Wrestling With Thumb Pain

Friday, March 1, 2002

Wrestling With Thumb Pain (NAPSA)—Even minor thumb pain can make youfeel like you’re “all thumbs,” makingit difficult to accomplish daily tasks, such as opening a door, holding a cup of water or shaking someone’s hand. Minor thumb pain can be caused by sprains and strains or by arthritis. Overuse-injuries are caused by repeating the same motion, such as paintbrush strokes when painting a house. Thumb-based arthritis most frequently affects the unique “saddle” joint of the thumb that allows us to turn and oppose our thumbs in cooperation with the fingers. With arthritis of the “saddle” joint, pinching, grasping and gripping motions can start to cause pain between the thumb and the hand. If you experience discomfort that’s not severe—but nevertheless hinders yourability to perform day-to-day tasks—you may want to follow some simple, athome treatments that may help your thumb pain meet its match: Removeall jewelry from the affected area. Rest, ice, compress and ele- vate (or “RICE”) your thumb to relieve pain and swelling (but To prevent future thumb injuries: Reducethe speed and forcefulness of repetitive movements such as hammering, rowing or sweeping. Periodically change your hand and fingerpositions when holding objects for longerperiodsof time. Wear protective gear when participating in sports or other physicalactivities. @ avoid excessive cooling or constriction of the hand, thumborfingers) after injury. Stop or take a break from activities that cause your symptoms. * To stabilize the thumb but maintain complete range of motion among yourotherfingers, use a support brace such as the Futuro ThumbStabilizer. Look for a stabilizer with an adjustable design and soft-touch material. This allows for excellent finger dexterity, helping you to relieve minor thumb pain and continue youractivelifestyle. To learn more about the Futuro ThumbStabilizer and how it can help you or a loved one, visit www.futurous.com.

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