De Quervain's surgery and recovery

[polar28]

I  had surgery on my left wrist for De Quervain's on Dec 20.  My stitches and cast were removed last Thursday and they had some make a splint for me.  The splint is extremely uncomfortable as I am left handed, so I have not been wearing anything.  After a while my wrist will get so sore that I feel nauseated.  I am just wondering if I am doing damage by not wearing the splint.

[Happytimes12]

Can I ask who was your surgeon? I live in Lancaster PA.Thanks

[quemo]

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU GET ANY SURGERY OR SHOTS!
Well, when I was a Dequarveins newby here back in July 2013 I would have never have guessed all of the information I've gathered about Dequarveins. Back in June 2013 I had the pain in my right wrist, a month later my right swelled up.  I went to the Urgent care who then diagnosed me with Deq. A month later my left wrist was diagnosed as well with the same.  In my job I type non-stop, reports, requests ect. And, ive been doing that for 30 years.  Well, Since June I've seen 4 doctors, I've had 2 cortizone shots in my right and 1 in my left.  I had the surgical release in my right in May 2014 and left in July 2014.  The pain increased in my right so the Dr. did an MRI in Sept of 2014 (1 year and a half after I was injured). So, in the MRI on the right, there's a half inch complete lengthwise tear on my APT tendon.  Guess this was the source of the pain. But, with Deq. you need to know that with a repetitive stress injury and if your sheath is tight, the tendon which can be tight going thru the tendon sheath will get damaged, frayed, torn and in my case a complete tear.  So, I'm waiting for my wrist to heal from the 1st surgery in May and Dr. has to go in and remove the APL tendon (1 of the 2 tendons of the thumb at the wrist). So, the moral of this is please get/demand an MRI before any surgery or shots just to make sure something isn't torn.  If it's torn, you may need surgery to repair the tendon.  If you keep working on a keyboard while you are injured, it's going to worsen it. Now, at least I have my long term disability. I will not go back to work this injured.  They've already approved the LTD.

[tbct4012]

So I have had my surgery about six weeks ago now. I originally developed De Quervains Tendinitis from carrying new born son and video gaming at the same time in December 2013. It started off as pain when I would move my left thumb side to side or when I would grab things from my pocket. Then my thumb started to lock and when I would move my thumb it would pop like a knuckle, sometimes it would sound like a rubber band pulled back and snapping against a surface of something. Went through all kinds of therapy, icing, warm compress, exercises, shock therapy, warming machine with topical anti inflammatory, and even joint supplements. None of it worked. I go to the gym a lot so I thought by taking about 6 weeks off would make it better but felt like it just stayed the same. I thought it actually felt better going to the gym, I just modified my grip and exercises that I did. The doctor basically said when I would work out it loosened the tendon but also released fluid within the sheath the tendons were in but said to be careful. Finally I got an injection which was supposed to cure me but it lasted all but 30min. I thought maybe it needs longer than the two days I needed to rest for the injection to work, so I waited a month before I made another appointment.  I was then scheduled for an appointment to get surgery because the hand specialist felt that the injection did nothing so doing a second or third would not alleviate my pain. So I just continued to go to the gym till I had my surgery. The surgery from start to finish was about 30min, took a little longer because he said my compartment was different than most so he had to release deeper which sucked cause it was painful. After surgery luckily I did not experience nerve pain which is good because that is one of the side affects because they sometimes have to move the nerves around to get to the compartment.  I was put in a splint that i had to wear for 2 weeks bagging it every time i showered. Right away I noticed that I wasn't waking up in pain at night from moving my thumb. Got the splint off but stitches were still in because they were dissolvable but kept getting caught on stuff and I would also tug on them so I cut the ends off. The doc said to immediately massage the area with cocoa butter so I bought thick cream so it would last a while. He said to massage it hard for 5 minutes 4 times a day, and to continue doing physical therapy until my next appointment and no lifting other than everyday things, even lifting the baby would be fine. Every one has had good post ops and bad, these are just some of the things I did in my recovery process. Hoping to get back in the gym in December once my recovery is done. I do experience some discomfort but with therapy and rest I am hoping I recover completely. Hope this helps someone.

