thumb tendonitis - 3 steps to check and know for sure
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What would we do if we lost use of our hands? Wow, what a hard time we would have. Even trying to things left handed (if you are a righty) is difficult. I know this when I hurt my right hand and could not use it. So protecting our hands is of utmost importance. Doing our job, when our fingers or hands have been damaged can be very difficult and makes things tough to perform our everyday tasks.
Hurting your hands and fingers can happen in a number of different ways. So when we end up with a health injury like thumb tendinitis or Dequervains tendonitis, this can have an impact on how we perform daily.
Do I have Tendonitis of the thumb? What is it?
Let's talk a minute about tendonitis in the thumb. Sometimes this can happen when you have an irritation or swelling of the hand tendons. Usually this will happen on the thumb side of the wrist.
This irritation then causes the compartment (the lining) that is around the tendon to swell. This swelling changes the shape of the compartment. Then the tendon cannot move in the compartment as it should. What happens then is pain and tenderness along the thumb side of the wrist. You will notice the pain when you try to make a fist or when you try and grasp or grip things and by turning the wrist.
How does repetitive motion injury effect thumb tendonitis
If you have a job or some task that you have to use a repetitive motion, can cause this problem. This repeated movement over the years will or can cause pain in the hand, possibly injured nerves (carpal tunnel syndrome), you can have locking fingers (trigger finger) and loss of movement or pain that effects the thumb.
Thumb Tendonitis, the signs and symptoms
Pain on the thumb side of the wrist is the main symptom. This pain may appear gradually or even suddenly. This may even seem like an arthritic pain. The pain is felt in the wrist, but can travel up the forearm.
The pain is worse when you grasp something or when you twist the wrist. You may see swelling on the thumb side of the wrist. You may on occasion feel a "catching" or "snapping" when you move the thumb. There can be numbness on the back of the thumb and in the index finger.
What can you do?
One of the initial treatments is a thumb splint or brace to help support the thumb. Resting and some type of anti-inflammatory medication can be helpful. Icing the effective area can decrease the inflammation.
When suffering from thumb tendonitis or De Quervain's tendonitis, you doctor may have you get a cortisone injection. This is going to help with the swelling and the pain. I have had them and they do work quite well. Be careful taking multiple injections in that this can weaken the tendon and cause more damage.
Sometimes surgery can become necessary. This would happen if the pain remains constant or if it continues to come back. Surgery sometimes is a good options and can cure the problem. It is just a small incision and is day surgery, you are in and out. You just wear a splint until the stitches are removed.
A way to tell if you are suffering from thumb tendonitis
The Finkelstein test can be performed to tell if you have thumb tendonitis or Dequervain's tendonitis. The following is the procedure to check for these problems.
* What you need to do first is to make a fist by having the fingers over the thumb.
* Now it is simple, just bend the wrist in the direction of the pinky (little) finger.
* This test is and can be quite painful if the person is suffering from tendonitis of the thumb. You will find tenderness directly over the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist when you touch them and this is very common.
The above is a great way to know if you are suffering from thumb tendonitis.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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