Looking for information on thumb pain? Read on.
I saw a lady this month, who’s actual primary complaint was neck pain.
As she was putting her coat back on after her adjustment, I heard her groan about the pain in her thumb.
"What's up with the thumb?" I asked. She tells me: "I've had this nagging pain in the base of my thumb for the last 6 months and it's a real nuisance! My GP tells me its wear and tear and there's nothing anyone can do about it." "Why didn't you tell me about this before?" I queried. "Well I didn't really think. I didn't know you treated thumbs." "You'll be surprised what I can help with. Let's have a look at it."
The thumb joint, due to overuse is susceptible to arthritis and other types of injuries.
Hairdressers, dress- makers and, dare I say it, chiropractors, are all professions which have a higher incidence of osteoarthritis (OA) or repetitive strain-type injuries associated with the thumb. Granted there are other causes of thumb pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout and infection, but fortunately these are rare. It’s reassuring to know that we chiropractors are trained on how to look out for these things.
If a mechanical diagnosis has been made, the chiropractor can begin to work his magic. Very often treating not only the thumb, but other joints including the wrist, elbow, shoulder and neck which all can play a role in the genesis of the thumb pain.
It is this particular approach that makes our treatment so effective, even for cases that haven’t had good results with other physicians.
After an examination of this patient’s thumb, my diagnosis was of a classic case of osteoarthritis of the base of the thumb. I treated the area using adjustments to her thumb, wrist, elbow and neck, some muscle/ligament techniques and I showed her some exercises to do at home that could help.
When she came into see me a week later, she walked into my room with a whopping-big smile on her face.
"So, how are we getting on?" I asked. "I don't know what you did to me last time, but my thumb hasn't felt this good in a long time."
If you suffer with thumb pain, or know of anyone else who does, feel free to contact our clinic for a discussion with one of our chiropractors who will be happy to advise whether we can help.
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