Thumb pain treatment

There are a lot of people who experience thumb pain at least once during their life. In these situations people wonder whether there are some things that they can do in order to reduce the pain. The goal of thumb pain treatment is to provide relief to the painful condition. Not a lot of people are aware of the fact that thumb pain that starts at the base of the thumb may progress all the way to the wrist and even to the forearm as well. Most people who experience thumb pain have problems with their grip for a period of time. A lot of people will have problems with normal and everyday activities and tasks such as opening a jar or unlocking a door. A simple twist of the wrist will cause pain.

Causes of thumb pain

In most cases of thumb pain the main cause is a weakened tendon that runs from the thumb to the wrist. An injury of the thumb is probably the most common cause of thumb pain. However, people should not neglect thumb pain due to the fact that it can be a symptom of some serious condition, for instance arthritis. Older people are more prone to these kinds of injuries because the tendons and ligaments get weaker as people get older. It is not uncommon for people to end up suffering from deterioration of the cartilage in the bone joint.

Pain as main symptom

The pain is the main and most obvious symptom of thumb pain condition. The intensity of the pain may increase slowly but it may increase all of a sudden in some cases. A person who uses the thumb and hand after the injury will only make the situation worse. Apart from pain, other symptoms that occur are swelling, stiffness and weakness in the thumb.

Treatment for thumb pain

The cause of the pain will determine the way the pain will be treated. People should know that there are various ways of treatment like the use of medicines, splints, physical therapy and surgery, among others. Rest is also very important with this condition. However, rest will only help in situation when the pain is not a severe one and there is no need for further treatment. In most cases a splint will be used in order to keep the thumb in a resting position. Medicines and physical therapy are mostly used. Surgery is an option when all the other methods do not improve the situation.