Thumb Pain

The thumb is a common area of pain or dysfunction in the hand. Our thumbs are the digit that give us our heightened hand function, and therefore we placed high loads through the thumb every day. Our thumbs allow us to grasp, pinch and pick things up with fine motor precision, so it is being used with almost every hand action we do. The base of the thumb (the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint) is flexible and provides us with a great range of motion, but is also susceptible to significantly high loads being placed through it. When this joint is compromised in some way, it can easily become inflamed, causing pain in the base of the thumb. Common conditions that cause thumb pain are osteoarthritis and hypermobility.

SYMPTOMS

• Pain localised to the base of the thumb
• Pain with pinching and grasping
• Reduced pinch strength
• Poor or awkward fine motor control
• Restricted movement

THERAPY:

• Splinting to support the CMC joint
• Myofascial release of tight muscles that provide a deforming force to the thumb
• Activity modification
• Strengthening of targeted muscles to improve thumb stability
• Joint protection strategies
• Electrical and thermal modalities for pain relief

If you think you are experiencing thumb pain due to hypermobility, see our blog for more information here

If you think you are experiencing thumb pain due to osteoarthritis, see our blog for more information here