[Greekgirrrl]

I had the surgery in Feb 2014 and am still suffering w pain, sensitivity, restricted movement and tingling from tip of thumb to almost my elbow. I'm certainly better but not healed. I still cannot do a lot of things. I switched drs bc my dr (and surgeon) said I was fine. I'm not fine!!! Now today I got yet another cortisone shot. The first since my surgery. I'm scheduled for a Cat-scan as well. I'm seriously iced it!! I cannot do the activities I used to do. I've gained 15 lbs!!!

[witte33]

Who was your doctor and in what town and state is he located

[hennsurf]

I had surgery on my right wristin Feb 2014 and am still having pain and have scar sensitivity.  My surgeon told me that he has done all he can do for me and that "pain is subjective" and basically released me after discharging me from PT because he thought that might be causing my pain 2 1/2 months post op.  Needless to say I switched doctors and was told I needed to wait a few more months to see if the swelling and pain subside from surgery which annoyed me, I don't want to live in pain and need to use my hands to work!   My 2nd option was to go to a pain specialist and my 3rd option was to have another surgery which might or might not correct the issues I am still having.  Since I am not a big fan of having another surgery right now since I am still in pain from the 1st one I opted to go see the pain specialist.  While there she diagnosed me with issues with my nerves due to the surgery.  I am now on a medication (Lyrica) which seems to be working but has a side effect of weight gain which I do not need!   I just want to feel right again,  I have been struggling with this pain for a year now and did all of the conservative measures before opting for surgery.  Surgery was suppossed to fix this!  Oh, I forgot to mention that I previously had this same surgery on my left wrist in 2000 and didn't have any any of these issues!!

[Karma1960]

Hi my name is Susan and I had surgery for De Quervains on my left wrist on May 28.  I had to remove the bandage because it got wet so I put a wide bandaid and then I put gauze and replaced my splint.  I have no sensation on the top of my hand near the index and middle fingers, is this normal?  will I get sensation back?  Did I do damage to my hand by removing my splint?  I am worried that I won't regain sensation, It has been only 5 days since the operation.  Also during the night I rolled over and hit my left hand on my nightstand which sent excruciating pain up my arm.

[melesnic]

it's worse now,i've been to the doctor today and he told me that it will be ok after 2 months...i have to put some i have to put an ice packs everyday.Is your surgery swollen too?

[Jsueme]

I want to know the same thing.  Had surgery about same time you did and still in pain.  Does it get better?

[Jsueme]

I want to know the same thing.  Had surgery about same time you did and still in pain.  Does it get better?

[melesnic]

i had my surgery last April 16 and it's 1 month now and i have pain and swollen..my doctor told that it is normal :-(..im so worried..can anyone help us please..thank you

[neckandshoulders]

Thank you for your positive feedback and extra ideas. I do want to look into the ARC technique, but am curious what was going on with your neck and do you think it's connected to your wrist issues? Also curious to know if you went through with the surgery? Do note: I went through a series of PT sessions and it felt great for a short period, but didn't really help with the dQ symptoms, however it was only concentrated on my hands, wrists and forearms. I don't live in the Bay Area (but wish I did after THIS winter), but great idea to start a dQ exercise group. I'll ponder making a video of my regimen, but I'm no expert and would really like to learn the causes of dQ and the physiology of what's going on, is it really just a form of tendinitis. I live in the Upper Midwest and just finished a 35K X/C ski race with weeks of pretty intense training and never had any dQ flare-up. I continue to do the stretch & hold techniques and keep the anatomy active.

[Suzycreamcheese]

