Tendinitis

[Intoit]

I would love any suggestions for what I can do about the inflammation I have through my wrist, it's De Quervain's tenosynovitis. The doc I see keeps talking cortisone injection and that really scares me, I'd rather avoid that if I can. I did take a weeks worth of prednisone a couple of  weeks ago, that seemed to help a lot but only while I was taking it. The tendon area maintains a slight swelling and is pretty painful, I just want it to heal without any complications.

I've had this problem for 4-5 weeks now. Right now I do ice massage 2-4 times a day and have been taking green pastures FCLO twice a day. I wear a spica splint to sleep and during the day when the pain gets bad. I've been raw about 2 weeks, mostly muscle meats/organs/seafood, coming off a cooked paleo diet (mostly carnivorous) of 2 years. Are there specific things I should be eating more of to help with this kind of healing?

[djr_81]

Forgive my ignorance but if you were willing to take prednisone to help why are you afraid of a cortisone shot local to the inflammation? The logic behind the local shot (quell the inflammation medicinally so your body has time to heal without fighting against said inflammation) seems much less disruptive or harmful than ingesting an immunosuppresant which will effect the whole body. It's typically only the one shot as well.

Eating raw should help with general inflammation but I'm not sure if it will be enough to significantly speed up healing on yours. It seems your injury might be easy to aggravate.

[Intoit]

Re the prednisone vs. a cortisone shot... my logic could be terribly flawed, but I feel that my body should be able to recover fully from the effects of a short course of low dose prednisone, where if the cortisone shot biochemically causes some physical degeneration I may not be so fortunate. I do have my misgivings about the prednisone as well.

You are right, this injury is easy to aggravate. It is very slowly getting better though, I just have to be careful with it.

[HIT_it_RAW]

Keep omega 6 low Omega 3 high. Omega 6 increases imflammation 3 reduces it.
And obviously give it rest but don't immobilise it.

I'm with djr_81 Prednisone/cortisone is horrible stuff I wouldn't take it unless I was almost dying.

I would make sure you are eating above maintenance level to keep the body in a anabolic state. Catabolism retards healing. Lots of animal produces lots of raw fat. Raw honey has all kinds of wonderfull healing properties. So I would eat some of that as well.

To increase digestibility of food I wouldn't combine animal foods with plant foods. Keep at least an hour in between  - this reduces digestive stresses on the body.

Good luck!

[RawZi]

    If it hurt too much to move much and I had someone to get me my food etc I'd do all grass finished tendons, grassfinished saturated fats and grassfinished adrenals made into highmeat maybe, and no more cold!!!!! OnLY warm water bottles and warm wet compresses. I too would want to eat often, same reason.

[cherimoya_kid]

I recommend getting some sun, and maybe taking a Vitamin D-3 softgel.  Tendinitis is partially an autoimmune issue, and vitamin D calms down an overactive immune system.  Magnesium may also help.  You may also want to try celery juice.  It's very cooling and anti-inflaming.

[Intoit]

I didn't give any thought to the amount of food I have been consuming, that was a much needed "heads up". I have found it impossible to overeat since I went raw and by eating to hunger have been eating far less, I think.

I have added in a little bit of raw honey each day. Honey is quite a treat for me, I haven't touched the stuff in years and don't have much of a taste for it. I've never been much for veggies either, but am eating some avocado each day as well.

We're traveling next month but I'll be able to cheaply get grassfed everything in the village where we'll be staying, and will then order food when we come home, so no tendon till then. I'm guessing tendon is going to be tough and stringy to eat? I am looking forward to trying a lot more kinds of organs/offal parts on my trip. While this is still so new to me I am also tempted to start slowly in trying high-meat.

I know splinting can slow the healing, I'm trying to not wear it but have to be careful, it is constantly picking up/holding my baby that did this I think, so I don't want to over-stress the area. I'm now using the warm to stimulate circulation/aid healing.

While the weather here has been pretty crummy for sun, I do have good D levels... I've been supplementing with D-3 for a couple years which I think has helped me a lot. Been taking Mg too, but am out and think I'm going to try it in a topical oil supplement. Years ago I used to really enjoy sipping celery juice, especially in the summer.

Whether a combination of everything or just a few changes I have made, my wrist has felt much better with regard to pain these past 2 days. Thank you for the helpful suggestions  !

