Grumpy old…. thumb
Do you have a painful thumb - at the base near your wrist?
Well, you are not alone. Many people have thumbs that demonstrate the “kisses of time”. And just like those people we label as “grumpy old men” our thumbs can be grumpy and painful too. A painful thumb can often mean there are some arthritic changes in the base joint of your thumb. You might even have been told you have arthritis there, aka osteoarthritis (OA).
Skier’s Thumb in Darwin?!
What’s in a name?
The name “skier’s thumb” comes from a skiing injury where the thumb is caught on a pole during a fall. This tears a ligament on the inside of your thumb. There are lots of other ways this ligament can be injured - falling onto your hand, in a footy game when a ball hits your thumb, even during a tussle with kids or friends - basically any situation where your thumb is forced out and back. So yes, it happens in Darwin!
skiers thumb FAQ
Skiers thumb is an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament of the middle thumb joint (aka MCP joint). There are different degrees of injury. Today we are talking about the steps you would expect once your treatment has begun.
Skier’s thumb: What, more names!
It might be that your thumb has been quite badly injured or it’s been dislocated more than once. Injuries to the UCL are classified according to degree of injury and include:
New mum’s painful thumb
New mums are busy - life is full on and focussed - and all about a little person who absorbs all your time (and energy). Sometimes a big change in how you are using your hands causes a problem with tendons of your thumb - a condition called “deQuervain’s”. deQuervains occurs when two tendons to your thumb become aggravated as they cross your wrist producing pain and tenderness.
Getting back into sport after a finger iNJURY
“How long will I be out of the game?” is one of the first things asked after an injury. Everyone is dying to get off the sidelines or back to the gym. One very important aspect of what we do when treating sports injuries is to get you back to sport safely as well as quickly. This involves discussion about the sport or activity you want to do, the type of stress your finger would be subject to and how severe your injury has been.
Dislocated finger on the weekend?
A ball hitting your finger at just the wrong angle, getting your finger caught up with another player or falling awkwardly can result in a dislocated finger. The most common victim is the middle joint of your finger, the PIP joint. Most of the time a dislocated finger will either slip back into place by itself or be put back in by a sports trainer or doctor. The more severe the dislocation, the harder it is to relocate and the more tissue damage there is around the joint.