Tendonitis.....any thoughts??

B

briee

Cathlete
Well...it's finally happened. My fear has been that I would get injured and have to take a break and of all times while I just started the P90X and I have motivation like crazy to workout right now. It all started when I was doing the yoga wrist stretches I felt a little pain, but then I did the chest and back workout and alternated pullups and pushups over and over and I got this pain in my wrist. By evening it was getting really bad and during the next day the pain was moving up my arm from my wrist (primarily between my thumb and forefinger to the wrist) and then I started getting numbness and tinglies through my arm and it started getting really cold (which scared me). Then the pain reached my shoulder and I wondered what on earth was going on, I've never had this before. So we went into ER Sunday night cause I was ready to scream it was so intense.

Now you know how I hate doctors, so this was a major ordeal for me. I still hate doctors and all they told me was that this was a bad case of tendonitis and that many "guys" tough it out even longer and then they get this cracking sensation in their hands....and he told me that it was probably because my 4 month old was going through a growth spurt and I strained myself from picking him up, because I couldn't possibly be working out enough for this to happen. He said if I took #10 pound barbells and curled them many times (implication was that for a woman I was probably not even using 10# for bicep curls), maybe I'd get "a soreness" in there. When the nurse (a man) took my pulse and heart rate he said I had the stats of an athlete, but the overweight doctor brushed the whole thing off as nothing.

So I've got a hand/wrist splint which I had to "ask for" because the pain was soooo intense when I bump it or move it and I swear they think I'm a wimp and I'M NOT WHIMP for heavens sake I've delivered 6 babies without any anesthetic, BUT THIS PAIN IS BADDDD.

So there I've complained and I wondered have you guys EVER had this happen and how long will this take to resolve and what can be done to avoid it and can I get back to my workouts when it's a "little better, or completely better, or should I just workout through the pain when I'm able to????" I AM NOT GOOD AT BEING HURT!!!

Briee (thanks so much, what would I do without you guys)
 
Being hurt just plain sucks....no other way to say it. I hurt my ankle about 3 weeks ago, and I am just starting to be able to do any cardio. I think for us...us rather fit, kinda obsessed(in a good way) it is sooooo hard to not work out. For me, I have this crazy thought that if I do not, all the weight will just go POP back on me. Do not work through the pain Briee!! Rest it...simple as that. I work a really physical job, and had to be on my darn ankle, so I know that did not help matters at all!! And I tried ever so hard to take it easy..doing some easy lower body stuff and got a chance to really work on my new Pyramid upper dvd....but I was sooooo antsy. Take it easy and let your body heal. Your recovery time will be shorter and you will be back to that P90x in no time. Take care, Donna.
 
Briee, I'm an occupational therapist with a specialty in hand injuries. I'm quite experiences with all kinds of tendon injuries, and other surgical and nonsurgical hand injuries. I could try giving you some advice but would need a little more description of your symtoms. Pain between the thumb and index finger is an odd place. Try tucking your thumb inside your fist and then moving your wrist sideways and in the direction of the little finger. Does this elicit pain up the thumb side of the forearm??? Did they use the word De'Quervain's Syndrome??? Is there swelling where is it?? Tendonitis is rare, tenosynovitis (inflammation of the sheath around the tendon> is ususally what is? Treatment would depend which compartment of the wrist is inflamed. Most likely splinting, ice and anti-inflammoties would be the way to go. The type of splint and which movements too avoid would depend on the diagnosis. If you provide some more info I might be able to provide more specific suggestions.

Also tenosynovitis of the first dorsal compartment of the wrist (De'Quervain's Syndrome) is common in post-natal women due to hormaonal changes. I've also seen ladies who weight train in the clinic with this diagnosis. It's extremely painfal and that's why I'm questioning that diagnosis. But the pain is more at the base of the thumb on the back and side of the wrist. If these is the diagnosis you would need a splint that goes up the side of the wrist and and covers the thumb.

You're right, I find many doctors have little knowledge of hand injuries. If it gets worse I would request a consult with a plastic surgeon specializing in hand injuries. Hope that helps, Kim
 
I've had AWFUL trouble with my wrists this last year. It started in my left wrist and then my right wrist followed right along. I attributed this pain to too much keyboarding and self diagnosed it as "tendonitis." I did see a doctor after several months and she told me it could be tendonitis, but it also could be arthritis. Since we both ruled out carpal tunnel syndrome, we agreed I should try icing my wrists and taking Celebrex. Celebrex worked like magic, but my insurance would not pay for more than one month's worth so I switched to Aleve when the Celebrex prescription ran out. Aleve was almost as effective.

I also saw a chiropractor who adjusted my wrists and gave me exercises to do (wrist curls with dumbbells)which helped as much as icing. Everything I tried helped, but nothing has made my wrists normal again.

I tried several braces, but they were just too uncomfortable and seemed to aggravate the swelling so I gave up on them.

The pain was so bad at times that I cried. I never had such awful pain!!! It is impossible to describe. Thank God, I don't have that pain now, but I can't be sure what made it get better.

I recently bought really nice push-up bars (BARS, not bras!) and I'm able to do pushups and bench dips. The bars are more comfortable than doing pushups using dumbbells which is what I had been using.

HTH
 
Briee, I don't have any advice about your injury, other than to not work through the pain, but I'm SO sorry it happened. I can just imagine how frustrated you are! I hope it heals quickly.

