Mommy's Thumb Should Not Be Ignored – Bracing Intervention Is Essential!

The full name of tenosynovitis is stenosing tenosynovitis of the radial styloid process, also known as "mommy’s thumb" or "smartphone thumb". It is a common chronic overuse injury of the hand with a high incidence rate, often seen in people who carry children for long periods, manual workers, and those who use mobile phones excessively.

Due to the unique structure of female tendons and greater exposure to external strain and irritation compared to men, women have a higher incidence of this condition.

How to tell if you have tenosynovitis on your own?Early signs: soreness, swelling and tenderness.

Open your right hand with the palm facing up, then use your left hand to press the two tendons at the wrist near your thumb. If you feel obvious pain, numbness, soreness or swelling, you may have tenosynovitis.

Worsening Stage: Abnormal Sensations

Persistent numbness, pain or swelling at the junction of the thumb and wrist, even loss of temperature sensation. Sometimes these symptoms can wake you up at night.

Severe Stage: Weakness

Mainly weakness in the thumb, with difficulty grasping objects. In severe pain cases, the thumb cannot bend after straightening, or cannot straighten after bending, requiring assistance from another finger. Obvious locking and snapping sensations occur during movement.

The most critical part of treating tenosynovitis is to restrict joint movement and allow full rest. A brace achieves this perfectly: it is clinically effective while having a relatively low overall cost.