Hi,
I really appreciate your careful and thorough explanations of excercises and stretches to  relieve pain caused by De Quervains Tendonitis.
I am really hoping this can help as I have been dealing with pretty debilitating pain in both thumbs and wrists of and on for over a year. I've had splints, cortisone shots, hand therapy... and finally made a second appt to have surgery ( I chickened out last time).
I made an appointment with the PA at the hand surgeons office in Berkeley, Ca for tomorrow to talk about finally getting the surgury as I have been putting it off in hopes that someone will come up with a non surgical solution.
Along those lines I had a neck problem that I went to physical therapy for about a year ago. Amazingly after two sessions he cured me using a technique called ARC (active release).
So I am thinking I might go back to this PT as was amazing and in the past I have been able to cure most of my aches and pains on my own without therapy or  surgury...Sometimes laying off tennis and swimming instead or trying to build up muscles around the knee when I have pain there by doing excercises and stationary upright bike worked really well for knee problems..
I'll check out the websites you recommended.. I noticed one of them said Sutterhealth...which I am familiar with.. Do you live in the Bay Area?
I was wondering if you lived around here if you could start an excercise group for dequervains suffer or maybe do a video of the excercises you are recommending!
Thanks a lot for all your good advice on this forum.

[Suzycreamcheese]

Hi Neck
I really appreciate your careful and thorough explanations of excercises and stretches to  relieve pain caused by De Quervains Tendonitis.
I am really hoping this can help as I have been dealing with pretty debilitating pain in both thumbs and wrists of and on for over a year. I've had splints, cortisone shots, hand therapy... and finally made a second appt to have surgery ( I chickened out last time).
I made an appointment with the PA at the hand surgeons office in Berkeley, Ca for tomorrow to talk about finally getting the surgury as I have been putting it off in hopes that someone will come up with a non surgical solution.
Along those lines I had a neck problem that I went to physical therapy for about a year ago. Amazingly after two sessions he cured me using a technique called ARC (active release).
So I am thinking I might go back to this PT as was amazing and in the past I have been able to cure most of my aches and pains on my own without therapy or  surgury...Sometimes laying off tennis and swimming instead or trying to build up muscles around the knee when I have pain there by doing excercises and stationary upright bike worked really well for knee problems..
I'll check out the websites you recommended.. I noticed one of them said Sutterhealth...which I am familiar with.. Do you live in the Bay Area?
I was wondering if you lived around here if you could start an excercise group for dequervains suffer or maybe do a video of the excercises you are recommending!
Thanks a lot for all your good advice on this forum.

[Joy2244]

I read thru most of the comments, but I just want to get replies from folks who had the surgery for DQ and had a good result. Actually I'd like to know both, as I'm trying to decide whether I should have the surgery or deal with the pain. So far, I've had one cortisone injection. Before the injection, the pain was a 10, but I stopped using my ergonomical computer mouse(how ironic) and with the injection, the pain was gone but came back about 3 months later. The pain is not as bad, but its there and about a 7 now, and I think it may get worse. My doctor doesn't suggest getting more than 2 cortisone injections. If' you had a good result or bad,with the surgery, please reply and tell me. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks

[neckandshoulders]

Hello. If I'm understanding your questions correctly I don't have any background related to post op pain since I've never had the surgery and would ask if you can get it rechecked. I also don't have any background in work comp cases. However, as far as managing dQ without surgery, Cortisone shots or meds I do have some insights that may help. If you read through my posts it's all about stretch & hold techniques for the wrist, arms, shoulders, neck and back. And, in my case, immobilization didn't work along with all the other recommendations from PT, ortho physicians, etc. I'm still pain-free with only a slight onset of symptoms if I stop the regimen for a few days. Hope that helps.

[Mrsstrick09]

HI, stumbled upon this blog as i was looking for some answers to post op pain from dQ. I had mine in march 2013. No issues, but today different story. I keystroke anywhere from 175,000 to 225,000 times a day. Left was where the surgery was, now it feels sore again.I do exercises and stop the typing, but i feel its creeping back in. This was a work comp case, and I was released from the Dr. not sure If I can get a recheck or not? Idea's?

[neckandshoulders]

Good to hear. It's all about interconnections! It's interesting, when I had a CT scan it only showed a very small amount of inflammation, but it's amazing how much pain that can cause, if that's the root of dQ. I've only made minor adjustments to the regimen and still the main focus is stretch & hold techniques from thumb, wrist, arms, shoulders, back and neck. Also keeping the anatomy active seems to be really important. One note for others who may be reading this thread, when I was experiencing severe pain, numbness, aching, tingling, etc. I didn't immediately start with stretch & hold techniques and aggressively using my hands/wrist — they were added gradually and I tested it carefully and, all the while, being careful with the neck region. I'd still like to hear other ideas, input, experiences, etc.

