Acupuncture can be considered as an alternative option for treatment of De Quervain's tenosynovitis.
Although injection has been considered the mainstay of management for tendinopathy, the exact mechanism of its therapeutic effect is unknown. Furthermore, a number of studies have provided strong evidence that corticosteroid injection is beneficial in the short term but may be worse than other conservative interventions in the intermediate and long terms.
According to this study, acupuncture improved not only pain intensity, but also disability status of the patients with De Quervain's tenosynovitis. Although we noted a higher improvement rate in patient's symptoms in the injection group, the difference between the two groups was small when the overall effects were evaluated over time and, therefore, the efficacy of acupuncture is likewise remarkable.
