THEThumb pain could be a sign of rhizarthrosis, a form of arthrosis that affects the joint at the base of the first finger of the hand and which, if neglected, leads to a significant reduction in its movement, up to the appearance of a “hump”.
«One of the first symptoms is pain when unscrewing the bottle capyou turn the keys to start the car and use your cell phone. In the subsequent phases, the pain is felt even when the finger is at rest” explains Andrea Zoccolan, director of the hand surgery unit at the Savona hospital.
Rhizarthrosis is more frequent with increasing age and mainly affects females“because in postmenopause the hormonal collapse reduces the elasticity of the joint ligaments.”
With rhizarthrosis it is difficult to open bottles and use a cell phone. (Getty Images)
How to behave? «When the pain appears it is best to consult a rheumatologist or hand surgeonalso to exclude other pathologies such as tendinitis and trigger finger.” The good news is that, “even if surgery is performed late, the function of the thumb can always be recovered.”
The most common mistakes? «Neglect the initial discomfort. And then don’t wear a night splint on your finger to reduce inflammation of the joint and don’t do 30 minutes of physiotherapy exercises a day, two treatments that are prescribed to limit the evolution of the pathology. Surgery is the last resort. Some measures to avoid the operation are: increasing the grip on handles and keys, using a nutcracker to open bottles, cooking with lighter pans.”
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