{"id":84111,"date":"2025-07-30T17:00:03","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T23:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=84111"},"modified":"2025-07-30T17:00:03","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T23:00:03","slug":"thumb-arthritis-how-to-ease-pain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/thumb-arthritis-how-to-ease-pain\/","title":{"rendered":"Thumb arthritis: What to do when everyday actions are painful"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
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Thumb arthritis, which can begin as early as your 40s, causes pain in the thumb and palm. But there are simple steps that can ease the discomfort. Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If everyday actions, such as opening a jar, have become painful, you may be dealing with thumb arthritis.<\/p>\n

\u201cThumb arthritis affects one in every three women,\u201d said Dr. Patrick Johnston<\/a>, an orthopedic surgeon in Steamboat Springs and a member of the medical staff at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center<\/a>. \u201cIt also affects men, but not as frequently. Overall, it\u2019s one of the most common conditions that brings patients into the office.\u201d<\/p>\n

Below, Johnston outlines what you need to know about thumb arthritis.<\/p>\n

What causes thumb arthritis?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The base of the thumb and wrist meet at the basal or CMC joint, commonly called the saddle joint.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you pinch with your fingertips, the force in that joint is thirteen times what it is at the fingertips,\u201d Johnston said. \u201cOver years of pinching, you stretch out the ligament that holds the thumb in the saddle joint, so the thumb no longer sits in the middle of the saddle.\u201d<\/p>\n

That causes an extra load on the joint\u2019s cartilage \u2013 the strong, flexible tissue that provides padding at the joints. Eventually, that cartilage can wear out.<\/p>\n

\u201cArthritis is the progressive loss of cartilage, and it\u2019s irreversible,\u201d Johnston said. \u201cLike tread on the tires, once it wears off, you can\u2019t put it back on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thumb arthritis can\u2019t be prevented, but genetics plays a role: if one of your parents had thumb arthritis, you are more likely to suffer from the condition.<\/p>\n

What does thumb arthritis feel like?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The most common complaint is pain at the base of the thumb when pinching things, especially when trying to open a jar. The pain may also be felt in the palm of the hand.<\/p>\n

Thumb arthritis can begin as early as age 40. Eventually, the pain may go away on its own.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver time, the pain from thumb arthritis tends to improve,\u201d Johnston said. \u201cIt may take several years, but that pain can kind of burn out. But not everybody makes it to that point.\u201d<\/p>\n

How is thumb arthritis treated?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When dealing with arthritis<\/a>, the goal is to alleviate pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t treat the x-ray, I treat the patient,\u201d Johnston said. \u201cIf a patient has arthritis on an X-ray, but isn\u2019t experiencing pain, we\u2019re happy. I\u2019m concerned with their pain level and how it\u2019s affecting their life. I want patients to be able to live the lifestyle they want, and I\u2019ll do whatever I can to help get them to that point.\u201d<\/p>\n

To ease pain, Johnston recommends running the hand under warm water, taking anti-inflammatory medications if tolerated and trying natural supplements such as tart cherry juice and turmeric, both of which have anti-inflammatory properties.<\/p>\n

Another option is using a thumb splint, which is designed to support the thumb during activities that aggravate it, such as gardening and pulling weeds.<\/p>\n

If those steps aren\u2019t enough, a steroid injection may help<\/a>. And finally, there\u2019s surgery.<\/p>\n

\u201cSurgery is a good option for patients who are experiencing pain that\u2019s severe enough to affect their daily activities and quality of life, and who are not improving with conservative treatment options,\u201d Johnston said.<\/p>\n

While there are many surgical techniques for thumb arthritis, Johnston prefers one that\u2019s been around since the 1940s.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a tried and true technique with great long-term results,\u201d Johnston said. \u201cIt has a very high success rate and a low complication rate.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the 45-minute procedure, Johnston makes a little incision in the wrist to remove the small wrist bone that causes the pain, then uses a tendon from the forearm to reconstruct the ligament that\u2019s been stretched out. The patient wears a removable splint for six weeks, then can resume activities as tolerated.<\/p>\n

If my thumb hurts, does that mean I have thumb arthritis?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Not necessarily. Other issues can cause similar pain, but thumb arthritis is the most common culprit.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re having pain in the base of your thumb, it\u2019s probably worth having an evaluation,\u201d Johnston said. \u201cWe can get an X-ray and help determine what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

This article first appeared in the Steamboat Pilot & Today.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If everyday actions, such as opening a jar, have become painful, you may be dealing with thumb arthritis. \u201cThumb arthritis affects one in every three women,\u201d said Dr. Patrick Johnston, an orthopedic surgeon in Steamboat Springs and a member of the medical staff at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center. \u201cIt also affects men, but not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2163,"featured_media":84546,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[183,65],"class_list":["post-84111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-orthopedics","tag-pain-care-and-management"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThumb arthritis: What to do when everyday actions are painful - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Thumb arthritis, which can begin as early as your 40s, causes pain in the thumb and palm. 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