Pain in the wrist of the thumb

definition

The thumb is heavily used in numerous everyday hand movements. When grasping or lifting, the thumb is always involved. Various causes can lead to overloading and / or damage to the thumb joint. The thumb joint is a small joint that connects the thumb base to the thumb terminal and ensures mobility in this area.

Diseases in the wrist of the thumb, such as inflammation or signs of wear and tear, can cause pain in this tiny joint.

causes

Both inflammatory and degenerative diseases can cause pain in the thumb joint. Arthritic joint changes that arise as a result of wear and tear are common. The widespread Rhiz osteoarthritis of the thumb saddle joint can be accompanied by osteoarthritis of the thumb joint.

Other possible causes include an acute gout attack, psoriatic arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatism). Rheumatism typically affects other finger joints, but can also affect the thumb joint.

In addition, pain in the thumb joint can be a long-term consequence of a carpal tunnel syndrome, in which a nerve (median nerve) is anatomically narrowed and causes discomfort in the area of ​​the thumb, index finger and middle finger. Furthermore, various acute inflammations are possible causes of pain in the thumb joint.

Bacterial and viral inflammation play a role here, in severe cases even phlegmon can develop, as well as tendinitis, which radiates to the thumb joint.

arthrosis

Osteoarthritis is a joint disease that results from joint wear and tear. All joints in the body can be affected by osteoarthritis, including the thumb joint. The thumb saddle joint is more often affected than the end joint, the clinical picture is called rhizarthrosis. Several joints are typically affected by wear at the same time.

Symptoms are pain when the joint is loaded, restricted joint mobility, thickening of the joint and, in the case of acute, activated osteoarthritis, signs of inflammation such as swelling, overheating, reddening and severe pain in the area of ​​the affected (thumb end) joint, even at rest.

gout

The metabolic disorder gout is painful inflammation in the joints. In addition to various other joints, the thumb joints can be affected and cause severe pain to the sick. In gout, there is too much uric acid in the blood, which is deposited in the form of crystals in the synovium.

High uric acid levels are often associated with an acute attack of gout. The sick suffer from pain, redness and significant swelling in the area of ​​the affected joint.

Read more about this under: Gout

Psoriatic arthritis

The psoriatic arthritis, too Arthropathic psoriasis, is a chronic inflammation of the joints that occurs in connection with psoriasis. The thumb joint is a typical localization of joint inflammation in psoriatic arthritis. The joint inflammation often occurs in the end and middle joints of the fingers symmetrically on both hands.

This is the peripheral, more common type of disease. More rarely, there is a central type in which the spine and larger joints are affected. Psoriatic arthritis can cause pain in the thumb joint and other finger joints. Characteristically, irreversible damage to the affected joints with joint destruction and osteoporosis occurs over time.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is also a possible cause of pain in the thumb joint. In the syndrome there is a bottleneck in a tendon compartment in the area of ​​the wrist, which leads to an entrapment of the median nerve. As a result, those affected suffer from discomfort, paralysis and pain in areas of the hand.

Typical early symptoms are nocturnal pain and abnormal sensations in the thumb, index finger and middle finger. As the carpal tunnel syndrome progresses, the muscles of the ball of the thumb degenerate and pain can occur at rest. The pain mainly affects the thumb, index finger, and middle finger. Correspondingly, the thumb joint can sometimes cause severe pain in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Concomitant symptoms

Depending on the cause of the pain in the thumb joint, various accompanying complaints can occur. The pain can occur with special movements, at certain times of the day or radiate. In the case of inflammatory changes, the typical inflammation symptoms occur: reddening, swelling, overheating and functional impairment of the affected joint.

swelling

Swelling can accompany pain in the thumb joint. The symptom is characterized by an accumulation of fluid in the tissues. Causes are acute arthritis, an acute attack of gout and psoriatic arthritis. Acute inflammation caused by bacteria or viruses can also be considered.

Swelling is a typical sign of inflammation and is usually associated with reddening, overheating and restricted mobility of the affected joint.

Pain when grasping

Various hand movements put a lot of strain on the thumb. It is essential to grasp objects, spread the thumb, stretch, bend and turn. The thumb saddle joint plays the largest role in moving the thumb in all directions. The thumb joint enables extension and flexion and is very important nowadays when using smartphones.

If pain occurs in the thumb joint when grasping, this often indicates an acute overload of the joint. In the long term, the thumb joint can wear out and develop osteoarthritis.

