I first noticed the pain on Saturday. It was a mild ache, so I thought I slept on my hand weird or something and it would go away. But no, it just grew worse and worse. Early Tuesday morning I woke up because my thumb fucking hurt like someone hit it with a hammer. I took some Tylenol and put an ice pack on it, neither of which seemed to do much, then I called Kaiser and they gave me an appointment later that day. I went back to sleep for a couple hours then headed in. The doctor at the injury ward manipulated my thumb while I told him the symptoms: The pain is mostly in the second joint and a little in the first joint (I’m counting from the tip down). I can move my thumb normally, and unless I’m doing something that requires thumb strength it doesn’t hurt any more that it already does. I hadn’t injured my hand recently that I know of. Then the doctor straightened my thumb and pushed it into my hand, and that caused a spike of pain. He sent me off to get X-rayed, then I went back and he said there were some “slight irregularities” but no fractures. Also I have a sessamoid bone in one of the joints, which apparently not everybody has. He said he didn’t know what was wrong, advised me to set up an appointment with my regular doctor, and told me to take ibuprofin instead of Tylenol and keep on the ice packs.
The ibuprofin works a little better, but this really sucks. I don’t know what the hell I did to my thumb; it’s my left, and I’m right handed, so at least I’m not fumbling things any more than usual.
Much the same thing happened to me a couple of years back. My thumb started hurting while I was watching the telly one night. It took me a couple of hours to notice (you don’t tend to think of your thumb when you’re engrossed in CSI) but when I DID notice, it was throbbing fit to kill…and swollen as well. Arghhhh.
The next day when the pain and the swelling had not subsided, I trotted off to the Dr’s. He seemed to think it was perhaps a spider bite, but I assured him that I would certainly notice a spider crawling over my thumb while watching CSI.
Apart from that, he had no clues, and the swelling and pain went away over the next 24 hours anyway.
Freaky, but something to amuse the grandkids with in due course…THE DAY NANA’S THUMB BLEW UP TO THE SIZE OF A WATERMELON (with all due exaggeration allowed because it happened to you and you’re ancient and entitled to some poetic licence!!)
Heh. I started out with a rant in mind, full of fire and brimstone and the fury of a thousand quasi-stellar objects and all that, but I guess I ran out of steam.
Anyway, I was looking around online and came across a website that said certain types of tendon injuries may not have any pain for several days. Then I remembered that last week I was squeezing a prepackaged fondue mixture into my fondue pot, my left hand slipped, and I whacked it on the rim of the pot. It only hurt for a few minutes then it seemed fine, so I thought no more of it. Since the x-ray didn’t show any fractures, I wonder if it could be a tendon injury.
I was putting together some Ikea bookcases last weekend. I started out pushing in the little shelf support thingees with my thumb.*
By that night, my right thumb was horribly sore just under the middle joint. It hurts worst when I bend my thumb backwards, or if I have to pick up something and it presses against that spot on my thumb.
No real advice here, just sympathy. Because you really don’t realize how much you depend on your thumbs until it hurts like a sonuvabitch to bend one.
Hope your thumb feels better soon.
*It finally occurred to me that this was a Stupid Thing To Do so I finished by using a hammer to tap them in gently.
If you’re looking for some mystery ailments to feed an undernourished case of hypochondria, you’re probably in the right place
My best guess, and IAMA Doctor (or even close to being one), is a minor sprain or bruise.
That ibuprofen seemed to work over acetominophen suggests, to me, that the pain is due to some sort of inflammation (not that tylenol doesn’t work for inflammation, just IME, ibuprofen works much better), though that doesn’t explain why the cold compress didn’t help.
Try some moist heat (rice in a sock, heated in the microwave for a few minutes works well) and the ibuprofen. If the pain persists, the suggestion to see an orthopaedist is a good one.
Just wanna say, it’s refreshing to read one of these medical posts where the OP has already seen the doctor. Seems like we get too many “What wrong with me?” questions where the OP has no intention of seeking medical help. And of course, the only answer given is “See your doctor.” In fact, I was gonna come in here and say just that, but sturmhawke stole my thunder. Good on ya.
I got nothin’ but best wishes - hope it feels better soon.
I’m pretty sure that’s not it. The stuff I found says trigger thumb is caused by a nodule forming on one of the tendons, causing pain when you move your thumb and sometimes causing it to stay bent. The doctor didn’t say anything about any nodules, and the pain seems unaffected by moving my thumb; it’s more of a general ache.
I went in for a followup with my regular doctor today. He did more tactical poking and moving my thumb around, and thought it was just some minor swelling of some of the tendons and muscles. He upped my drug dose and said it should heal on its own.
That’s all right, one of my friends had to get a testicle removed, so I can call him nut job.
I have no idea why and how it happened. One morning when i woke up i had badass pain on my right finger. I thought it was due to my sleeping position which has caused that and thought it would go away. Now it’s the third week i am having trouble with my thumb. There is a hard thing growing on palm side of the second joint of my finger which is causing a pain. Since i am right handed and lots of assignments are piling up. It made me worried more and more. So, last week i visit Orthopedist, he told me i have a trigger finger. He injected me and gave me 5 days of medicines. He just told me to goggle “Trigger finger” later at home i goggled. Actually he didn’t advised me how to take care of my thumb rather told me to see him again after 5 days if it didn’t goes away. What he told me also made me more worried because he said if it didn’t goes away i will have to go through minor surgery… I am very worried about that. For me even to get injection on my painful thumb was too frightening well about surgery!!! I am indeed very afraid. So i goggled on how to take care of my thumb. I bought thumb support and taking medication everyday. I have been trying to eat with my left hand and it is not easy. Today is the third day of my medication. I’m super worried what if I have to go through surgery. On the one hand its frightening and on the other hand its bit expensive for me.
My current condition is… I can now bend and stretch my thumb and the pain has subsidized but the hard thing on the second joint of my thumb is still not vanished though it looks like it has grown smaller. If anyone with similar condition can give me more advise would be highly appreciated.
I made a fist and made a squeeze grip motion the pain went away and the numb thumb was ok it took a 3 min wait to become normal i suspect vitamin or mineral deficency
