Background:

Tendons are the long strong attachments of a muscle to the bone that it moves.  A tendonitis is classically caused by overuse activities or repetitive motion trauma that will eventually lead to microscopic trauma to the tendon of the muscle.  This trauma builds up and eventually interferes with the normal use of the tendon, creating the pain.  There are many different tendons that cross the wrist and can be affected with tendonitis, but the most common and the most recent has been dubbed ‘Blackberry thumb’.  This is a condition affecting the abductor pollicis muscle complex which is involved with intricate movement of the thumb.  As you can tell from the name it has increased in prevalence recently due peoples increased use of the blackberry phones and the miniature keyboards that are associated with the new phones.  Typing on the phones is primarily done using the thumbs and when it is done excessively it will create the associated tendonitis. 

Signs and Symptoms:

Someone suffering from a tendonitis of the wrist will complain of sharp pain during the offending repetitive motion followed by dull pain that lasts varying amounts depending on the extent of the damage.  There may be associated minor swelling and the involved tendon will be tender to palpation. 

Treatment:

Most wrist tendonitis’ have been found to respond well to conservative Chiropractic care and can remove the pain and rehabilitate the tendon to avoid future injuries.  If you or someone you know is needlessly suffering from wrist pain due to a tendonitis, come into Absolute Healthcare Chiropractic and have Dr. Gerwig design a customized treatment protocol, without the use of drugs or surgery, that can have you on the road to living pain free today!