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Arthritis in the thumb: 7 symptoms and treatments

 

 

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Arthritis can cause significant issues for your joints, including pain in the thumbs, fingers and wrists. Thumb arthritis specifically is a common type of arthritis that can occur with age. Although thumb arthritis can be caused by inflammation-based rheumatoid arthritis, it’s more commonly due to osteoarthritis. This type of degenerative arthritis occurs due to the cartilage in the joints wearing down from age and continual use. Let’s take a look at some common symptoms of thumb arthritis and how to treat it.

7 symptoms of arthritis in the thumb

The most common symptom of arthritis in the thumb is pain in the thumb joint. However, there are a number of other symptoms that may also affect you:

  1. Achiness or discomfort after using the thumb joint for an extended period of time
  2. Decreased strength when gripping or pinching with the thumb
  3. Development of bony bumps called bone spurs near the joint at the base of the thumb
  4. Enlarged or disjointed appearance of the joint at the base of the thumb
  5. Limited range of motion in the thumb
  6. Pain in the thumb during activities such as turning a key, gripping a doorknob or opening a jar
  7. Swelling, stiffness or tenderness at the base of the thumb

If you experience some of these symptoms in your thumb joint due to arthritis, you may also have arthritis in other joints in your body. The most common places for arthritis to develop are in the hands, knees, spine and hips.

Treatments for arthritis

While there’s no cure-all for degenerative arthritis, there are a number of ways to manage the pain you may be experiencing in your thumbs and other joints. These include:

  • Administering over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen
  • Icing the joint for five to 15 minutes several times a day as needed
  • Using a splint or soft brace to relieve strain on the thumb joint
  • Injecting a long-acting steroid directly into the joint
  • Surgery, in severe cases

Your health care professional can evaluate your condition and help you decide which treatment may work best for your arthritis pain.

Our team at REPAIR SI has a variety of tools, treatments and resources to help you deal with your thumb joint pain. If you’re ready to take the next step toward treatment, contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.