University Hospital of Salamanca, Spain

The patient of this study is a female administrative, she was 57 years old. In her job she always uses the computer

and she has a lot of repetitive movements. She referred pain in the first extensor compartment of her right

wrist. She went to a physiotherapy clinic and has completed three sessions of conservative treatment (massage

therapy and stretching). Two months later she was still having pain and a slight loss of muscle strength in her right

arm. She went to another physiotherapy clinic and she received a session consisting in massage in her forearm,

wrist articular movement, deep transverse massage in tendons of her first dorsal compartment, ultrasound and

stretching. She improved but she was still having pain and inflammation. In the second session the physiotherapist

proposed dry needling and the patient accepted. After one session of dry needling, ultrasound and stretching, the

final recuperation was achieved. Continued stretching at home was recommended. Six months later the patient is

completely asymptomatic. We can conclude that dry needling in the treatment of De Quervain’s tenosynovitis has

great benefits in pain, inflammation and muscle and tendon recuperation after repetitive movements as well as its

long-term maintenance. A lot of evidence exists about the effect of dry needling in muscles but the application of

this technique in one specific tendon improves symptomatology. We thought that this line of research could give

physiotherapists great results in the treatment of their patients.