decrease pain and thus improve function.
Massage
Massage at the thenar muscles can help relax tight musculature that causes pain. It decreases fascia restriction, stretches the connective tissue, and promotes a better healing environment.
Myofascial release is a soft tissue technique used to relax the muscles thus reducing the tension in the tendon or muscles.
Range of motion exercises
Active hand movements and range-of-motion exercises are recommended.
The strengthening exercises are progressed from isometric, eccentric, concentric, and then glides. These exercises help to strengthen and stabilize the muscles and joints of the hand and thumb. Shoulder and elbow strengthening exercises are also recommended to place less load at the wrist.
Stretching exercises
Stretching exercises or gliding techniques are recommended to allow the thumb tendons to glide easily within the tunnel.
Mobilization
Mobilization decreases the pain and improves the range of motion. A radial glide of the proximal row of carpals is given then the patient is asked to move the thumb into radial abduction-adduction.
The patient is advised to make changes if required while doing activities or exercises e.g. changing the inappropriate biomechanics used while a task is done, e.g. ergonomics for the usage of the phone, writing or using a keyboard, etc .
Don't let De Quervain's Tenosynovitis decide your day.
Get assessed today — find the cause, get a plan, and know when you'll feel better.