What are the symptoms of de Quervain's disease?

De Quervain's tendonitis, named after a Swiss surgeon, is inflammation of the wrist tendons near the base of your thumb. This can cause swelling around the tendon within the tendon sheath, causing pain when you move your thumb or wrist. Common activities that elicit symptoms are holding objects, making a fist, or lifting infants; the latter is so common that some people refer to this as a “new parent disease” or "mommy thumb." Repetitive activities and awkward hand positioning contribute to the inflammation.

Pain in the thumb-side of your wrist which increases with hand and thumb motion is the main symptom. Irritation of your nerve overlying the tendon sheath might cause numbness on the back of the thumb and index finger. A fluid-filled cyst can be present in the area of swelling as well.