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Is this a sign of Arthritis or something else?

Hello, I've been having muscular pain in my left hand, mainly the thumb and index finger, which radiates down the inside of the forearm but not all the way to the elbow. I still have full mobility and sensation and can still grip stuff, there is no numbness or tingling. It has persisted for over a week now, and seems to come and go, and feel better at some times than others. I do get the odd day where my left elbow and knee feels really stiff and sore but still has full mobility. Ibuprofen and aspirin have only been of limited effect.

I'm a 38 year old male, not overweight, work out 4 times a week but work a desk job. If its not arthritis what else could it be?
I don't want to have to take NSAIDS everyday since they apparently increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes (although inflammation plays a role in such things so I don't get how an ANTI-inflammatory can increase the risk of these things?
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15695260 tn?1549593113
Hello and welcome to the forum.  This has been going on for awhile then?  The best thing to do is to check in with your doctor. While arthritis could be the cause, there are other things to look into.  https://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/guide/de-quervains-disease  Querains disease is something I'd consider finding out if your symptoms could be attributed to this.  Sometimes referred to as 'gamer's thumb' it can be caused by any repetititve motion or injury as well as other things.  Nsaids are often the start of treatment and then it moves on to splint and physical therapy.  Another possibility is that this is actually going the other way, that the issue is in your forearm such as a pinched nerve and moving down to the thumb and index finger.  I suggest you see your doctor to help sort this out. Let us know what they say.
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Avatar universal
The pain you describe affecting the thumb and index finger is in the distribution of the median nerve, which can be compressed in the setting of repetitive stress injury such as carpal tunnel syndrome. If your symptoms persist, please see your doctor to confirm this diagnosis and rule out other neurologic, musculoskeletal, and vascular conditions.
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