Pain in the thumb (thumb pain)
Pain in the thumb can hit everyone. Thumb pain and thumb pain can affect everyday life and work, as such pain can go beyond grip strength and function. Pain in the thumb can be caused by osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, nerve pain and / or dysfunction of the joints and muscles. Contact us and follow us on Facebook if you have any questions or input.
- Also read: Decreased grip strength? Are you affected by carpal tunnel syndrome?
MRI of carpal tunnel syndrome
- Remember: If you have questions that are not covered by the article, then you can ask your question in the comments field (you will find it at the bottom of the article). We will then do our best to answer you within 24 hours.
The article is divided into the following subcategories:
Cause of sore thumb
Symptoms of sore thumb
Diagnosis list of possible diagnoses for thumb pain
Treatment of thumb pain
Exercises and training against thumb pain
Cause of sore thumb
The cause of pain is usually due to a combination of several things. It is often caused by a mixture of osteoarthritis, tight and dysfunctional muscles and stiff joints. By far the most common cause of such pain is tight forearm muscles, wear and tear in the joints and overload of the thumb over time. You can read more about possible diagnoses later in the article.
Carpal tunnel syndrome: A common cause of thumb pain
The median nerve runs from the neck down into the arm - and is responsible for nerve supply to the thumb, index finger, middle finger and half of the ring finger. If this gets trapped, this can lead to nerve pain and nerve symptoms - such as radiation, numbness and decreased strength. Recent research has shown that there are often several irritations of the nerve, including in the neck (scalenii syndrome), which may be a contributing cause of carpal tunnel syndrome (nausea in the wrist).
Read more: What You Should Know About Scalenii Syndrome
- Measures that can stop the development
To prevent further development of this condition that affects the hand and wrist, one can use so-called carpal tunnel rail and compression noise (both Elbow compression support where the wrist muscles are located and locally on the wrist).
Compression clothing - Benefits:
- Good support and compression for the elbow joint - which can control swelling
- Provides pain reduction by supporting the elbow muscles and tendons
- Compression supports provide increased blood circulation - which can mean increased healing
- More blood circulation may involve lesser symptoms from tennis elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome
- Can be worn under normal clothing for extra support and protection
- Click on the image to read more
These measures can lead to a more correct load against the thumb and thus it can slow down the development of load-related diagnoses such as tennis elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Common cause of pain from the wrist, hand and against the thumb: Tight muscles in the hand and forearm
Another very common reason for pain in the wrist and further towards the thumb is tight muscles in the hand, forearm and stiff joints in the hand. Regular stretching of the forearms, in combination with exercise and self-massage with trigger point balls (click here to read more), against the muscles especially around the neck and shoulders, can be very effective for both prevention and symptom relief.
We strongly recommend that you stretch your forearms and hands regularly to prevent thumb pain and symptoms - rolling your hand on a massage ball / trigger point ball (as shown here ) can also stimulate blood circulation against tight and sore hand muscles.
No Accept pain in the hand and thumb! Get them investigated.
Do not let thumb pain become a part of your daily routine. Regardless of your situation, even if it is one with a lot of repetitive strain or a lot of sedentary office work, it is so that you can always achieve better function than it is today. Our first recommendation for biomechanical pain is to seek out one of the three occupational groups that are publicly authorized through the health authorities:
- chiropractor
- manual therapist
- Physical therapist
Their public health authorization is a result of the authority's recognition of their extensive education and is a security for you as a patient and entails, among other things, several special benefits - such as protection through the Norwegian Patient Injury Compensation (NPE). It is a natural security to know that these occupational groups are registered in this scheme for patients - and we recommend, as mentioned, that one is investigated / treated by occupational groups with this associated scheme.
The first two occupational groups (chiropractor and manual therapist) also have referral rights (to imaging diagnostics such as X-ray, MRI and CT - or referral to a rheumatologist or neurologist when needed for such an examination) and sick leave (may report sick leave if deemed necessary).
Symptoms of sore thumb
Symptoms and clinical presentations vary depending on the cause and diagnosis. For example, nerve pain due to local or distal (e.g. prolapse in the neck with pressure against the C7 nerve root) could cause sharper pain and associated radiation down the arm and into the hand. Osteoarthritis in combination with poor function in muscles and joints can often be experienced more as aching and gnawing pain - and in comparison, gout will often be accompanied by inflammatory symptoms such as reddish swelling, night pain and pulsating / throbbing pain.
List of diagnoses: Some possible diagnoses that can hurt the thumb
Arthritis (Arthritis) (Arthritis can cause pain in the thumb joint if it is affected)
Osteoarthritis (Wear changes in the thumb joint can cause pain and discomfort)
Extensor Carpi Radialis Myalgia
Karpaltunnelsyndrom (a relatively common cause of thumb pain)
Joint locker in the wrist or the smaller joints of the hand (often thumb pain can be due to joint restrictions in the thumb and wrist - which can be treated manually)
muscle Knots / myalgia of forearm, wrist and hand:
Active trigger points will cause pain all the time from the muscle (eg foot blade and tight leg muscles)
Latent trigger points provides pain through pressure, activity and strain
Prolapse in the neck (as mentioned, nerve effects in the neck can cause symptoms all the way down to the thumb - this can be radiation, tingling, itchy pain, numbness, power failure and changes in the sensitivity of the skin)
Spinal Stenosis in the Neck (see 'prolapse in the neck')
Thumb pain can be caused by muscular tension, joint dysfunction (eg osteoarthritis or joint restrictions) and / or irritation of nearby nerves. Our advice is that you take care of the pain and do not "let it go". Start actively with self-measures and feel free to have the problem investigated by a clinician (preferably a publicly authorized professional group such as a chiropractor or manual therapist).
