Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Thumb Arthritis

Do you know that the cause of more pain and swelling in the thumb can be due to thumb arthritis? Let us tell you more about the condition, thumb arthritis.

Joints present in the body are affected due to arthritis, whereas if this disease occurs in the thumb, then we know it by the name of Thumb Arthritis i.e. Arthritis in the thumb. Although arthritis in the thumb is seen in older people, it can occur at any age due to overwork or stress due to overwork of the thumb.

If you have arthritis in the thumb, you will feel pain, swelling due to over-stressing the thumb. If this happens, immediately go to the doctor and get treatment for the same. Doctors sometimes recommend surgery when there is arthritis in the thumb, while many times its effect is reduced by medicines. This disease cannot be completely cured, but with the right treatment, you can be safe from it to some extent.

What is arthritis in the thumb?

In Arthritis, 'Arth' means movement of hands and feet and 'Ritis' means wear and tear i.e. deterioration of joints. Rheumatoid arthritis or Arthritis in the thumb occurs in the basal joint of the thumb, hence it is also called Basal Arthritis. This disease mostly occurs in people over the age of 40 or 50. Bones are made from cartilage, but people who have arthritis in their thumbs lose the cartilage in their bones, due to which the two bones rub against each other, causing damage to the joints and causing pain.

The initial symptom of arthritis in the thumb is mild pain which increases with time, so go to the doctor immediately. Some common symptoms of arthritis in the thumb are -

• If there is trouble in holding or lifting anything with the thumb, then you need medical help.
• Swelling and pain in the thumb also indicate arthritis.
• Inability to move the thumb joint is also a symptom of arthritis.
• Feeling of heaviness or uncomfortable feeling in the thumb is also a symptom of arthritis.
• If the bone of the thumb is seen to be enlarged, then that can also be a symptom of arthritis.
• If you do not feel strength in the joint of the thumb, then this is also a symptom of the disease.

The thumb arthritis causes are as follows -

• These days everyone is working from home. In such a situation, if you work on the computer for a long time, then you may get arthritis in the thumb.
• People who have the problem of Rheumatoid Arthritis in past can also have arthritis in the thumb.
• If you do any work with more emphasis on the thumb, such as heavy workouts or lifting heavy items, then arthritis in the thumb can happen.
• In most cases, the cause of arthritis in the thumb is Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis increases pain in the bones and the disease affects the joints.
• Arthritis in the thumb is a common disease seen mostly in people over 50, which is due to the weakening of bones with age.
• People who have had a fracture or injury in the past are also at risk of getting arthritis in the thumb.

After understanding the symptoms of arthritis in the thumb, when you go to the doctor, he can do an X-ray for you. X-rays show how much of the gap is between the bones or how much damage has been done to the bones. In physical examination, the doctor detects the pain by touching the thumb, checks the movement and takes the patient's medical history. The sensation of nerves is also checked.

How the doctor cures this problem in the case of arthritis in the thumb, depends on the condition of the patient. Many times surgery is also needed when there is arthritis in the thumb. In surgery, the small bone of the joint called the trapezium is removed so that the pain in the joint can be reduced. It may take several weeks for the patient to recover after this surgery.

Physiotherapy is also given at this time. Some doctors believe that there is no concrete treatment after arthritis in the thumb, but with the help of some treatments, the pain of arthritis can definitely be reduced, such as bracing techniques also reduce the pain of arthritis in the thumb. Bracing is called using medical gloves. After wearing it in the hand, it keeps the thumb straight, due to which the pain is reduced. Apart from this, there are some ways by which the pain can be reduced due to arthritis in the thumb like -

• Taking steroid injections.
• Hot or cold therapy for the thumb
• Physiotherapy also provides relief in some cases.
• Exercise that strengthens the muscles around the thumb will also provide relief in arthritis.

If you have tried everything for thumb arthritis, and still you are experiencing the same issue, consult our doctors at Post Covid Centers, who will provide you their expertise in treating thumb pain.

Call 469-545-9983 to book a telehealth appointment for a home check-up.