Introduction
Inflammation of the thumb tendon is usually understood to be an inflammatory change in the tendon belonging to the thumb muscle caused by incorrect or excessive strain. Inflammation of the tendon is usually caused by excessive friction of the tendon against muscle, bone or surrounding tissue. Tendon sheath inflammations can be very protracted. The course of the disease depends on the treatment measures initiated and, above all, whether the necessary protection of the tendon has been consistently carried out. General information can be found under: Tendinitis
Symptoms
The first signs and symptoms of tendonitis of the thumb are usually pulling pains in the area of the thumb joint that occur during thumb movement. The pain can be localized or can lead towards the tip of the thumb. In the case of incipient tendon inflammation, pain only occurs when the thumb is moved.
In the case of advanced tendonitis, however, pain may occur even at rest. Very severe tendonitis of the thumb is also noticeable by a slight swelling in the area of the tendon. The swelling in turn leads to increased friction in the area of the thumb muscle, which in turn leads to more severe pain.
Likewise, severe tendon inflammation can also lead to impaired mobility and movement in the muscle area. Movements that could otherwise be carried out without major problems are then only possible with great effort. In rare cases, the swelling can also be so severe that not only the thumb joint but the entire thumb is swollen, which can further restrict movement.
The leading symptom of an inflammation of the tendon of the thumb is mainly pressing but also pulling pain in the area of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb. The pain is usually triggered by movement of the thumb, but can also occur at rest if the inflammation is advanced. In the case of severe tendon inflammation, the pain can also extend from the metacarpophalangeal joint to the wrist.
The reason for this is that the tendon of the thumb muscle runs through a tendon sheath that extends to the wrist. Together with the other finger muscles of the hand, the tendon sheaths then run close together in this area to below the wrist. In the case of very pronounced tendonitis of the thumb, it can also happen that other tendon sheaths and thus also other finger muscles are affected by the inflammation and also begin to hurt when moving.
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