Thumb joint arthritis
 

Has anyone had successful treatment for arthritis in the thumb joint? I am missing tennis and golf as well as problems cooking. I am currently wearing a brace but it's not helping.

My wife took up knitting again when her thumbs got bad, as she found that immobility made them worse.
Initially you have to work through the pain, but the improvement was quite remarkable.
She also takes Green Lipped Mussel extract, and that has helped as well.
Worked for her.

Both the Admiral & myself, use Dr. David Feiner, he is in Clermont--I get shots as needed--he spends a lot of time with his patients- is younger and knows the latest techniques--the Admiral also uses diclofenac sodium gel 1% on her thumb--she plays pickle ball, masters tennis & goes to a power class @ MVP

I went to Dr Cynthia Harding in Lady Lake... she helped me with a shot and feels great now.. don't be alarmed she doesn't have your typical Dr's office.. she has her pet dogs there... I read a lot of reviews and everyone had nothing but good things to say

Thumb problem
 

Had the same problem and got shots but after a while they no longer worked. Had surgery in September and i am still taking pt. It is a long recovery period

Thumb
 

I was treated locally for arthritis, shots every 2-3 months. Got tired of this and went to Mayo Clinic to DR Peter Murry. He diagnosed Trigger Finger after giving me an X Ray, which none of the "Shot Doctors" of the Villages did. He froze my thumb area and gave me a series of shots to loosen up the constriction. That was over 5 years ago and no problem since. Good Luck JOJO I hope you find relief. Len

The Admiral & myself went to Dr. Hardings office, we never saw her , saw a PA & an associate--the office is always packed, no x-ray in the office--we decided to venture outside the bubble, it works for us

Also trigger finger is TOTALLY different from arthritic joint pain--how do I know--I have had trigger finger release surgery

My Point exactly I was treated for arthritis for 2 years in the Villages, I had Trigger Finger which is completely different. Once diagnosed correctly and treated properly It was fixed. I wonder how many people are diagnosed wrong.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm open to anything.

An alternative treatment is a TENS (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) device. I have thumb and finger arthritis and I self treat with a TENS device at 2 to 3 to 4 week intervals whenever it starts to cause me too much discomfort. A day later the arthritis pain is totally gone. I was initially concerned about the "electrocution" as stated by the naysayers, but I checked with my cardiologist because I have AFIB. He said it is a proven treatment and to go ahead. TENS devices are very reasonably priced on Amazon.

That is interesting. Thanks.

I've had pretty good luck using Arnica Gel.
 

You can get Arnica Gel at CVS, Target, etc. for about $10/tube. It's helped me.

I use Catherine
Sullivan specialty health care for my problem that turned out to be sudo gout.

Thumb Arthritis
 

I have heard that a lot of people have had success with CBD balm.

I had the surgery about 2 1/2 years ago. Mine did not go well, however it is functional now, but still have a little pain. Not bad and does not prohibit any activities. There is a new procedure that I understand that heals much faster. I was out of golf about a year. Sorry,,, hope you find a good dr.

I also have the joint pain from arthritis. My suggestion is go to a hand surgeon. They are aware of the newest techniques and procedures. I have been getting the shots for about 4 years but the positive effect from the shots do not last that long anymore. I am contemplating having the surgery on my non dominant hand (left) in the summer. My surgeon is on Long Island so I can not recommend a doctor in TV. The doctor told me he has a 100% success rate with the surgery but there is a long recovery period. 4 weeks in a cast and then in a brace until no longer needed.

I had Basel joint reconstruction in both thumb joints. See a hand specialist for consultation.

I have found the best thing is to keep moving, any way you can. Painful to start, but it gets better in time. Start slowly and give it time.

I went gluten free to cure my indigestion, and found that after 1.5 years my arthritis started going away. Now after 5 years it is gone in both thumbs and all fingers except one. It is a lifestyle change, so you may not want to do it.

Have you considered changing your diet? Sounds like you've been eating some foods that your body does not agree with and cannot heal itself as fast as you're taking in inflammatory foods/beverages. Google Dr Steve Gundry, MD and you'll find lots of info.

I’ve had a joint replacement on both hands for the joint closest to the wrist. They were so bad that I couldn’t shake hands, button or zip. The procedure was called CMC thumb arthroplasty joint replacement. It is a long recovery as the joint can’t be used for 3 months.

I can’t recommend a surgeon because it was in NY, but do watch out for the procedure.

The first hand, the Surgeon removed a slice of a tendon from the forearm to use for the joint. I would not recommend this surgery as you had a cast up to your elbow, and when the cast came off all the joints were frozen. Very difficult recovery.

The second surgery they developed a joint from some type of maternal and can’t move the joint for 3 months, but instead of a cast, it was a small removable prefabricated (I forget the name) item that prevents the thumb joint from moving, and I had use of my wrist, fingers and tip of the thumb. Much better recovery.

Both hands are doing great. No problems. It’s been 7 and 9 years since the surgery.