Pain up to the ball of the hand

The pain from the thumb joint can radiate to the ball of the hand. A typical cause of this is tendinitis, tendovaginitis. The inflammation runs along the course of the tendons, from the thumb to the ball of the hand. In addition to pain, swelling and reddening are typically seen in the tendon area.

The movements with the thumb are severely restricted and tend to be tender. In addition, an inflammation in the context of a phlegmon can take a similar street-like course and cause pain that extends into the palm of the hand. A phlegmon is a purulent infectious disease of the connective tissue.

The pathogens can penetrate the skin through an injury to the thumb and spread from the tip of the thumb towards the wrist. Phlegmon can cause life-threatening complications and is therefore absolutely in need of treatment.

Crack

Joint noises such as cracking or rubbing can be an accompanying symptom of osteoarthritis. The thumb saddle joint, rhizarthrosis, is often affected. The thumb joint can also cause pain, swelling, instability in the joint and restricted freedom of movement in the context of osteoarthritis. In addition to joint noises, a visible deformation of the joint can rarely be seen.

diagnosis

Pain in the wrist of the thumb is a symptom that can be attributed to various causes. First, the attending physician and the person concerned conduct a detailed anamnesis discussion about the nature of the pain and possible accompanying symptoms. This is followed by a physical exam of the hand.

Depending on the doctor’s assessment, blood sampling and / or imaging, such as x-rays, may be necessary to make the diagnosis.

therapy

The therapy for pain in the thumb joint depends on the cause of the discomfort. Osteoarthritis is typically treated conservatively first and surgically as a last resort. In the event of an acute gout attack or chronic gout, diet and drug therapy play a decisive role.

For psoriatic arthritis, on the other hand, various light to strong drugs are used, including cortisone and immunomodulating drugs such as methotrexate. If a therapy does not work, the treatment regimen can be escalated in order to tackle the symptoms as well as possible at each stage.

For carpal tunnel syndrome, treatment depends on the stage of the disease. Mild to moderate cases of illness are typically initially burdened conservatively, for example with immobilization of the hand, pain medication and, if necessary, cortisone. In severe stages, carpal tunnel syndrome can be removed surgically.

In addition, inflammation that causes pain in the thumb joint is treated with pain medication, cooling, and immobilization. In the case of bacterial infections, antibiotics are necessary to clear the inflammation and prevent blood poisoning.

bandage

A bandage can help relieve pain in various hand disorders that include pain in the thumb joint. A bandage is used to stabilize the hand so that possible painful movements in the thumb joint are restricted. Immobilization of the affected joint is a typical conservative means of allowing the joint to heal.

Tape

Similar to conventional bandages, tape can be used to hold a joint or muscle in place. While tape is very suitable for injuries in the thumb saddle joint, it is often less effective for complaints in the thumb joint. Since the thumb joint is a very small joint that is far from the trunk, taping can be difficult. Nonetheless, you can try a kinesiotape without doing any more damage to the joint.

Read more on the subject below: Kinesio tape

homeopathy

There are no scientific studies that report the effectiveness of homeopathy on joint pain. As a rule, globules can be taken without causing side effects. Possible homeopathic remedies for joint pain are Acidum Sulfuricum, Aconitum Napellus, Bryonia, Calcium fluoratum and Sulfur. The globules Belladonna and the well-known Arnica are also popular.

Which doctor treats this?

In the case of pain in the thumb joint, you should first contact your family doctor and talk to him in detail about the symptoms, any accompanying symptoms and previous illnesses. Often a referral is made to an orthopedic surgeon, the specialist in joint diseases. For complex diseases such as rheumatism or psoriatic arthritis, treatment can be provided by a team of competent specialists, for example a family doctor, dermatologist and orthopedic surgeon.

Duration

The duration of the symptoms and the prognosis are determined by the cause of the disease in the case of pain in the thumb joint. Osteoarthritis cannot be cured because the joint cartilage cannot regenerate in adults. Appropriate treatment can help alleviate symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.

Acute gout attacks can occur individually at different intervals and with different intensities. In the long term, the prognosis depends on the uric acid level in the blood, which can be reduced with the right diet and drug therapy. Psoriatic arthritis, which causes pain in the thumb joint, is a disease that recurs throughout life. The symptoms can be alleviated with appropriate therapy.

In the course of a carpal tunnel syndrome, both hands often become ill. An early operation can lead to a complete healing. Inflammation caused by bacteria or rarely by a virus that leads to pain in the thumb joint usually heals without consequences with adequate therapy.