A Sharp Pain in My Wrist! Do I Have Tendosynovitis?

If you repeatedly use any part of your body, you get rid of it. Tendosynovitis is a disease caused by excessive use of tendons and the pain disappears after one or two days. However, it is better to go to the hospital if the pain continues. In recent 5 years, patients suffering from tendosynovitis have been increased rapidly. According to a survey by the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, the number of patients suffering from tendosynovitis has increased from 1.12 million in 2009 to 1.36 million in 2012, which is an increase of 350,000.

Repeated Use of Body Parts is the Reason

You might have heard tendosynovitis a lot, but there are many people who do not know exactly what ‘tendon sheath’ is. Tendosynovitis, an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the tendons, occurs when excessive or repetitive pressure is applied to the tendons. It appears mainly on the fingers, wrists, and shoulders and it is swollen and very sore if it is an acute tendosynovitis.

In the past, it was mainly for women who were raising children or doing housework, but recently it has also appeared in office workers who frequently use computer mouse or in students using smartphone a lot. If you feel a stabbing pain in your shoulder or wrist when you take a certain action or lift a heavy object, you should suspect the tendosynovitis.

Professor Sung Seung Yong, chief of the Orthopedic Surgery of International St. Mary's Hospital, said "Tendosynovitis is caused by friction around the tendons or partial rupture of the joints when the joints are frequently used. In the early stage, it will be improved by fixing the injured area with a splint or physical therapy, but in severe cases, the tendon is broken and the joints can not move, so surgery is inevitable."

In the first 1-2 days of tendosynovitis, the pain areas should not be used. When there is swelling or a feeling of warmness, it is good to use cold packs while heating the areas is helpful for blood circulation when there is only pain without fever. Wearing a brace or band to fix the lesion is also useful for the treatment. As well, sudden or repetitive movement causes stress on the joints and tendons. Therefore, it is necessary to change the lifestyle, such as stretching before and after exercise, and to correct posture that causes the pain. 



 

Professor Sung Seung Yong

Practice Areas : Rotator cuff tear,frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, fracture calcified tendinitis, impingement syndrome, habitual dislocation, superior labrum rupture, stiff elbow

Profile

Harvard Shoulder Service, Mass. General Hospital, USA, Research Fellow

Lindenh of hospital, Switzerland, AO Fellow

Severance Hospital, Internship/Residency

Yonsei University, College of Medicine, M.S.
Yonsei University, College of Medicine