The thumb is exceptionally mobile. This large range of motion allows us to grab and hold something, but the same mobility also makes the joint more vulnerable to wear and tear.
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Why does the thumb wear out?
Complaints of thumb wear
Osteoarthritis or wear and tear of the thumb joint is a common cause of thumb pain and can be experienced as disabling. Many daily actions are painful, such as:
- holding a cup
- unscrew a lid
- write
- lifting a grandchild
The patient often also notices a loss of hand strength during these movements. The thumb often feels swollen and stiff.
The usual treatments
Standard treatments include anti-inflammatories, in tablet form or as an injection. These can temporarily relieve the pain, but in the vast majority of cases they have no lasting effect. Some people wear a brace to support the thumb; others are referred to a hand surgeon for joint replacement surgery.
We see many people who do not want to keep taking painkillers or walk around with a brace, but for whom surgery is a step too far. They are looking for a non-surgical treatment.
Prolotherapy for thumb osteoarthritis
Prolotherapy is a safe treatment that can help with pain from thumb osteoarthritis; how well varies from person to person. We use this treatment frequently, also for pain from osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, ankle and back.
Prolotherapy stimulates the body’s own healing response to help the painful structures in and around the thumb joint heal. For many people this means less pain, better mobility and less swelling around the thumb joint; how much varies from person to person.
Additional: an injection with hyaluronic acid
In some patients this is not enough, especially if the joint has become stiff due to cartilage wear. In those cases we additionally use an injection with a lubricant (hyaluronic acid). This provides lubrication to the joint and acts as a shock absorber between the two cartilage surfaces.
The aim of these treatments is long-term pain relief and strengthening and relaxing the thumb joint.
Recognizable symptoms
- Pain when holding a cup
- Pain when unscrewing a lid
- Pain when writing
- Pain when picking up a grandchild
- Loss of strength in the hand
- A swollen and stiff thumb
Scientific references (2)
- Spaans AJ, van Minnen LP, Kon M, Schuurman AH, Schreuders AR, Vermeulen GM.Conservative treatment of thumb base osteoarthritis: a systematic review. J HandSurg Am. 2015 Jan;40(1):16-21.e1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2014.08.047. Review.PubMed PMID: 25534834.
- Reeves KD, Hassanein K. Randomized, prospective, placebo-controlled double-blind study of dextrose prolotherapy for osteoarthritic thumb and finger (DIP, PIP, and trapeziometacarpal) joints: evidence of clinical efficacy. J Altern Complement Med. 2000 Aug;6(4):311-20. PubMed PMID: 10976977.
