Hi, hope someone can help. For 3 weeks, I have had excruciating pain when I bend my thumb at the top joint, it's been xray and ultrasound but nothing was found, the doctor and also the hand therapist also didn't know. The therapist placed it in a splint and said to bend it gently 4 times a day, it hasn't made any difference (that was a week ago) and still can't bend it any further than the image below. When i bend it further, the pain is on the topside of the thumb running down over the top of the joint. Absolutely no other pain anywhere else on my hand or wrist. I am 54. Don't have arthritis as far as i know. I hadn't realised how much we use our thumb. This pain has pretty much put my whole hand out of action.
Would be grateful if anyone else has had this pain and what was the outcome.
Also I am not sure if this had anything to do with my thumb, but 4 days before i got pain in my thumb. I slipped on water and fell backwards and landed hard on the heels of my hands on a wood floors, there wasn't any swelling or pain in my thumb. Thank you. Lentil
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About ten years ago, I had lots of pain on my pointing finger. So much so, that I had to use a mouse left handed as clicking the button hurt to much. It would swell up to twice the size on some days.
I had a cortisone injection in the base of the finger, I guess in to the nerve. I was told if I had any problems to come back, but no issues afterwards.
Hopefully, it gets fixed soon, but suggest the above to your GP. From memory, day one after I struggled to do anything as was unable to grip things and from day two I was fine to do anything.
X-rays and ultrasound don't pick up everything. And there is further complication to diagnosis because sometimes our brain thinks the pain is coming from a spot when in fact it is referred pain from somewhere else. So yes, it could be that the nerves or tendons in your wrist could be causing a knock on effect in your thumb. There are several bones down there called carpels and it is easy for them to get out of place.
Have another chat with your GP. Medics do standard tests for the most common things, and then the patient disappears from their mind. It is only if we go back that they do the next round of tests when the first ones didn't work. Every consultation should end with 'if this doesn't get better/work, please come back'. Sounds like it is time to go back and discuss things happening further up the system.
I’m sorry about the pain you are in. But I don’t think it is fair to comment like you have done about how much worse your pain is. I have various pain issues in different parts of my body and when one or more flare up they can equally be as horrendous! People come on here looking for support and advice re their particular issues. Not to be told they should be grateful not got pain like you have.
Am sure if you wrote a post people would be sympathetic and try to suggest various ways that may ease things for you.
Not sure the relevance of my circumstances. I have constant pain but sometimes for no apparent reason it is worse than others. I also have medication that doesn’t touch the pain. 🤷♀️
But MY pain is irrelevant to circumstances of others is point I was making. Only relevance is I can make suggestions of possible different ways to ease the pain. Which is the point of this group....
Has anyone suggested trigger finger? This is extremely painful. I've had it in both thumbs, middle and ring finger. I've had steroid injections which have worked apart from ring finger. I had op on that finger and now it's sorted. Yours may not be this but it's worth looking into. I hope you get it sorted. x
Hi I don't seem to have any of the below symptoms for trigger finger. I am starting to think it is nerve damage, maybe radial, but guessing... which may have been caused by my fall a couple of days earlier, when i landed on the heels of my palms.
Symptoms for Trigger fingerL
-Finger stiffness, particularly in the morning.
-A popping or clicking sensation as you move your finger.
-Tenderness or a bump (nodule) in the palm at the base of the affected finger.
-Finger catching or locking in a bent position, which suddenly pops straight.
I don’t believe in coincidences! You fell on heel of hands and then a few days later developed problem with your thumb. I suspect the two are connected. Just because you didn’t fall on to thumb doesn’t mean can’t get referred pain in your thumb. May well be your fall hurt tendons and ligaments in your hand and this is why you are having difficulty with thumb.Maybe try taking an anti inflammatory such as ibuprofen which should ease any inflammation. Also try both hot and cold compress which may also ease things.
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