On the 5th of January I was bending down when I must`ve turned my hand slowly when I heard a big click/crack in my left thumb, What followed was immediate sharp pain and I had pain for the rest of the night. I had a small purple lump appear on my thumb joint and was told this was just a sprain. Nevertheless for a couple of nights afterwards I had sleepless nights where I was just in pain.
I emailed my doctor to get his opinion and he said it was a torn tendon, So I left it as that.
A week later and I noticed that I had some new features to the thumb..bruising, swelling, lumps etc. I noticed 2 new lumps one is just above the thumb joint and it`s a bone sticking out/deformity, My veins around it also went a funny shape which i`ve never seen before. I`ve also got a small lump at the end of my thumb joint, It`s not that easy to photograph as it`s not that obvious but at the first stage it was tender and I got told this could be a gangion cyst. And finally the actual thumb bone itself is protruding through the skin, More obvious then my other thumb and when you run your finger across it feels hard, I can also click it back into place so I don`t know if I`ve discolated it??
Pain subsided for a week until recently when I`ve been getting pain basically all over the same hand, from my fingertips, the palm, the side of the hand everywhere and even up my arm, Regardless if I move it or not. Been getting direct pain from the lump with veins around it too. I can move my thumb freely and it`s a guessing game whether I get pain or not when I move it because sometimes I do and sometimes I don`t. The pain sometimes throbs, Mostly dull aches when it ranges from mild to bad and just recently I had some pain where it felt like sparks and that hurt quite bad and wasn`t very nice. The hand has also been in a splint.
By this stage i`m at week 3/4 of the 6 week recovery and I feel as though it`s not getting better but worse.
I have attached some photos below
The first photo is of the small purple lump that first appeared when the injury happened.
The second photo is of the small lump at the end of my thumb.
The third photo is of the protruding bone (It`s not that easy to photograph so tried my best)
The fourth photo is of the lump with the veins around it.
This post may not make sense but I would just like some guidance as I don`t want to keep bugging my doctor about it and go to the doctors for something unneccassary under these circumstances.
Thank You
Written by
emmaaaar18
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The only person who can tell you what might be a problem with your thumb is a doctor.If you don’t want to bother your GP try a minor injuries clinic.....ask your doctor’s receptionist where you can fund the nearest one.
I quite agree with AgedCrone, about seeing a Doctor. That said 'Sprains' and, for that matter, Torn Ligaments (they are similar injuries I believe) can be a 'Long Haul', for your Body to 'fix'. I, very badly 'Stretched' the ligament, of my right foot, some years ago.... even now the foot 'doesn't quite move' the same.
Clearly you ARE 'concerned' Emma so, on That basis alone, try to see the Doctor... difficult as that might be, at the moment. Two, or three, X-rays WILL 'reveal' the problem- quickly, and easily.
Hi, Thank You for your reply. I have been to the doctors this afternoon and he examined my hand and said it could be a number of things such as tendon, muscle strain, fracture etc so he`s booked me in for a xray to see if he`s missed something or any damage. Been told not too wear a splint as that adds more damage (I did not know that) and i`ve taken some more pain relief but just still in pain :(. How do I add more photos? As I have more just don`t know how to add more then 1.
I tore the ligament in my ankle last year and the pain was no where near like this, That had a bruise so I went to a&e straight away and the pain wasn`t so bad where as with this it can be anything.
I’d be inclined to phone your GP and request an urgent referral to Orthopaedics. This sounds worse than the simultaneous surgeries I had for De Quervain’s and Carpal Tunnel Syndromes which restored my left hand to its former glory. Your hand looks young compared to mine and the hand consultant would prefer to treat sooner rather than later. I had a trigger finger in my right hand treated last August, which has restored its full function, so I’m able to keep my keyboarding skills that I commenced in 1959!
You can only do one photo on here so you would need to do it on your pc or phone in a gallery edit box to make a collage of photos and then make it into one pic.
Hi emma. Only one photo is showing but regardless of that, you need to be seen by a medical person, whether it be your GP or, as AgedCrone has said, a minor injuries unit at your local hospital. It sounds as though it needs an Xray so the sooner you contact someone, the better. Good luck. x
My concern is the statement that ‘bone is protruding through the skin’ . If there is any splintering there is a risk not only to the tendons but also to the nerves that my surgeon stressed to the medical students present should be carefully lifted to give unfettered access to the tendon sheaths. I too suffered with the dreadful pain that shot up my arm but I did not have bone protrusion.
I went to the doctor this afternoon and pointed out the bone protruding through the skin and he said it looks the same as the other one so I don`t know if i`m going insane or just seeing things. But when you look at it you can see the outline of the bone protruding and with the veins going around it, In the photo though it`s not that visible as it was hard to get it but I dunno what to make of it to be honest. To me it looks protruding. How do I add more photos?
So I have uploaded the photos at the link below, Should all be on the same page. I`ve added more photos of the protruding bone and a photo of the other hand for comparison..I don`t know if I am going insane or just seeing things but.
So it`s actually hard to get a photo of the bruise under light or infact anywhere and it`s not until I stood by the window that you can see the actual bruise itself which you can see goes all away around the thumb. I also didn`t realise how badly swollen it looks.
The other photo is the back of my hand where the the webbing is. Now when the injury occured this part didn`t hurt or come into play, I did notice a small bruise by the thumb but I didn`t think much of it and saw that my other thumb had it as well. I did notice a discolouration the other week but again didn`t think much of it. Took a photo last night of it and didn`t realise how bruise it was. When I pinch the webbed bit together and rub it together it actually does quite hurt and this is the second time now which it`s gone stiff, sore and ached.
I’d just wait now to see what the X-ray shows up or not. Don’t keep pinching and rubbing it together 😊 let us know how you get on. Hopefully it’s not fractured and will be on the mend soon but these things can take time to heal🤗
Hi, Thought i`d give an update if anyone is interested.
I had my xray done, A week had passed and I thought they didn`t find anything so left it as that. Then this Monday the GP phoned and said he had found nothing like a fracture or anything. However he said I had a displaced bone in one of my fingers (Not sure if it`s the finger next to the thumb or the thumb) and he did mention carpal, Not carpal tunnel or metacarpal yet. But the carpal area of the finger next to my thumb has been painful and I assumed it was to do with my thumb. So i`ve now been referred to the fracture clinic at my local hospital and I have to get a MRI done - Could be a matter of things. I thought this would take weeks to do with the virus going around, But got a phonecall this morning to say that my case has been highlighted as urgent, So I guess it is more serious then first thought and I`m just glad I did go to the doctors and that I didn`t take the first doctors advice. We shall see how go from here...
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