Its been a good month, at least, that my thumb hurts! It's right on top where it bends and somedays it hurts all the way down. But for the most part only on top. Arthritis runs in my family, my mom has it bad in a lot of places. But I'm thinking I'm too young for that? Could it be tendinitis? but I seriously dont use my thumb in a certain way so much to think its that. I dont know! it just really really really sucks having this issue. last night in the middle of the night i tried pulling my sheet from under me and used my bad thumb and I just felt a shock of pain! right now I got it wrapped and put some Ben Gay on it.....
My first instinct is to see a doctor, but if I remember correctly, you are in between insurance right now (maybe I'm mixing you up with someone else?) Could you get a brace for it for a week or so and see if it clears up? It could very well be a slight sprain that just needs time to heal.
I would go with the brace suggestion to see if immobilizing it makes a difference. However, my mom started getting arthritis symptoms in her 20s - it runs in our family too - so don't rule it out. Do some research and see what kind of alternative/natural remedies there might be. I'm thinking MSM, maybe niacin (vitamin B3)?
Thanks Suasoria! I will do my homework when I get a chance. I guess I'm actually not that young, I feel much younger though..... till I start having thumb issues! lol I just can start to freak myself out
Take a trip to your local drug store or Target and get a brace. This will at least give you a chance to rest the thumb. I get tendinitis in my wrist when I lift weights incorrectly and it takes a week or two of wearing a wrist brace to get it back to normal. My SIL has carpal in both her wrists and she ices them down when it gets too bad.
I've hurt of people getting tendinitis in the thumbs from texting, but maybe you also just pulled it and didn't really notice (heck, maybe your sleeping on it "wrong" or something?) Try treating the simpler possibility first before you begin to worry about possibly having arthritis.
Maybe you broke your thumb. If you hit any finger a just hard enough, it can break. I broke my pinky last summer when I slammed it against a corner of a dashboard. I used a brace for a about a week and avoided using it as much as possible.