• What is DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis? DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis is inflammation of two tendons that control the movement of the thumb.
• How common is it?
  It may be seen more commonly in individuals with a history of medial or lateral epicondylitis, but it can also occur if there has been a direct blow to the thumb as well as overuse from repetitive tasks such as gardening and video gaming.
• Does it affect males and females?
  Is more common in women (1.3%) and only 0.5% of men develop it.
• What age groups?
  The peak prevalence for this syndrome among men and women is at the age of 40 and 50 years.
• What are the main symptoms?
  This condition can happen suddenly or gradually. The main symptoms are usually swelling and pain at the base of the thumb, swelling and pain on the side of the thumb and pain along the back of the thumb. Sometimes the pain may travel into the thumb or up to the forearm.
• How is it tested for?
  The Finkelstein test is the most common test – it involves bending the thumb across the palm, and then the fingers will bend over the thumb to make a fist. This movement stretches the tendons and pain is felt.
• Is there a cure?
  De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is a temporary condition and it responds well to treatment.
• How is it treated?
  Treatment for de Quervain’s tenosynovitis is aimed at: reducing inflammation and pain with corticosteroid injection into the tendon sheath; preserving movement in the thumb immobilizing the thumb and wrist; preventing recurrence by avoiding repetitive thumb movements as much as possible. If the case is more serious surgery may be needed.

• What is tendinitis?
  Tendinitis also called overuse tendinopathy and it represents inflammation of a tendon.
• How common is it?
  It is a common condition often caused by repetitive, minor impact on the affected area, or from a sudden more serious injury.
• Does it affect males and females?
  It affects both men and women.
• What age groups?
  Anyone can get tendinitis, but it is more common in adults, especially those over the age of 40.
• What are the main symptoms?
  Common symptoms include: pain or tenderness at or near a joint, especially around a shoulder, wrist, elbow, or ankle; stiffness that, along with the pain, restricts the movement of the joint involved; mild swelling or thickening of the tendon near the joint.
• How is it tested for?
  Usually tendinitis can be diagnosed during a physical examination, but there are situations when x-rays or other imaging tests are required. 

How is it treated?
Sometimes resting and ice on the affected area may be all the treatment you need. The main goals of tendinitis treatment are to relieve the pain and reduce inflammation using anti-inflammatory medications, corticosteroids, or platelet-rich plasma (PRP). In severe cases surgery may be needed.

A variety of lumps and bumps can appear over the wrist and hand. As well as the way they look sometimes these lumps and bumps can be quite painful especially if on the dominant hand. Ultrasound is an excellent scan for being able to diagnose these lumps. Common lumps and bumps that can present over the wrist and hand include lipomas and ganglions. A lipoma can be defined as a fatty lump and is usually benign. A ganglion is a type of cyst that is the result of joint fluid being forced up towards the surface of the skin. 

Sprains of the wrist are very common after a fall onto the outstretched hand. Often most people will present to their local Emergency Department (A&E) or Urgent Treatment Centre where they will receive an x-ray. X-rays can identify broken bones or fractures. However, they cannot identify soft tissue (i.e. muscle, tendon and ligament) injuries. An ultrasound scan is excellent in this regard and is especially useful for injuries that are taking time to improve or persistently painful.