Both words are spelled correctly but tendinitis tends to be the more preferred term used in medical literature. More importantly, what is upper extremity tendinitis? The suffix “itis” means inflammation and the term tendinitis should be reserved for tendon injuries that involve larger-scale acute injuries accompanied by inflammation.(1) Risk factors include repetition, awkward postures, direct pressure, high force and prolonged static positioning.(2)

Symptoms of Tendonitis/Tendinitis

Symptoms can appear suddenly or develop over a period of time. The most common and insidious symptom is pain. It can sharp or dull, aching or burning and radiate up or down the upper extremity. Occasionally you can hear popping or see a bump. Other symptoms include stiffness, swelling and weakness. Signs can be more specific for certain types of tendinitis, such as difficulty gripping a pot with the arm straight with tennis elbow, or turning a key in the ignition with thumb tendinitis.

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In the U.S., up to 10,000 people are seen in the emergency room daily as a result of sports related injuries. Many injuries are because of falling, or more specifically, from using an improper falling technique. Learning to fall safely may prevent painful, sometimes serious injuries. There are general principles as well as more specific to sport activities that you will find interesting and effective. Here are some important tips:

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It may happen while snowboarding or skateboarding. It can also just randomly occur while walking through a parking lot or in your own home. All of a sudden, you find yourself on the ground. It happens so unexpectedly. This is a FOOSH, an acronym which stands for “fall on outstretched hand”. This type of upper limb injury occurs when you try and break a fall with your outstretched hand.

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Now that we’ve introduced RSI, and the importance of seeking medical care, let’s discuss what you can do to prevent and minimize the risk of this all too common injury.  There is a lot of literature out there but here are a few principles to think about:

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An RSI (Repetitive Stress Injury) occurs when stress is placed on a joint, pulling on the tendons and muscles around the joint. When the stress occurs repeatedly, the body does not have time to recover and becomes irritated. The body reacts to the irritation by increasing the amount of fluid in that area to reduce the stress placed on the tendon or muscle. If not treated, it can lead to injuries to the soft tissues, tendons/muscles, and nerves.

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We use our hands to eat, work, and play. They are extremely intricately designed instruments of flexibility, creativity and productivity. BUT, when they are damaged, we are anguished. Life is altered dramatically in ways we do not expect, and the road to healing and recovery is humbling.

As a certified hand therapist, I hear this story often. It may be a little ache, pain in their elbow, forearm, maybe their wrist, or even just one finger. They ignore it, thinking it subside on its own. Over time, it becomes more nagging, and may affect how long they can type on a keyboard or use a mouse. It is insidious and reaches a point where they realize it is not going away. This may lead to an injury called RSI.

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Do you have a trigger? It creeps up on you slowly. With time, it suddenly locks, and then straightens with a snap – like a trigger being pulled and released. What is a “trigger finger”? It is a condition that affects the tendons and the pulleysin your fingers or your thumb.

Tendons are tissues that connect muscles to bone. In the finger, the pulleys are a series of rings that form a tunnel through which the tendons glide, much like the guides on a fishing rod through which the line (or tendon) must pass. The tendons and the tunnel have a lining that allows easy gliding of the tendon through the pulley.(1)

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Persistent symptoms of pain along the thumb especially and including at the level of the wrist during texting can lead to a repetitive overuse injury. One such diagnosis is DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis, also known as DeQuervain’s Syndrome.

Tenosynovitis is defined as the inflammation of the fluid-filled sheath that surrounds a tendon. DeQuervains’ Syndrome is a tenosynovitis of the sheath or tunnel that surrounds two tendons that control movement of the thumb.It is named after the Swiss surgeon Fritzde Quervain, who first identified it in 1895.

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Cell phones, and particularly smart phones, have added to our connectedness through mobile data, cellular emails and especially the text message. Our thumbs are on overdrive as we communicate and interact through our phones. According to Pew Research, 9.8 trillion text messages were sent in 2012.

The tendons and muscles of the thumb are strong but not designed to do intense repetitive activity in cramped positions while on a handheld device or cell phone. The traveling of the thumb tip over the keypad causes undue stress over a period of time. The muscle fatigue, strain and prolonged muscle tension can lead to pain and inflammation that affects thumb flexibility and use. It can eventually cause tendinitis or tenosynovitis, inflammation of the tendon. If untreated, it can lead to a more serious problem of affecting everyday use of your thumb.

It may start as an ache at the base of your thumb, between your thumb and index finger, and include your wrist. It may notice it after you text or during the activity as it progresses.

If you start to feel pain, take a break. Use the other hand or digit. Make a phone call instead. Don’t text for more than a few minutes at a time. Don’t text long sentences. Use yes or no replies when you can. Spread out the activity throughout your day.

You can do gentle massage and thumb stretches to alleviate the muscle tension. It will improve flexibility and reduce discomfort. Reducing muscle tension will minimize stress on the tendons, thus hopefully avoiding tendinitis.

If symptoms persist, you may want to make an appointment to see your physician. Persistent pain and inflammation can lead to tendinitis or tenosynovitis. One common diagnosis with texting thumb is called DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis. See next week’s article for addressing this diagnosis, and what you need to know, and can do to treat these symptoms unfortunately on the rise with thumb texting.

It can happen in an instant. You are reaching to catch a ball and suddenly you feel massive pain in your finger and are stunned for a second. This is a common occurrence in most sports including basketball and football. Some injuries are minor requiring little treatment and some are major requiring surgery. It is imperative to assess for an exact diagnosis and treat sooner than later to obtain optimal results.

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