The Main 3 Causes of Sore Thumb Joints
Thumb Joint Pain is one of the most chronic, but severely debilitating pains in the body. Even day-to-day activities like writing, driving, typing, holding things in the hand can often be painful and a cause of serious discomfort. Performing routine and tasks of repetitive nature can become difficult. While some feel that thumb joint pain is easily treatable, others strongly contend that it is a serious condition. So that requires medical attention. In medical jargon, it is often referred to as Thumb Arthritis.
Arthritis is a disorder that causes inflammation and loss of cartilage in the joints. When this happens in the thumb region, it is referred to as Thumb Arthritis. It is a result of excess wear and tear. Thumb Arthritis usually manifests at the joint in the base of the thumb, where the thumb meets the wrist. The pain is noticed when one is performing activities that require the use of these muscles. The activities include gripping, pinching and the like. Research has shown that women tend to develop the condition more often than men do. It also manifests more in people over 40 years of age.
The disorder is usually identified based on the symptoms that are observed and experienced. The most noticeable symptom is that of pain at the base of the thumb, followed by swelling in the same region. When performing activities that involve the movement of the thumb, people who have the disorder often experience a grinding sensation. Over time, the movement of the thumb becomes limited and there is difficulty in gripping objects and pain when doing everyday activities like turning keys or opening lids of jars.
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What Could be Causing That Nagging Thumb Pain?
An aching thumb could be quite distressing to someone who has had it chronically. Most of the people do not realize that something as simple as pain in thumb joint, whether at the base or the tip of the thumb could point to a lot of underlying pathologies.
To understand what could be causing that nagging thumb pain that you have had for weeks, you have to understand what all can affect the way your thumb functions.
Overuse could be a leading factor
Most of us fail to see that our hands are just like our body, in that they tire as easily as our bodies do. People that have occupations related to using their fingers and thumb too much, like typists, surgeons and therapists can all understand the problem of using their thumb joints too much, which eventually leads to degeneration effects in the joints and causes pain. It should be taken into account, that people who overuse their joints need some measures like hot fomentation, resting as well as exercises to strengthen muscles around your thumb and wrist to help facilitate activity and decrease pain.
It is often seen that people look past this condition as the reason for their joint pain, specifically for pain in thumb joint. The fact is you do not have to above fifty years of age to get arthritis, on the other hand, people as young as those in early adulthood can get rheumatoid arthritis and the first presenting complaint would be the pain in small joints of hands including the thumb. You have to make sure that you get yourself checked by a physician to overrule this condition. Deformities in the thumb are quite common in this condition, therefore in case your pain is associated with any type of deformity; make sure you do not ignore it. In the older population, the nagging thumb pain could be because of osteoarthritis and gouty arthritis. A visit to your physician is a must in any case and warrants diagnosis and correct treatment plan for getting rid of the pain as well as underlying problems.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is the leading cause
It is increasing globally due to excessive use of fingers and thumb for typing as well as repetitive and aggressive motions. A lot of factors come into play, but the end result is the same, that is when a nerve gets compressed in the carpal tunnel located just at the base of thumb near the wrist causing pain in thumb joint. This would mean that since the nerve supplies a lot of muscles those muscles will start weakening because the nerve is compressed beneath the bone. Therefore, this eventually leads to pain in the thumb especially at the base of the thumb. These days, with people increasingly using their hands for multiple repetitive tasks, the cases of carpal tunnel are far too common. Visiting a physician for a proper diagnosis is a must for quick recovery whatever may be the condition causing your thumb pain.
Doctors can usually diagnose the condition by just looking at the thumb. An X-ray might be helpful in gauging the extent of your disorder and the effects of it. There are various treatment options available for treating arthritis of the thumb. To begin with, anti-inflammatory medication is usually effective. This, however, doesn’t address the disease. It alleviates some of the symptoms. Consuming anti-inflammatory medication requires a consultation with the doctors. Some people also try thumb abduction splint, which is a brace that can be used to support the thumb. Cortisone injections are also used to provide pain relief. The injections are given right in the area where pain manifests.
Some doctors also suggest surgical options for patients. It is usually helpful in cases of severe thumb arthritis. The traditional surgical procedure to help get rid of thumb arthritis is to remove the arthritic bone. Research shows that surgery is highly beneficial for patients and most report high levels of satisfaction and pain-free lives. The surgery is also accompanied by several risks like developing an infection, nerve injuries, and increased pain. Thoughts about having a surgery must always be discussed with a doctor who will also suggest alternate therapy options.
Thumb joint pain is one of the most troubling disorders that affect the day-to-day routine of those who are affected by it. Proper diagnosis, followed by treatment is necessary to be relieved of effects.
The Main 3 Causes of Sore Thumb Joints, Last Update: 4/6/2017
