De Quervain’s is an overuse injury of tendons of the thumb, specifically the extensor pollicis brevis and abductor pollicis longus.
There is usually pain with grasping and when moving the thumb away from the rest of the hand. It is common in nursing mothers from holding the head of their child for extended periods of time. It responds well to ultrasound, deep tissue massage, dry needling and altering activities that aggravate the pain. There may be stiffness in joints underneath the tendons or weakness in thumb and wrist muscles that need to be mobilised and strengthened respectively to help prevent a recurrence of the symptoms. If you need treatment for thumb pain, book an appointment with e-physiotherapy Edinburgh.
