Thumb Arthritis

by Matt Ricketson OTR/L, CHT

The thumb is the most prevalent location to suffer arthritis in the hand. As the weather turns colder, the arthritis can become more noticeable even upon waking in the morning, after a walk on a cold day, or working outside. The arthritis can be aggravated by repetitive or sustained gripping activities as seen with raking leaves or using pruning shears. The resulting pain can impact your ability to prepare food, tie your shoes, button a shirt, or zipper your pants.
The thumb plays a large part in what makes our hand functional with our activities of daily living. Therefore, lessening the pain at the thumb is important for our quality of life. Often most people believe what will help address this issue is squeezing a stress ball. Unfortunately, strengthening is not correct and will quickly increase discomfort.
In occupational / hand therapy, we will work to lessen your pain and improve the use of your hand. One of the most beneficial options is to fit you with either a custom hand based splint or an appropriate over the counter brace (not often available at a retail store). The splint can be worn at rest, when using your hand, only during the day and/or at night. Usually at the visit for a splint we can offer a trial use paraffin wax and educate you on joint protection techniques to minimize arthritis flare ups!
If you believe you are suffering from thumb arthritis, schedule an appointment to be seen by one of our physicians. Today’s insurance carriers will require a referral to occupational therapy from a physician first. A physician will confirm the presence of the arthritis through the use of X-Rays and clinical testing. Contact any of the locations today and we can begin to help you feel better!