Thumb Pain

[Brian T]

Just a few years back, I had such terrific thumb pains while carving that buttoning a shirt was quite a chore. Back off. Repetitive strain injury. Do other carving starts with PacNW crooked knives in a fist grip. Just the roughout parts, no particular determination.

Took quite a while.
Now, I mix up the carving tasks on several subjects to avoid the repetition.
Seems the solution to the puzzle.

Next, I want to complain about the pain in my left shoulder !!!!! The patina of age.

[emmanuelglover]

Yes, you should definitely visit a doctor as soon as possible. In my opinion, it is nothing serious, but still, better to hear it from a professional. Anyway, he might recommend you different pills or ointments that will heal you.

[Squid-61]

All, well mostly, good advice but if the pain is in your non-dominant hand try switching your grip on the workpiece, even inverting the work occasionally. It could be you are cramping up and straining the muscles around your thumb.

[Glenn Jennings]

I do a bit of metal engraving and find that a few hours on the tools is enough to knock out the nerve in the end of the first finger from the thumb. The remedy was to make thick leather finger stall. Problem went away.

as others suggest I would look at what I'm doing and try to deremine what brings the problem on, What are you doing witht he offending hand that might agravate the condition.

I have similar issue down to carpal tunnel issues and find a brace worn at night is a great help. If it is real bad I soak the hand in hot water for 10-15 minutes as this also seems to help loosen it all up again.

[Eric B]

Hey folks,

Trigger point therapy is great i recommend anyone look it up. You need a book to reference and its going to take time to learn but i was forced to start doing it some years ago..

I agree with a lot of the above and surprised no one talks about this.

[Arthur C.]

Patient: Doc, I get a pain in my eye whenever I drink coffee.

Doc: Take the spoon out of the cup.

This illustrates that we often overlook an underlying cause...plus I like this little joke!

[NoDNA]

OH,, Snort!

[Brian T]

I'm reading this carefully. I'm starting to get finger cramps in my left hand. Real serious pain.
Last Saturday, out for supper. Left hand fingers cramped in directions that I have never seen before.
Had to use my right hand to spread my left hand on the table and straighten out the fingers.
Maybe no more than 5-7 minutes. Then the cramps left as fast as they came.

[Merle Rice]

Hi Arthur, Thanks for the Laugh . Ha,Ha. Still Laughing . Merle

[NoDNA]

Hey, Brian T, I went to a doc about my hands last year,, both pains and locking fingers, as he went through his systematic search, he says, "Now your provider says you have trigger finger". I said?? He asked, can you make the fingers do it for me? I told him they do it on their own I don't ask them to do it.. He says well,, I can't do anything for you then.. 450 for the tests he ran.. and this year I had carpal tunnel surgery on the right hand ,,and have stiff haha Trigger finger on the right hand. And the thumb and middle finger are both numb.. Also came across a gal that does serious therapy.. she told me to get a squeeze ball and work with that, plus ice water alternate with very warm water 15 minutes apart as often as you can . every day..
Good luck to all with these darn hands and fingers. And I have lost feelings in my right thumb, trigger and middle finger.
Cheers and keep happy all.
Chuck

[sappy]

I had "trigger finger" in the ring finger of my left hand. Had a big knot in the palm of my hand and couldn't straighten my finger. When my doctor explained to me what the ligament was doing, basically shortening, I decided to try stretching it. Every day I just grabbed that finger and stretched it straight two or three times. Now, I have no problems. I am no doctor, and maybe my problem wasn't as serious as you all, so not recommending this to you, just saying what worked for me.

[NoDNA]

I had "trigger finger" in the ring finger of my left hand. Had a big knot in the palm of my hand and couldn't straighten my finger. When my doctor explained to me what the ligament was doing, basically shortening, I decided to try stretching it. Every day I just grabbed that finger and stretched it straight two or three times. Now, I have no problems. I am no doctor, and maybe my problem wasn't as serious as you all, so not recommending this to you, just saying what worked for me.

Thanks , Sappy, That is just what I am doing plus trying to retrench all my fingers.. Ain't it fun. I put my hands as flat on the table and press hard... Jst sayin.
Chuck

[Brian T]

That's OK, I haven't felt anything in my feet for 5 years. Woke up one night, had been sleeping on my back. Looked down the bed for the cat. Instead, I see both my pinky feet sticking straight up. I'd kicked off the sheet and the blankets without a clue. Clueless is quite commonplace. I have kinda grown into it over the years.

That last hand episode, I was invited out for a birthday supper. My left hand fingers cramped up so badly that I had to stop eating and try to straighten out my hand. Painful like never before. Impressive.

[Arthur C.]

I think I'll stop complaining about my aches and pains. Reminds me of the old saying, "I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet."

[DiLeon]

I'm reading this carefully. I'm starting to get finger cramps in my left hand. Real serious pain.
Last Saturday, out for supper. Left hand fingers cramped in directions that I have never seen before.
Had to use my right hand to spread my left hand on the table and straighten out the fingers.
Maybe no more than 5-7 minutes. Then the cramps left as fast as they came.

I have the same issue have to beat the crap out of it, to make the muscles stop balling it up at times....they figure it is the joints not working like they should and really cause the muscles to act up like that....as my hands are not the only joints that do this .....the feet are doing it now also and also legs. Yea it hurts bad. I do have finger and joint locking but it not the same thing at all. Doc says 20-minute ice packs on them if they are bad. If it lasts for a while...the muscles may tear so if you can not get it to stop....ice is better than damage. Few incidents landed me in ER cause of the extreme pain...they always pack you in ice to stop the cramps. The best way to deal with it is to get it the minute they start to hurt... this is what I do now and it normally stops it.

1. stopping any activity which is causing the hands to cramp.
2. stretching muscles.
3. massaging or rubbing the muscles.
4. applying heat or cold.
5. taking certain vitamins and supplements may be helpful,
6. increasing fluid intake, not drinking enough water does cause cramps also......

Ones I hate the most are ...ones that wake you up in the middle night yelling ouch...