Thumb Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis of the thumb is a common condition, and although long term, many people manage it well with the right care and treatment. Here we explain why it can be so painful, and what you can do about it.
What is osteoarthritis and how does it affect the thumb?
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and affects the joint’s cartilage and surrounding bone tissue. If you experience pain at the base of your thumb when opening a jar, or gripping items, such as turning a key, you may be experiencing thumb osteoarthritis. This is known medically as Carpometacarpal Joint (CMCJ) osteoarthritis.
What Is thumb CMC joint osteoarthritis?
The carpometacarpal joint (CMCJ) is located at the base of your thumb, where the thumb meets the wrist. This joint allows the thumb its wide range of motion to enable you to pinch and grip items.
Osteoarthritis is caused by changes in the cartilage that cover the ends of the bones within the joints. When this happens you can experience pain, stiffness and swelling. The thumb CMC joint is a very common joint to have arthritis. It is a joint used constantly in daily activities and can bear high loads during grip activities.
What causes thumb osteoarthritis?
There is not one single cause of osteoarthritis, but instead several factors that can increase your risk of developing it. These include:
Your age (osteoarthirits is more common in people over 40)
A family history of osteoarthritis
Previous thumb or wrist injury
Female (osteoarthritis is more common after menopause)
What are the symptoms of thumb osteoarthritis?
Symptoms may develop gradually or can be episodic. The most common symptoms of thumb osteoarthritis are:
Pain at the base of the thumb
Pain with activity, usually when pinching or gripping
Stiffness in the thumb joint, often worse in the morning
Grip weakness
Swelling and tenderness around the thumb joint
If you are experiencing these symptoms, and think you may have thumb osteoarthritis, there are many effective ways to manage your symptoms and help your hand function. At First Line Physio we have a specialist hand therapy service, where an experienced physiotherapist with additional qualifications in hand conditions can assess your hand thoroughly. We can then work with you to find the best management strategies and create a personalised treatment plan, which may include exercise and hands on therapy from the physiotherapist.
Most people can manage their thumb osteoarthritis through conservative management and don’t always need surgery. Hand therapists at First Line Physio have many years' experience of managing thumb osteoarthritis and can offer various treatment strategies to help you.
What treatment is helpful for thumb osteoarthritis?
These are some of the treatments we offer at First Line Physio, which can help to improve symptoms of thumb osteoarthritis:
Education, activity modifications and joint protection advice: We can offer advice on making small changes to your grip activities and pacing advice to help reduce your pain.
Splints: Hand and wrist splints can reduce the joint load and improve stability during grip activities and daily tasks. Our hand therapist can give advice on which splints can be helpful for you.
Rehab exercises: Keeping your thumb mobile and strong is really important and exercises can be very beneficial for thumb CMCJ osteoarthritis. Maintaining strong muscles surrounding the joint can help reduce pain during gripping activities. Hand therapy can guide you through targeted exercises and create a tailored programme especially for your symptoms.
Are there any other management options for thumb osteoarthritis?
Sometimes if pain is persistent and not improving despite hand therapy and conservative management then steroid injections and surgery are other options for management.
While thumb arthritis is a long-term condition, many people can manage it very well. Early advice and management can be really helpful in maintaining a good quality of life. If you would like further assessment and information please consider seeing us here at First Line Physio - we would love to help!
This is absolutely not written to substitute medical advice and it is always important to see a qualified healthcare professional for a formal diagnosis. If any of the exercises cause pain during or after the exercise, discontinue and consult a physiotherapist.