How to Relieve Thumb Joint Pain
- 1). Rest your thumb. Most of the time, the pain is a reaction to the irritation and inflammation caused by the arthritis. Continuing to use your thumb can exacerbate the situation and cause additional pain. By periodically resting the thumb, you're no longer irritating it and the inflammation may diminish.
- 2). Take a pain reliever or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). By using a pain reliever like acetaminophen, or a NSAID like ibuprofen, aspirin, or naproxen, you can lessen the inflammation and decrease the pain.
- 3). Immobilize the thumb with a spica splint, which has a thumb support. Much like rest, immobilizing the thumb stops further irritation and inflammation.
- 4). Apply a combination of cold and heat and alternate between them. To lessen inflammation and reduce pain, you should apply cold to the thumb for about 15 minutes at a time throughout the day. To loosen stiffened joints and relieve pain, apply heat.
- 5). Exercise your thumb. To ensure you maintain the full range of motion, you should do thumb exercises, like bending and straightening it, rotating the joints, and applying resistance.
- 6). Talk to your doctor about corticosteroids or even surgery. As the condition worsens, you may need to discuss treatment options. These would include corticosteroid injections, which lessen inflammation and reduce pain, or surgery, in which the joint is replaced, fused, or repositioned.
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