[stoneforest]

De quervains is not autoimmune. Tendinitis is rarely autoimmune in origin. We shd be careful in offering these ideas as some people can believe it and take some inappropriate measures.
I think raw is the way to go. It's possible some greens or green juice may be helpful short-term.
Instead of a spica splint u may wanna try placing a counter force brace (usually used for tennis elbow) about 2-3 inches above the most painful spot on the extensor pollicis longus. The pad on the inside of the brace shd lie on the tendon itself. Once the brace is in the right place u won't feel as much pain when u move ur wrist sideways.  Good luck

[goodsamaritan]

I would love any suggestions for what I can do about the inflammation I have through my wrist, it's De Quervain's tenosynovitis. The doc I see keeps talking cortisone injection and that really scares me, I'd rather avoid that if I can. I did take a weeks worth of prednisone a couple of  weeks ago, that seemed to help a lot but only while I was taking it. The tendon area maintains a slight swelling and is pretty painful, I just want it to heal without any complications.

I've had this problem for 4-5 weeks now. Right now I do ice massage 2-4 times a day and have been taking green pastures FCLO twice a day. I wear a spica splint to sleep and during the day when the pain gets bad. I've been raw about 2 weeks, mostly muscle meats/organs/seafood, coming off a cooked paleo diet (mostly carnivorous) of 2 years. Are there specific things I should be eating more of to help with this kind of healing?

See a chiropractor.

+

See an acupuncturist.

[cherimoya_kid]

De quervains is not autoimmune. Tendinitis is rarely autoimmune in origin. We shd be careful in offering these ideas as some people can believe it and take some inappropriate measures.

I don't think you have enough experience with diet/nutrition to speak on what can and cannot be helped/cured with nutrition.  As far as people taking inappropriate measures, common sense is always needed.   Specifically, excessive inflammation of any kind is nearly always related to a vitamin D deficiency, at least partially.  Please watch your tone, it's good to be respectful of moderators, particularly since you're a new poster.

[PaleoPhil]

Gardensongs reported some success with acute de Quervain's at http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com/2008/08/fasting-many-moons-ago-it-seems.html, so you might try inquiring about it at Gardensongs' blog http://heartsongbaskets.blogspot.com/.

Gardensongs  said...
Have questions, hope to encourage your reading/musing on RA. We need help from minds like yours.

Some history:
12/2004 acute anemia - ferritin level 6. IV infusions 3 over 12 months - levels normal, checked yearly.

1/2005 -hypothyroid, dx 2005, probably had 6 years previous. 112 mcg Levothyroxin.

6/2009 - acute de Quervain's tendinitis left wrist, mild in right. PT/acupuncture/massage/chiropractic/splinting - no cortisone - almost pain free now.

3/2010 - dx celiac, gluten free since

5/2010 - "see stars" re-injury left wrist, new PT (taught diagnostics at Duke U), sent to Rheumatologist, MRI showed DeQuervain's and "early degenerative changes at the triscaphe joint & slightly increased signal and probable degenerative changes at the DRUJ"

6/21: RA factor of 61
Anti CCP negative
sed rate by modified westergren 9
C-Reactive protein 0.21
Rheumatologist dx early RA. Prescribed drugs, but will follow me as I search for alternatives.

labs 5/2010:
D, 25 oh total 36 - supplementing 8000 ....

[billy4184]

I think Cherimoya_kid has a good point. Vitamin D is used extensively in bodily processes, and helps absorption of minerals such as calcium and phosphorous which are used to repair bones and ligaments. I think very few people get enough of it these days.
I am not suggesting that you shouldn't see a doctor, but the human body is capable of extraordinary healing if it is provided with the right materials and environment. Don't forget to move it about gently all the time to increase blood flow, if it is not painful.
Cheers
 

[Intoit]

stoneforest - the counter force brace is effective, thankfully I think (I hope!) I've mended beyond needing to use a brace of any kind at this point

goodsamaritan - too bad my regular chiro relocated, I asked other guy about it last month and he said he can only refer me out to a physical therapist or some other specialist 

PaleoPhil - thank you for the blog link, lots of great stuff there and I look forward to reading more!

billy4184 - I agree, the human body has a remarkable capacity for healing. I have now found that gentle stretching in the direction that is causing the pain gives me a freer range of motion without pain

[PaleoPhil]

You're welcome, Intoit. One link was messed up by a comma, so here it is without the comma, for any that might have had problems with it: http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com/2008/08/fasting-many-moons-ago-it-seems.html

I don't agree with Peter on everything, but then I don't agree with anyone on everything and his blog is one of my faves. I like his eccentricity and humor, though he can be a bit difficult to understand at times.