Treatment of big toe pain
There are many ways to treat this type of pain and it depends on what is the actual cause of the pain. One can divide the treatment of pain in the thumb into the following subcategories:
- Self-treatment and prevention
- Professional treatment
Self-treatment: What can I do even against pain?
Self-treatment and own actions should be a cornerstone of any battle against pain. Regular self-massage (preferably with trigger point balls), stretching and exercises can make a big difference when it comes to relieving and preventing pain states. Also compression noise which supports and increases blood circulation towards the affected area should be used.
1. General exercise, specific exercise and activity are recommended, but stay within the pain limit. Two walks a day of 20-40 minutes make good for the body and aching muscles.
2. Trigger point / massage balls we strongly recommend - they come in different sizes so you can hit well even on all parts of the body. There is no better self help than this! We recommend the following (click the image below) - which is a complete set of 5 trigger point / massage balls in different sizes:
3. Training: Specific training with training tricks of various opponents (such as this complete set of 6 knits of different resistance) can help you train strength and function. Knit training often involves more specific training, which in turn can lead to more effective injury prevention and pain reduction.
4. Pain Relief - Cooling: Biofreeze is a natural product that can relieve pain by cooling the area gently. Cooling is especially recommended when the pain is very severe. When they have calmed down then heat treatment is recommended - it is therefore advisable to have both cooling and heating available.
5. Pain Relief - Heating: Warming up tight muscles can increase blood circulation and reduce pain. We recommend the following reusable hot / cold gasket (click here to read more about it) - which can be used both for cooling (can be frozen) and for heating (can be heated in the microwave).
Recommended products for pain relief in pain
Biofreeze (Cold / cryotherapy)
Manual treatment of thumb pain
As mentioned earlier, both chiropractor and manual therapist are the occupational groups with the longest education and public authorization from the health authorities - that is why these therapists (including physiotherapists) see the majority of patients with muscle and joint ailments.
The main goal of all manual treatment is to reduce pain, promote general health and increased quality of life by restoring normal function in the musculoskeletal system and nervous system. In case of musculoskeletal disorders, the clinician will both treat the thumb locally to reduce pain, reduce irritation and increase blood supply, as well as restore normal movement in areas affected by joint dysfunction - this can be e.g. wrist, elbow, shoulder and neck.
When choosing a treatment strategy for each patient, the publicly licensed clinician emphasizes seeing the patient in a holistic context. If the pain is suspected to be due to other illness, you will be referred for further examination.
Manual treatment (eg from a chiropractor or manual therapist) consists of a number of treatment methods where the therapist mainly uses the hands to restore normal function in joints, muscles, connective tissue and nervous system - but pressure wave therapy and needle therapy are also often used if needed. :
- Specific joint treatment and joint mobilization
- Stretches
- Muscular techniques (may include needle treatment / dry needling)
- Neurological techniques
- Stabilizing exercise
- Exercises, advice and guidance
A meta-study (French et al, 2011) showed that manual treatment of osteoarthritis had a positive effect in terms of pain relief and functional improvement. The study concluded that manual therapy is more effective than exercise in the treatment of arthritis disorders.
Exercises and training against thumb pain
Exercise and exercise play a key role in treating and preventing all types of pain and ailments - including thumb pain. By training the shoulders, arms, wrists and deep hand muscles, you can reduce the incorrect load on the thumb - which means that the injury has a greater chance of healing itself.
Here you will find an overview and list of exercises we have published in relation to the prevention, prevention and relief of thumb pain, thumb pain, stiff thumb, thumb osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome and other relevant diagnoses.
6 Exercises against Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
RELATED PRODUCT / SELF-HELP: Compression support for the elbow
As mentioned, a lot of pain comes from the thumb from the forearm and elbow. We have previously recommended this product in the article and we know that many have good effect from it. It can be a good way to prevent further development of injury states. This can in many cases help against both acute and chronic pain.
This can be part of the solution to your problem. With this, you get more blood circulation against the exposed muscles and tendons in the elbow, as well as the forearm.
NEXT PAGE: Pressure wave therapy - something for your thumb pain?
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References:
- French, HP. Manual therapy for osteoarthritis of the hip or knee - a systematic review. Man Ther. 2011 Apr; 16 (2): 109-17. doi: 10.1016 / j.math.2010.10.011. Epub 2010 Dec 13.
Frequently Asked Questions About Thumb Pain:
Ask a question if you are wondering something in the comments section at the bottom of the article or contact us via social media.
- No questions here yet
Hello. Barely 2 months ago I was in the garden pruning a tree with slightly thick branches. After a few days, I lost the feeling in my thumb and got sore muscles in my elbow and forearm. Have taken Naproxen for tendonitis after seeing a doctor. I have also been to physiotherapy with this, but I am still numb in the thumb and have not regained the feeling. I also get cold in the hand, especially when I'm out. Do you have any good advice on what to do? Could it be carpal tunnel syndrome? Regards Astrid