Stinging 'Wrist tendinitis', what's the difference from carpal tunnel syndrome?
Jul 08, 2024
|
Wrist tendinitis is a disease in which inflammation occurs when the tendon (external tendon) from the wrist to the thumb is damaged due to excessive use of hands or wrists. A sheath of tendon is a thin film (second, ? ) that wraps around tendons (gun, 腱) like sheaths. Whenever you move your muscles, the gun moves back and forth in the hay, and at this time, the hay plays a role in helping the gun move smoothly. It is a two-layer structure and consists of fibrous tissue (fiber seconds) on the outer surface and liquid (live seconds) on the inner surface. It is also called 'De Quervain Disease' and is named after Fritz de Querven, a Swiss surgeon who first reported it in 1895.
Sometimes it is confused with carpal tunnel syndrome, and the two diseases have a common point that pain occurs due to excessive wrist use, but they show differences in symptoms. Wrist tunnel syndrome is a disease caused by the pressing of nerves and causes numbness or pain in fingers, while wrist tendonitis does not show signs of numbness.
Lee Sang-wook, a professor of orthopedic surgery at the Catholic University of Korea's Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, said, `When wrist tendinitis occurs, pain can be felt even in light movements and it can be difficult to hold something light due to the tingling symptoms of the wrist"When you bend and stretch your wrist or move your fingers, you should suspect wrist tendinitis if you feel something getting stuck in your wrist and if you have difficulty writing or using chopsticks."
▶Causes excessive wrist use... If it's hard to brush your teeth, I doubt it
Wrist tendinitis is usually caused by excessive use of wrist muscles or joints. It is common in professions that use a lot of wrists, such as pianists, handicrafts, chefs, and gamers. In addition, the incidence rate increases when a person who does not use his or her wrist suddenly uses it too much, which can occur if he or she exercises excessively, such as golf, bicycle, and tennis. Frequent use of smartphones or computers also has an impact. In women, pregnancy and childbirth can also be the cause.
In addition, the incidence rate is higher among middle-aged and elderly people than among young people. Young people have active metabolism and subside quickly even if inflammation occurs, but as they get older, inflammation accumulates and symptoms become more severe. In addition, female patients are more than three times more likely to occur than men because they are vulnerable to inflammation or swelling due to female hormones. In addition, women basically have thin bones and weak wrist strength, so even if they do the same, their wrists can be more strained.
Typical symptoms are pain and swelling. In addition, when pressed, painful tenderness, joint movement disorders, and muscle weakness appear. If the symptoms worsen, pain can appear even if you take a break.
A way to diagnose wrist tendinitis on your own is by Finkelstein test, which wraps your thumb around the rest of your fingers and bends your wrist down while clenching your fist. If you have severe pain or radiating pain when you performed this test, you should suspect wrist tendinitis. However, for accurate diagnosis, it is recommended to visit a hospital in case of pain. If the treatment is delayed, it can lead to chronic pain, so it should not be left unattended.
Professor Lee Sang-wook said "The pain caused by wrist tendinitis is severe, but it disappears when you take a rest, but it can be difficult to move such as turning a bottle cap or brushing your teeth in daily life."
▶The best treatment is 'Rest'…Avoid repeated and unreasonable movements
Rest is the best treatment for wrist tendinitis. In particular, it is recommended to refrain from using your thumb and wrist. If it occurs while doing an exercise you don't do, you should stop exercising. As much as possible, rest hands with wrist tendonitis and calm the swelling with anti-inflammatory drugs. Still, if the symptoms persist, local steroid injections are given in severe areas. It calms the swelling with a strong anti-inflammatory analgesic effect. If there is no improvement in symptoms after a series of treatments, consider surgery. The operation is carried out by cutting a part of the glide vehicle (lateral ligament) covering the tendon to release the pressure on the tendon.
Professor Lee Sang-wook said "Wrist tendinitis is a disease caused by excessive use of the wrist, so it can be improved just by wearing an aid or cast that restricts the movement of the wrist."If you take medications or injections along with exercise therapy and physical therapy that can relax your wrist, you can relieve pain and inflammation."
However, wrist tendinitis is often left unattended even if symptoms appear. If your daily life is difficult due to severe pain, you don't visit the hospital until then. In the early stages, it can be cured with rest and simple preservation treatment, but the longer the period is left unattended, the higher the intensity and recurrence probability of the treatment.
It is also a problem to treat yourself with self-diagnosis without an accurate diagnosis by an expert. As for the poultice, the cold and hot temperature should be selected appropriately according to the symptoms and timing. Cold compresses in chronic conditions can only worsen symptoms. If you get acupuncture just because your hand is swollen, it worsens inflammation. You should find a specialist who specializes in your hands and get an accurate diagnosis.
Professor Lee Sang-wook advised "For wrist health, it is better to avoid excessive and repetitive movements" "If you use your wrist frequently, it is helpful to stretch your wrist with enough rest."
|
bellho@sportschosun.com
