Wrist Pain and De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis Treatment in Kathmandu: The New Repetitive Strain Epidemic
If you feel sharp pain at the base of your thumb and the side of your wrist — especially when gripping, texting, or lifting — you may have De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, an inflammation of the tendons that run along the thumb side of the wrist. It’s increasingly common among smartphone users, new parents, and anyone doing repetitive hand and wrist movements.
## What Is De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis?
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is irritation and swelling of the tendon sheath surrounding two tendons that control thumb movement, where they pass through a narrow tunnel on the thumb side of the wrist. Repetitive thumb and wrist movement causes friction and inflammation in this tunnel, leading to pain, swelling, and sometimes a “catching” sensation with thumb movement.
## Who Develops This Condition
– **Heavy smartphone users** — repeated thumb typing and scrolling is one of the most common modern triggers
– **New parents**, especially mothers — repeatedly lifting a baby with the wrist in an awkward, thumb-extended position is a classic cause, sometimes called “mommy thumb”
– **Office workers** doing repetitive mouse, keyboard, or paperwork tasks
– **Tailors, jewellers, and craftspeople** performing fine, repetitive hand movements
– **Racquet sport players** and gym-goers doing repetitive grip-and-twist movements
## How It’s Different From Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Both cause wrist-area pain, but De Quervain’s specifically affects the thumb side of the wrist and worsens with thumb movement and gripping, while carpal tunnel syndrome typically causes numbness and tingling in the fingers, especially at night. A proper clinical assessment can distinguish between these (and other) causes of wrist pain, which is important since the treatment approach differs.
## How MT Hospital Treats De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis and Wrist Pain
– **Clinical assessment**, including specific orthopedic tests, to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other causes of wrist pain
– **Activity modification** — practical guidance on adjusting how you hold your phone, lift your baby, or perform repetitive tasks to reduce strain on the affected tendons
– **Manual therapy and soft tissue treatment** to reduce tension in the forearm and thumb muscles
– **Splinting guidance** to rest the affected tendons during the acute, painful phase
– **Progressive strengthening exercises** once acute pain has settled, to restore full pain-free function
– **Dry needling**, where appropriate, for associated forearm muscle tightness
## Why Early Treatment Matters
Like other tendon conditions, De Quervain’s tends to worsen with continued unmodified use and can become a more persistent, harder-to-treat condition if ignored for months. Addressing it early — both the symptoms and the repetitive movement pattern causing it — generally leads to a faster, more complete recovery.
## Frequently Asked Questions
**Will I need a wrist brace permanently?**
No — a brace or splint is typically used temporarily during the acute painful phase to rest the tendons, alongside treatment to address the underlying cause, not as a permanent solution.
**Can I keep using my phone while being treated?**
You’ll likely be advised to modify how you hold and use your phone (for example, switching hands or using voice-to-text more) rather than stopping entirely, alongside your treatment programme.
**Is De Quervain’s common after pregnancy?**
Yes — it’s one of the most common wrist conditions in new mothers, due to the repetitive lifting and awkward wrist positions involved in caring for an infant.
**Do I need surgery for De Quervain’s?**
Most cases improve significantly with conservative treatment — activity modification, splinting, and physiotherapy. Surgery is reserved for the minority of cases that don’t respond after a proper course of conservative care.
## Book a Wrist Pain Assessment
If thumb-side wrist pain is interfering with your work, parenting, or daily tasks, MT Hospital’s clinics in Baneshwor and Dhobighat can accurately diagnose the cause and start you on an effective, non-surgical recovery plan.
*This article is for general information only and does not replace a clinical assessment.*