Basal Joint Arthritis

As you age, you become more susceptible to different types of diseases or illness especially if you don’t eat a proper diet. At the age of 40 and above, arthritis is a very common disability. Women at that age often experience stiffness and pain at the base of the thumb and this can actually impair the movement of both hands. This type of stiffness is usually caused by arthritis and actually has a fancy name – basal joint arthritis.

This type of arthritis can be exceedingly inconvenient (not to mention painful) since your hands are used for everyday activities. Everything from opening pill bottles to carrying groceries to reading a book requires the use of your thumb so you can imagine how hard it would be to manage your daily activities with thumb joint pain.

Basal joint arthritis takes effect on the base point of thumb and causes joint pain if the patient will try to hold or pinch or grasp something. This kind of arthritis is a form of osteoarthritis which can be very painful since it may affect both hands of the patient. The structure of the hand is a very good way to see how important the thumb is – just for brief background, the thumb is composed of two bones, the bones are interconnected with the phalanges and the wrist bone so it is very important when it comes to hold or grip.

If basal joint arthritis is diagnosed early enough, you may be able to treat it without surgery. Your doctor might put you in a splint for several weeks to limit movement and give you anti inflammatory drugs. If that doesn’t work, then your basal joint can be rebuilt with surgery.