Tendovaginitis is a rather dangerous disease, which is characterized by severe symptoms. In the absence of therapy, such an ailment can lead to a host of complications, including necrosis of the surrounding tissues. And today, people are increasingly interested in questions about what constitutes tendovaginitis of the wrist joint, the treatment of this disease, the causes of its occurrence and the main symptoms.
What is tenosynovitis?
It's no secret that muscle tendons are located in a kind of sac of connective tissue called tendon sheaths. Tendovaginitis is a serious disease that is accompanied by inflammation of these structures.
In most cases, the inflammatory process affects the tissues of the most mobile joints, which have to endure heavy loads all the time. In particular, these are joints of the foot and ankle, as well as the forearm. Nevertheless, in modern medicine, one of the most common forms is considered to be tendovaginitis of the wrist joint.
The main causes of the development of the disease
Inflammation of the connective tissue around the tendons can be caused by various factors. Immediately it is worth mentioning that tenosynovitis can be of both infectious and non-infectious origin.
Infectious inflammation is caused by the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms into the synovial vaginal cavity. Bacteria can enter the connective tissue bag through wounds and cracks in the skin or from other foci of inflammation in the patient’s body.
A non-infectious (aseptic) form of the disease is usually associated with mechanical damage to the synovial membrane. Tendovaginitis can be the result of strong stretching, prolonged physical exertion, as well as microtrauma (when the wrist constantly performs the same movements), severe hypothermia.
Aseptic Tenosynovitis
As already mentioned, non-infectious tendovaginitis develops against the background of permanent microtrauma of muscles and tendons. In fact, such a disease is more likely to be professional and is diagnosed in people who, by the nature of their activity, are required to repeat the same movements with the wrist. For example, a disease often becomes a companion to professional athletes (golfers, skiers, volleyball players), musicians, factory workers, etc.
As a rule, at the initial stages, the disease proceeds without visible symptoms - patients only complain of rapidly occurring fatigue in the wrist, and sometimes not too severe pain. But as the disease progresses, the soreness becomes more intense.
Infectious form of the disease
Pathogenic bacteria can enter the joint tissue from the outside - through various skin lesions. In addition, osteomyelitis, panaritium and arthrosis of the wrist joint, which is accompanied by the release of pus, can be attributed to risk factors. The infection may be specific - tendovaginitis often develops as a complication of tuberculosis, brucellosis, syphilis and some other diseases.
Most often, such an ailment is acute, accompanied by severe pain, immobilization of the joint and fever.
Other forms of the disease
To date, there are many classification systems for this disease. As already mentioned, the disease "tenosynovitis", depending on the cause of its occurrence, can be infectious or aseptic.
In addition, depending on the clinical picture, tenosynovitis can be serous (in the focus of inflammation, serous fluid accumulates ), purulent (the formation and accumulation of purulent masses is observed), or serous-fibrin.
Depending on the nature of the course, the disease can be acute (usually associated with injuries or infection of tendon sheaths) or chronic (in most cases, people of certain professions suffer from this form of the disease).
Wrist Tendovaginitis and its symptoms
What are the symptoms of tenosynovitis? The photo shows that in most cases with the disease, swelling and redness of the skin in the joint area can be noticed. With an infectious form of the disease, symptoms also include fever, weakness and other signs of intoxication.
Pain in the wrist joint can have different intensities, but is always present. Patients sometimes complain of tingling, numbness, and sometimes a sharp, severe burning sensation in the wrist. In such people, everything literally falls out of hand, since the brush is no longer able to cope with its functions. As the disease progresses, joint movements are severely limited. Soreness increases with physical exertion, as well as at night, which, accordingly, affects the quality of sleep.
Modern diagnostic methods
Of course, if you have symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. First, a specialist will definitely conduct a visual examination and collect an anamnesis. If there is stiffness, pain in the wrist, redness and swelling of the joint, the doctor may suspect the presence of tendovaginitis. Additional studies are carried out to confirm the diagnosis.
In particular, radiography can provide valuable information - pictures can distinguish tenosynovitis from other pathologies with a similar clinical picture, in particular, osteomyelitis and arthritis. Ligamentography is also performed - during the procedure, the patient is taken an x-ray, but using a contrast medium. In addition, additional tests for the presence of infection and concomitant diseases are given, since in this case it is important to determine the primary cause of inflammation of the tendon sacs.
Wrist Tendovaginitis: Treatment
It is immediately worth noting that only a specialist should deal with therapy. Self-medication and refusal of medical care can lead to sad consequences, including loss of joint mobility or tissue necrosis.
What is prescribed to a patient with a diagnosis of wrist tendonovaginitis? Treatment, of course, depends on the form and causes of the disease. For example, if the inflammation is secondary, then it is important to find the root cause of the disease and eliminate it.
First of all, a wrist band is required. Modern medicine offers a lot of special pads, dressings and orthoses, which will not greatly affect the quality of life. In the early stages of therapy, it is extremely important to free the joint from any physical activity. And the wrist band helps to completely immobilize the hand.
In cases where the inflammatory process is due to the activity of pathogenic bacteria, patients undergo antibiotic therapy - antibiotics are selected individually, depending on the sensitivity of the pathogenic flora to certain components. In most cases, oral administration of the tablets is sufficient. But in more severe situations, antibiotic solutions are injected directly into the synovial vagina.
Attacks of pain stop using novocaine or other painkillers. In addition, therapy includes the use of anti-inflammatory drugs - these can be both non-steroidal and hormonal drugs. With purulent tendovaginitis, sometimes it is necessary to open the cavity of the synovial vagina, remove purulent masses and treat the tissues with antiseptics or antibacterial drugs.
Various methods of physiotherapy, in particular, warming compresses, are extremely effective. For example, patients are often recommended paraffin baths. Modern medicine also uses UHF therapy. Mud therapy will also be beneficial.
After eliminating the inflammatory process, another task comes to the forefront - it is necessary to restore joint mobility. For this purpose, a specific set of therapeutic gymnastic exercises is selected for the patient, and regular massage sessions are also recommended.
Wrist Tendovaginitis: treatment with folk remedies
Of course, traditional medicine has a lot of different recipes that can help in the treatment of such a disease. For example, a good folk remedy is dry calendula flowers, from which you can make an ointment. This plant has bactericidal properties, and also relieves inflammation. To prepare the medicine, you need to mix the dry flowers of the plant and the usual baby cream in equal quantities. Apply the resulting mixture to the skin around the affected joint, cover with a bandage on top and leave overnight.
There is another, no less effective folk remedy. To make a compress, you will need to mix the egg white with a tablespoon of flour and the same amount of alcohol. Mix the ingredients thoroughly. In the resulting mixture, moisten strips of cotton cloth, then wrap them around the wrist and leave overnight. This compress is characterized by warming properties.