How dangerous is pain in the thumb? | Pain in the thumb – Is that dangerous?

How dangerous is pain in the thumb?

How dangerous pain in the thumb is, depends strongly on the cause of the pain. If the pain is caused by overstraining the thumb, it should disappear by itself by sparing and immobilizing it. If the pain occurs over a long period of time or if the pain is particularly severe, the cause should be clarified.

If the pain is acutely caused by trauma, i.e. a fall or accident, it may also be a fracture. In this case a doctor should be consulted in any case. Depending on the cause of the pain of the thumb, there are different therapies to choose from.

SMS thumb: In the beginning, it usually helps to take it easy and sometimes a splint or bandage of the thumb can also help. In worse cases, however, only an operation can help. In this operation, the tendon compartment of the thumb extensors is severed.

This immediately leads to a relaxation of the thumb. The thumb can be used again almost immediately. Rhizarthrosis: Here the therapy is more difficult.

In the beginning, one can still try to treat the joint wear conservatively. First, the joint must be protected, a splint must be worn as often as possible and anti-inflammatory medication must be taken. Acupuncture or mixed corticoid injections can also help.

In the advanced stages, surgery is usually the only option. In young patients, the joint is often stiffened, i.e. arthrodesis is performed. However, the classic therapy is resection arthroplasty.

Here, the worn bone (Os trapezium) is removed and replaced by a tendon bundle.The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and after 6 weeks the thumb should be fully functional again. The only disadvantage of the therapy is that the thumb cannot develop the same strength as before the operation. Therefore the pain in the thumb disappears.

For thumb pain that is accompanied by swelling, redness, functional impairment of the joint and movement-related pain, home remedies such as For joint pain, over-the-counter ointments containing one of the active ingredients diclofenac or ibuprofen can be applied locally to relieve inflammation and pain. Anti-inflammatory painkillers in the form of tablets can also be taken. However, if the symptoms do not improve or even worsen, the advice of a doctor is strongly recommended.

  • A quark envelope,
  • Cooling compresses and
  • Ointments with propolis can be used.
  • Ginger,
  • Cider vinegar,
  • Turmeric,
  • Honey and
  • Cinnamon is a household remedy that can be ingested with food and is said to have both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Read next article in this series:

All articles in this series:

  1. Pain in the thumb – Is that dangerous?
  2. How dangerous is pain in the thumb?
  3. Classification of pain according to its location on the thumb
  4. How is the diagnosis of thumb pain made?