This blog was on a roll and then the posts stopped. Why? De Quervain Tenosynovitis
“De Quervain’s tenosynovitis (dih-kwer-VAINS ten-oh-sine-oh-VIE-tis) is a painful condition affecting the tendons on the thumb side of your wrist. If you have de Quervain’s tenosynovitis, it will probably hurt when you turn your wrist, grasp anything or make a fist.Although the exact cause of de Quervain’s tenosynovitis isn’t known, any activity that relies on repetitive hand or wrist movement — such as working in the garden, playing golf or racket sports, or lifting your baby — can make it worse.”
Symptoms of de Quervain’s tenosynovitis include:
- Pain near the base of your thumb
- Swelling near the base of your thumb
- Difficulty moving your thumb and wrist when you’re doing something that involves grasping or pinching
- A “sticking” or “stop-and-go” sensation in your thumb when moving it
There were many things I was told and read about being a mom, but this, was not one of them. I had all of the symptoms listed. The pain started slight and progressively got worse until I literally couldn’t pick up Baby HutchLife. Thank goodness Mr. HutchLife is so helpful. I went to the hand doctor, was evaluated and diagnosed and sent to Hand Therapy.
Hand Therapy wasn’t what I thought it would be but it did make a difference. The initial appointment consisted of measuring how far my wrist would move in every direction and how my thumb was affected. The left thumb was fine but the right thumb had the “sticking” and “stop-and-go” session called Trigger Thumb or Mommy’s Thumb. After measuring the session consisted of my hands going in hot packs for 20 mins, Ultrasound Therapy on my wrists and thumbs and hand/wrist massages. I also had to wear splints on both hands 24/7 for the 4 weeks. The only time I could take them off was when I showered as I had to wash the splints everyday. Was this easy? Absolutely not. It made everything more difficult and I realized how truly important use of your wrists and thumbs are.
After 4 weeks of Hand Therapy things were better but not completely gone. I began to think about the cost of hand therapy versus the cortisone shot which was mentioned at the initial evaluation. I asked for pricing on both. Here’s was the pricing before insurance kicked in:
Hand Therapy: Hot Pack – $25.00, UltraSound Therapy: $124.00, Wrist/Thumb Massage: $136.00
Total: $285.00
Cortisone Shot: $111.25
When I calculated it, I had Hand Therapy 2xs a week for 4 weeks – 8 times. $285 x 8 = $2280 before insurance.
Cortisone Shot was $111.25 x 2 = $222.50
I would have been better off getting the Cortisone Shot from the beginning. In the end I had both hand therapy and the Cortisone Shots.
Total before Insurance kicks in – $2502.50
Thank goodness for insurance! However, this pointed out to me the importance of asking these questions from the first visit rather than 1. Waiting until you realize how many sessions you’ve had without complete success or 2. Thinking one option is cheaper than the other. It is always important to ask, especially when it comes to health costs. Lesson learned.
Now that I’ve had the shots and they worked within hours, my wrists are back to normal and I get back to blogging!
Have you always asked about cost when it comes to your healthcare? If so, what have you learned? If not, why not?