GF cant move thumb properly...

[tvradict]

The last 2 or 3 mornings my GF has woekn up and been unable to move one, or in yesterdays case, both of her thumbs. This morning its her right thumb causing problems.

THe thumb is sort of stuck as far into her palm as it can go. The only way to move it is to pull it and that is very painful.

Anyone got any ideas what it could be. I tried a search but didnt come up with anything useful

TIA
Stuart.

[Matt Evans]

Tendonitis maybe? Has she got any swelling?

[tvradict]

There is a little bit of swelling between the thumb and index finger.

The pain has eased a bit, just seems to be aching now.

[anonymous-user]

Stop the dodgy sex games!

[Glocko]

[shakotan]

Glocko said:

Showoff!

[Silent1]

Trapped nerve in her neck?

If i sleep funny it feels like all the tendons in my arm are too short so i can't move my left arm at all without agony.

[TristanGardner]

Has she recently changed her job or started driving a new car or something similar which has changed how she uses her hands?

Any pain or is it just loss of movement?

Very difficult to make suggestions without actually looking at the thumbs.

Tris

[tvradict]

Thanks for all the replies.

Shes been doing the job shes in now for over 2 years, had the car for a long time too.

Now she says there is no pain now, just feels numb.

Shes made an appointment to see the doctor tomorrow. I say suffering pain and loss on movement in your hand is an emergency, not according to the local GP.

[jules_s]

I've got/had similar symptoms.

Initially they thought it was tendonitus, then carpal tunnel sydrome.

Finially, they have concluded (sort of diagnosed/guessed it is) DeQuervains syndrome.

The OH peeps at the rheumatology dept I visit (ive got ankylosing spondlylitis) assume that its related to my AS, as my thumbs only really hurt last time the AS flared up.

With DeQuervains, your tendons tend to revert back to the thumb being held into the palm during sleep as your missus has.

The good news is it's easily cured with a nice wrist/thumb splint.

Bad news is you wont be seeing any sort of hand job action

[drfrank]

As a surgeon who operates on hands a fair bit this sounds like it could be a trigger thumb, wear and tear on the tendon as it runs through the pulley system can cause it to stick. A steroid injection can sometimes work, alternatively release of the proximal pulley under local anaesthetic will do the trick.

If it is bothersome ask the GP to refer her to local plastic surgeon.

(it could be De Quervains but it tends to be extremely painful, exacerbated by flexing the thumb into the palm)

[jules_s]

drfrank said:

(it could be De Quervains but it tends to be extremely painful, exacerbated by flexing the thumb into the palm)

It is a tad painful (nothing on the AS though)

I was told De Quervains usually presents by the OP's symptoms, and a splint would hold the thumb outwards away from the palm.

Either way, agreed with your comments about how to make it hurt.....as a sort of mini diagnosis.

A/. Hold hand in a 'chopping' position

B/. Form a fist with your thumb inside your fingers

C/. Rotate wrist downwards so your pinkie gets nearer to the ground.

If some yelping ensues, you know you are narrowing the diagnosis down

[drfrank]

Finkelstein's Test !

(you couldn't make it up ! )

[The_Doc]

drfrank said:

Finkelstein's Test !

(you couldn't make it up ! )

agreed.

but the symptoms sound more like trigger thumb.
Bilaterality sounds like a systemic cause for flare up in on both sides,

'ormones I say.

go and see a surgeon.

[silverthorn2151]

Well, I used the search function and found I'm not the first in the parish to have a spot of trigger thumb.

Right pain in the butt, well, thumb. I know I will need a jab to sort it properly but I wondered if anyone can suggest some exercises that might help until the NHS machine grinds it way towards my little hands.

Thank you muchly in advance.