Thumb joint pain
Thumb pain can be caused by a number of conditions and injuries. It is best to have a hand therapist look at you to determine the type and extent of injury. Once assessed, Hand Rehab can then recommend the optimal treatment programme for your situation. In addition, we can guide you on any rest, recovery, or exercise programme that will assist you to optimal healing.
Splints, other supportive devices, or regional taping may also be suggested to help ease your discomfort and support tissue healing. Thumb pain can be caused from sprains, strains, joint overload, or tendon and ligament related injuries.
With thumbs, the joints of the thumb are quite susceptible to injury or overload. Many joint injuries need adequate support to start the healing process. Joints of the thumb also often require careful guidance to return to optimal pre-injury loading ability. That’s why custom moulded splints can be of great benefit and may be recommended as part of your treatment.
Tendons controlling the thumb are also commonly injured and may require a degree of rest or support to achieve optimal healing.
Thumb Osteoarthritis
Thumb osteoarthritis commonly affects the base joint of the thumb, also known as the 1st CMC joint. It’s important for a trained hand therapist to assess the problem area to ensure correct diagnosis and optimal treatment and recovery.
Arthritis of the thumb can be caused by overuse of the thumb, sometimes even with seemingly light activities such as writing and typing.
Making some simple and effective changes to how you use your thumb is very important for reducing discomfort and preventing reoccurrence of the problem.
Treatment options
At Hand Rehab, we can guide you on the most efficient ways to use your hand. We can provide advice on the use of adaptive equipment which can also be useful; e.g. for work activities, sports activities, hobbies and household activities.
Splints can often help to manage discomfort. At Hand Rehab we provide on-site customised splints which are made to fit.
If required, we offer a range of splint options:
- Resting splints – to provide support at convenient times such as when resting overnight.
- Functional splints – to support and allow use for particular activities while protecting the thumb.
Improving your situation
If you are experiencing thumb pain or have arthritis of the thumb we can happily guide you on your options to improve your level of comfort, and get you on the path to optimal healing. Sometimes a few simple changes and soft tissue support can significantly improve your healing and level of comfort.
Altogether better health
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