Hand pain is THE WORST! It limits function and daily activities in almost every way. Not only does the pain drive you crazy but the loss of grip and pinch strength can make it super challenging if not impossible to unbutton your pants, open a water bottle or turning a key in the door. Good news, this blog post is written for you…
Have you noticed this pain at thumb, almost at your wrist? Does it get worse with gripping or pinching? The base of your thumb, AKA your CMC joint, is unfortunately a very common spot to get arthritis. You may notice pain, stiffness, loss of grip/pinch strength and just general loss of function. Because of the mechanics of the hand and thumb, When you pinch an item that weights 1 lb at the tip of your thumb, it is amplified to 13 lbs of force at the CMC joint. Yes, that's a HUGE difference. This can cause a lot of wear and tear over time. There is strong research on the connection of arthritis at the CMC joint to occupational and daily tasks that require repeated force through the thumb- such as gripping or pinch tools, holding items for prolonged periods of time, opening containers. Wear and tear on your hands happens every day!
Basic activities during the day take on average 6-8 lbs of pinch strength at your thumb- so think about how much force is going through the base of your thumb every time you open a jar, turn a key, open a zip lock bag… ALOT. Over time this can cause wear and tear on your joint, resulting in loss of cartilage which acts as a shock absorber and cushion to this joint. Eventually, you can progress to have bone on bone arthritis which, as you can imagine, can be very painful.
So let's start with prevention. Maybe you use your hands all day at work, maybe you're starting to notice thumb pain or maybe you just want to be proactive! What can you do now to prevent problems in the future? First off, thumb positioning is everything. Your thumb should have a nice arch to it when you’re pinching and gripping. A collapsed middle joint can lead to quicker joint destruction. Think of any bridge you drive on, they typically are supported by arches, when that arch is compromised or collapses the bridge becomes unstable.
< Collapsed
< Healthy!
Next, exercises can help to ensure your muscles provide proper support to the joint. Download our free exercise guide and try to do them several times a week. Finally, (and the most fun) adaptive tools are great to limit the force required through your hands and thumb. These can be purchased on amazon and can be great for everyone to use- they typically not only make life less painful but just easier in general!
Click the links below to check out these items on Amazon:
So maybe things have progressed and now you’re getting pain that's starting to really bother you, get in the way of function or wake you up at night. Heat can be a game changer. Putting moist heat (buy a microwavable heating pad) on your hands can not only feel great but it can also help to get you moving a little better and overcome that stiffness, especially first thing in the morning. Secondly, you can try KT tape to help give that joint a little extra support and hold it in the best position. Here is a link to guide you on how to properly put it on (Video KT tape for thumb arthritis)
Additionally a splint can be purchased on amazon or custom made by a hand therapist. This can also help to ensure that arthritic joint can stay in the best position and have additional support. This can be worn as much as needed, with activity or at night. (Link to splint on Amazon) A certified therapist can also be brought in to fully assess your thumb pain, deformity and movement patterns to offer personal suggestions of exercises, stretches and tools to help improve your pain and function.
If you continue to have pain it may be time to see a Hand Doctor who can offer you things such as an injection to help manage your pain and inflammation, medication or surgery.
Hand pain is no joke and quickly interferes with every part of your life. There is no better time to address it then now. Arthritis is progressive, the longer you wait to care or treatment the worse it gets.
Baytide Health strives to write blogs that are easy for everyone to understand and feels like you're chatting with a friend. Learning and caring for your body should be easy, convenient….and enjoyable! Specifics questions or suggestions of topics? Send us a message! We write for you!
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