Wrist tendonitis (de Quervains) and lifing weights

knives00005
knives00005 Posts: 26
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey guys!

I think I have this de Quervain's desease. The area on my wrist almost an inch below my thumb hurts if my hand bends downward. It's tolerable, but I am trying to avoid the worse.

Now, I do go to the gym (I am trying to lose weight) doing lifting and cardio 5x a week. Not all lifting makes it painful, heck, no lifting makes it painful, but I can never be too careful - like I said, I'm trying to prevent the worse.

It doesn't hurt if I grab/grip something though - just when bending my wrist downward (you know, like when using the hammer)
Also, I already bought a brace to immobilize my wrist and thumb - just a precaution.

My question is: Any exercises I should avoid while I have this (that will not impact my weight loss)? I think I should stay out of hammer and bicep curls, but any other alternatives to it? I'm not shy to lift just 10lbs if that's what it'll take to continue my regime and alleviate/prevent this..

Replies

  • knives00005
    knives00005 Posts: 26
    Help. :)
  • emirror
    emirror Posts: 842 Member
    I've had de quervains, twice. You need to keep the thumb immobilized for two weeks. Does your brace do that? If you mess that thing up enough, the treatment gets more aggressive, and more invasive than just a brace.

    You should go see a doctor, though, and not rely on answers you get from unqualified people online. :-) Good luck!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    Have you had an orthopedist check it yet?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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  • knives00005
    knives00005 Posts: 26
    Yes, the brace immobilizes the thumb and wrist..

    And no, I haven't seen the doctor yet, probably this week.

    Based on your experiences, if one have Quervaine's. is it painful to lift weights, like doing bicep curls? I don't feel pain unless I exert my hand forward, away from the wrist where my wrist and thumb meet. Other than that, it's not really painful.

    Doing hammer curls on the otherhand is a little painful - I'm stopping it completely.
  • emirror
    emirror Posts: 842 Member
    It was only painful with certain movements, not continuously.
  • knives00005
    knives00005 Posts: 26
    Ah I see. What's the prognosis I'm to expect once I see a doctor? Is the doctor going to advice me to stop lifting at all or just certain movements that might injure my wrists?
  • emirror
    emirror Posts: 842 Member
    I was told to treat my brace as a cast I could remove to bathe. So, I would guess they will tell you stop lifting until it had healed.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    Ah I see. What's the prognosis I'm to expect once I see a doctor? Is the doctor going to advice me to stop lifting at all or just certain movements that might injure my wrists?

    I was diagnosed by a doctor with that and was sent to a hand surgeon, going towards surgery for it (I take it). But the hand surgeon was very astute, and the MRI showed it wasn't de Quervain's at all! My bone was swollen with a virus in it, right near the same spot that gives the typical symptoms for de Quervain's. I wore a cast/brace for a year and it finally cleared up.

    So see a doctor :) I'm thinking the virus thing is probably rare, but who knows? I didn't lift at the time, but I'd think it wouldn't be good to lift with a swollen bone (it would be more delicate, I'd think).

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