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Painful, restricted thumb
I'm a joint cracker. My joints are hyper-mobile and i crack my knuckles regularly.
About 4 months ago, I tried to crack my left thumb as per normal, and instead of cracking, it just hurt.
After that time the movement of the joint gradually became more painful and restricted and it certainly no longer goes to a point where I can crack it!
After 3 months of it getting steadily more restricted and painful to bend I went to my doctor.
He prescribed anti-inflammatories which I took correctly for two weeks. They did not help, the problem in fact continued to get worse. The pain was now so sever that if the thumb was bumped or needed to support something it was excruciating. It's affecting my job as a cashier and i can't do so much as hold a plate or poor some water with my left hand.
I was sent for an ultrasound to look for problems with the tendon - it was normal.
I was then sent for an x-ray - it was also completely normal.
The x-ray seemed to be for signs of breakage or arthritis. I went back to the doctor and requested and MRI as the radiographer who worked with the ultrasound technician reccomended it as a more thorough way to check for early signs of arthritis. (I'm only 20 by the way)
My doctor wasn't keen and basically said he felt it was a waste of my time and money and said i should just learn to live with it and didn't offer a diagnosis. I'm getting it anyway, because I am not going to start accepting debilitating chronic pain at my age, and I want a diagnosis.
I have searched the internet, and there doesn't seem to be much else out there that is offered as a possible diagnosis other than problems with the tendon of some form, or arthritis, but I was hoping someone here may have some idea!
Summary;
20 year old female with thumb pain
No history of breakage or injury
Clear ultrasound and X-Ray
About 4 months ago, I tried to crack my left thumb as per normal, and instead of cracking, it just hurt.
After that time the movement of the joint gradually became more painful and restricted and it certainly no longer goes to a point where I can crack it!
After 3 months of it getting steadily more restricted and painful to bend I went to my doctor.
He prescribed anti-inflammatories which I took correctly for two weeks. They did not help, the problem in fact continued to get worse. The pain was now so sever that if the thumb was bumped or needed to support something it was excruciating. It's affecting my job as a cashier and i can't do so much as hold a plate or poor some water with my left hand.
I was sent for an ultrasound to look for problems with the tendon - it was normal.
I was then sent for an x-ray - it was also completely normal.
The x-ray seemed to be for signs of breakage or arthritis. I went back to the doctor and requested and MRI as the radiographer who worked with the ultrasound technician reccomended it as a more thorough way to check for early signs of arthritis. (I'm only 20 by the way)
My doctor wasn't keen and basically said he felt it was a waste of my time and money and said i should just learn to live with it and didn't offer a diagnosis. I'm getting it anyway, because I am not going to start accepting debilitating chronic pain at my age, and I want a diagnosis.
I have searched the internet, and there doesn't seem to be much else out there that is offered as a possible diagnosis other than problems with the tendon of some form, or arthritis, but I was hoping someone here may have some idea!
Summary;
20 year old female with thumb pain
No history of breakage or injury
Clear ultrasound and X-Ray
did you see a hand specialist? good thing to do. also consider physical therapy. maybe also add glucosamine to your diet
You should see a hand surgeon. Sounds like you could possible have arthritis or tendonitis. Tendonitis will not show up on an Xray, and im not sure that it will show up on an ultrasound. Just because you see a hand surgeon does not mean you will have surgery. They are just more knowledgeable than most doctors when it comes to the hand, because that is all they work with and what they have studied most of their lives. It sounds like you possibly have de quervain's tenosynovitis which is a common tendon disorder that is easly treatable,. I am a knuckle cracker as well, have been all of my life. I have had two operations on one hand and wrist and was just diangosed with de quervain's tenosynovitis on the other hand. So i would recommend trying to be referred to a hand surgeon. I think you will be able to get the answers and treatment you need,
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