The joint becomes painful and slowly bony lumps develop in the region.
These bumps may or may not be painful.
There may be some impairment of hand function due to the swelling and stiffness of the joint at the base of the thumb.
Basal Joint Arthritis severely reduces our productive capacity as we require the thumb to virtually do anything with our hands.
When the muscles in the thumb and other muscles in the hand become weak, it becomes difficult to hold objects.
This joint has a wide range of motion, so it is better to avoid activities that involve repeated movements of the thumb as it can cause excessive inflammation in the said joint.
Sometimes the pain becomes so severe that it becomes difficult for the sufferer to turn the doorknob and open jars, etc.
Therefore it is important to consult a medical practitioner sufficiently early to avoid further complications with this disorder.
Causes
- Laxity in the ligaments
- Past injuries or fractures
- Sprains
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Self care measures like massaging the area and resting the joint
- Limit the movements of the thumb
- Use a splint to support the joint
- Apply heat or cold to ease the pain and stiffness and relax the tense muscles in your basal joint
- Soak the wrist in warm water to reduce the pain felt in the area
An occupational therapist would help you to identify activities that you should avoid to protect the thumb from shock and stress.
The therapist would also help you to adapt more to your living or working environment and show you ways to approach your daily activities.
This evaluation would be particularly useful as it could give you clues to avoid further occurrences of the disorder.
The occupational therapist would also suggest some tips to avoid strain on your thumb joint.
For instance, lever taps can be fitted to wash basins so that you can avoid turning the knob of the taps and risk damage to the basal joint.
You can also get kitchen utensils with molded handles as they are easier on stiff fingers.