As far as working out, maybe you can still do some cardio and throw in some Pilates moves that don't require the use of your arms.
 
Kim, I learned WAY more from your post than the doctor that I saw. Thank you so much!! I did the tucked thumb test and yes it appears to be primarily in the base of my thumb. I hurts the worst when I bend my fingers back in the pushup position. I believe I hurt when I use my forefinger because I engage the thumb to "help". Like when I had to sign my name at the hospital.....terribly painful. Most of the pain seems to run from the base of the thumb into my wrist. The strange thing was... it hurt so bad that I began to feel pain into my elbow and then my shoulder. The doctor said this was "misplaced pain" as in the case of someone getting a heart attack and feeling pain up their arm - I have no idea if this is true or not. The pain is definitely on the thumb side of the forearm. I have been icing some, but they gave me little or no instructions at all for the icing and splint. They gave me a standard hand wrist splint which seems to help, as I took it off to take a shower and my hand hurt much worse, post shower. Very interesting regarding post pregnancy hormonal changes. The last time I had trouble like this was 10 years ago when I had baby #2 and it was also about 3 months post pregnancy. When I tried to water ski (I was HUGE from having a baby and still had about 40 lbs to loose) and the weight from pulling me out of the water stressed both wrists in the same way I believe. (your post jogged my memory back to that time)

My questions are how long do I have to rest it, does this usually resolve quickly? Is it more likely to have come from pushups or pullups and if it was from pushups will pushup stands resolve this? What kinds of things can I do to avoid this happening again?

Also, there was a little swelling below my thumb, but not much. The pain intensified over a 3 day period, it was not immediate pain upon impact.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your response and input!! THANKS!! (typing this was VERY hard to say the least)

Briee
 
I just reread your explanation of De 'Quervain's Syndrome and the pain seems to be consistant with this explanation. The splint I have gives me movement of the thumb and the splint that you described sounds like it would keep the thumb immobile, so should my thumb be kept immobile in a different kind of splint than I presently have?

Thanks again,

Briee
 
Briee, the more I read your description I definitely think it's De'Quervain's Syndrome. The back of the wrist has 6 compartments or "tunnels" that the muscle tendons run through. The first one closest to the thumb house the tendons which abduct and extend the thumb. Women who are post-natal are very prone to an inflammation of the synovial sheath around these tendons. It also comes from a lot of repititive "key pinch". When your thumb pinchs the side of your index finger like when you turn a key. It's an inflammation so definitely rest (preferably in a splint) for 6-8 weeks and avoiding movements that those muscles do. (Also try some icing)

SO for example, when lifting the baby try to "scoop" with the thumb against the index instead of under the armpits (with the thumb on the chest and fingers in back) Wow, this is hard, I'm used to being able to demostrate LOL. Scooping up bags of groceries laundry if you can.

Writing should be avoided. If needed use a large grip on the pen.

Laying books and newspapers on the table rather than holding.
Crafts, baking with dough is usually good to avoid for a few weeks.
Turning doorknobs and keys with the other hand.

Pullups would be bad I think. Pushups not as bad but actually probably better without the grips. With the grips you'll have to spread the thumb.

The pain up the arm would be because the inflammation is causing compression in the compartment and "Squeezing" the muscle tendons. Those muscle tendons start high up in the forearm and end in the thumb therefore pain can be all the way along the arm but the most severe symptoms are the base of thumb/wrist area.

A wrist support would be of no use unless it immobilizes the thumb. Drugstores usually sell ones the go along side of the thumb and wrist. OFten on the box they say for De'Quervain's Syndrome.

Hope this helps a bit!! Kim
 
Kim...you have been so helpful and thanks everyone else for your thoughts. I'm going in tomorrow to get a splint, which I have to see a doctor for (different one), but I already forewarned the nurse that I don't want to go through this again so he better know something about hand injuries or just give me the splint and be quiet!!

You are a wealth of information..I just LOVE this site!!! NOW...as for the 6-8 weeks rest....I don't think I can physically do this...it would hurt. I was having so much fun with pullups }( }( }( . (yes Debbie H I can hand out advise to rest and be wise, but I can't take it myself.) I'll try to work around it as best as I can, but the P90X is calling...LOUDLY.


Briee
 
Hi Briee!

I'm so sorry that you're hurt, such a bummer, especially when you have the work-out bug. I just wanted to encourage you, I also have suffered with De'Quervains syndrome. Mine was the result of gardening and using my hand trimmers over and over. (I probably got a bit carried away trimming my roses:) Anyway, they splinted my hand and wrist and told me to keep it immobile. They had me taking anti-inflammatories for two weeks. After two weeks the brace came off and I felt fine. Yours does sound a bit worse, my pain only went up my forearm. Try to hang in there!
 
Thanks for your kind words everyone. I just got back from the doctor's office and they were infinitely more helpful than the ER doctor. He did all kinds of tests and ended up casting me, so that my thumb is immobile. Kim....you are so smart!! He did say that on top of the dequervain's there may be something else going on, but he agreed pretty much with your "absent" diagnosis Kim. So typing this is almost impossible, I don't have use of my thumb at all.

Janice.....go for it girl....you can now pull ahead of me in pullups (&^%$%^%$#$%), but for the next two weeks I'm going to really hit lower body and.....'THE AB RIPPER'. And then I will rejoin you in the pursuit of pullups.

Briee
 
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