Anyone With Thumb / Finger Arthritis?

[Scarlett]

Another niche question, but grateful for your thoughts. for the past 2 to 3 years, my left top thumb joint has been painful, catching, and I put it down to hypermobile joint, maybe a loose body or a tracking issue. I put Physio tape round it but it still kept giving way. The Specialist did steroid injection, which allowed me to bend it very slightly more, but I've had to keep it splinted because it is so painful to move. Xray showed a floating loose bit, ultrasound showed what looked like shaggy joint edges, Possibly arthritis. Because I've kept it in the splint, I now simply cannot bend the top of my thumb at all. It's so so painful and a bit misshapen. Now I have to regularly twist the joint like a key in a lock, until it clicks, and then it feels slightly better, but I still can't bend it at all. I'm not seeing Specialist for another few months. Do you think there's any coming back from this, or have I basically lost my thumb now? Is a fusion my only option? My Job is playing the piano... 

[Buenchico]

The Mayo Clinic's website is often a useful source of information:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/thumb-arthritis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20378344

NHS Scotland suggests this simple exercise:

[smurfchops]

Could it be Trigger Finger?  I had that, simple operation.  
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/trigger-finger/

[Scarlett]

Thanks Buen, interesting to see that there are other options other than just a fusion. I can't bend the top joint of my thumb at all though, so any exercises are a bit of a no-go. 
Smurf, definitely not trigger finger because it is so painful, and not stuck as such. 

[youngmafbog]

I have it and trigger finger, been like it years but doesnt sound as bad as yours.  Sadly for me consultant (private) reckoned on me it could end up worse if operated on so just live with it.

[Scarlett]

Youngmafbog, is yours trigger or arthritis? Did you have any treatment on it?

[Khandro]

Trigger thumb, - maybe see an osteopath.  My brother in law is one & also a surgeon.  When I told him about it, he wrenched my neck (without warning!) which cracked, and he said "three days" I thought he was crazy, how can that have anything to do with my thumb, but amazingly it went.

Could that be why he is one of the top practitioners in Hamburg ?

[Scarlett]

Khandro- That is amazing! I don't doubt an osteopath can fix something like that, they are miracle workers. Unfortunately, my thumb shows weird loose pieces and raggedy edges in the joint so I don't think it is trigger thumb as it's not bent, and I'm not sure I will ever get it back.

[Khandro]

 

Scarlett: I trigger-thumb (or finger) is when when the joint clicks as you bend it. It isn't necessarily painful just very annoying.

Whatever it is I hope you get it sorted out. 

[jourdain2]

Snap, Scarlette, but I'm a church organist.  Keys are fairly heavy, but on the other hand I don't have many fast trills to play.  I haven't all your details, but I have arthritis in the top joint of several l. hand fingers; one had a sort of blister on it and another has one that is forming - all arthritis related.  Try massaging gently as often as you can, that, plus exercise (physically moving the joint) may help. x