Lady H's Blog

eesh been slacking a bit on the posts!! not been up to much tho. spent all last week in bed with the flu type plague. had a full on fever, shivering one minute and sweating the next, it was not nice. anyway i'm almost better now.

went back to the orthapaedic clinic yesterday about my hand. theyve decided i now definitely have de quervains syndrome again in my tendons. i've already posted about it but i'll do the science bit again

DeQuervain's syndrome (also known as washerwoman's sprain, Radial styloid tenosynovitis or De Quervain's disease), named for Swiss surgeon Fritz de Quervain who first identified it in 1885, is an inflammation of the sheath or tunnel that surrounds two tendons that control movement of the thumb. It is caused by the repetitive motion of the thumb constantly being required to move up and down (usually associated with using a computer keyboard or typewriter). It can be included in a loose group of conditions called repetitive strain injuries.

Symptoms are pain and swelling over the thumb side of the wrist, possibly numbness on the back of the thumb, and difficulty gripping. Finkelstein's test is used to diagnose DeQuervain's syndrome in people who have wrist pain. To perform the test, the thumb is placed in the closed fist and the hand is tilted towards the little finger, as shown in the image. If pain occurs at the wrist below the thumb, DeQuervain's tenosynovitis is likely. DeQuervain's disease is self-limited and resolves spontaneously in most cases by a year. Splints may be worn to help prevent the pain associated with the inflammation but they do not change the course of the illness.

i tried a splint for the past few weeks that stretched my thumb across my hand. i was supposed to wear it for short periods and then work up to using it overnight, but it was absolute agony to wear. so yesterday they gave me cortisone injections in my wrist. cortisone is a steroid and this is supposed to help. the trouble is it hurts like you wouldnt believe for a good 2-3 days after the injections. last time i had these injections it was only a short term help and didnt cure the problem. if the same happens again i might have to have another operation on my hand. not good :(

not got much planned for the next week as i'm skintus maximus till i get paid next wednesday.

cant believe ste is in japan, lucky git!!

posted by Pixie @ 12:59 PM