[quemo]

Hello. Being a newbie to dequaveins only 4 weeks ago, I was pretty desparate for a cure.  But, all I heard were horror stories of how long it lasts. I heard the doctor mention surgery for me.  

So, I read your blog on a couple of sites like this and started to do your stretches on the neck and shoulders a few days ago.  Today is the first day I woke up without a lot of inflammation.  It's too early to tell. so I'll come back with updates. An early thanks to you.

[pushpasanjay]

Can you tell me who was your doctor and where you got your surgery done.
Please reply at :  ***@****

I also have de quervain in my left hand and have been advised surgery, but I am afraid to have it done.  I wonder how much time it will take to recover.
I am eagerly waiting for your reply.

Thanks and regards,
Pushpa

[neckandshoulders]

How severe is your case of dQ? Have you tried any stretch & hold techniques from the wrist, arm, shoulder, upper back, neck? As you may have read, I tried everything except surgery and everything else only abated the pain, stiffness, tingling, etc. Again, I tried bracing, PT, meds, Cortisone shots, massage, etc. and did everything recommended by ortho docs, PTs, etc. and didn't find relief until I spoke with a sports physiologist who said you need to keep the anatomy active and focus on more than just the thumb and wrist area.  I would still do your research before considering surgery and would not base a decision on timeframe, by which you would need to recover. I do hear of stories where surgery only provides temporary and incomplete resolution and has the potential to cause damage to the anatomy.

[Hdawg25]

I have De Quervains Tenosynovitis in my left thumb. I am wondering if i should just go ahead with surgery to get it fixed before i leave on my mission? I report to the MTC on September 4th. will i have enough time to recover from it? i have done everything the doctors have told me to do and nothing is helping anymore.  

[neckandshoulders]

Hello lolatengo,

For the thumb pull-back I'll try to explain it better. Let me know if there's a way to post or send a pic that would show exactly the mechanics of this stretch & hold technique. I picked from a PT session and haven't seen it posted online.

For the right hand:
- Put right hand in front of you so you are looking at you palm
- Fingers out stretched and together
- Thumb pointing out (not touching the index finger), hand should make a mitten shape, flat
- Arm position doesn't really matter, but elbows are bent to make it possible to do the stretch
- Grab your right thumb with your left hand (thumb down position for the left hand)
- Pull your right thumb away from you like you are trying to rotate your wrist in clockwise direction or away from you
- Idea is to feel the stretch in the wrist to the base of your palm down from the thumb
- Then switch the setup if you're experiencing the same pain, inflammation, stiffness, etc. in your left hand/wrist
- Also, the Finkelstein test (the most common test for diagnosing dQ) can also stretch out the affected area and doesn't seem to make it worse, I've heard, it stretches the area differently than the thumb pull-back technique.

Here's a couple sites with some other possible exercises / techniques that may achieve the same goal:

http://www.toc.md/exercises_wristhand.htm

http://www.summitmedicalgroup.com/library/adult_health/sma_de_quervains_exercises
(this site includes more motion-orientated exercises, which I didn't find helpful, but does include some diagrams similar to the techniques I've listed)

I'm still pretty much pain-free and only do my regime every few days. Interestingly, I only get a twinge of dQ when not exercising or using my hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, etc. more vigorously. I still believe this condition is more about the connections from the hand all the way up to the shoulders and back. Again, be careful with the stretch & hold techniques for the neck area. And do remember to focus heavily on the upper arms, shoulders and back. When I had the crippling pain it was natural to start with the techniques that didn't focus on the hand, thumb and wrist.

[lolatengo]

I know it's been awhile since you posted this, but I'm hoping you can clarify the thumb pull back.  

Do you mean that the arm should be straight out in front of you, or bent at the elbow?
When you say "thumb pointing up, do you mean that the thumb should be sticking up straight while the hand is flat, perpendicular?

And lastly, I can't figure out what you mean by,
"Pull position forward to palm is facing up and hold for 5-10 seconds."

I'm also curious how your condition has been in the last few months.  I've had lots of physio and massage plus two injections, and I'm getting desperate.  Thanks!