There are many causes of thumb pain. You can often ease the pain yourself. But contact your GP if the pain does not improve.
Common causes of thumb pain
Some of the common causes of thumb pain include:
- a sprain - trouble moving your thumb with pain, swelling or bruising from an injury
- tendonitis - pain and swelling from repetitive movements
- arthritis - aching joints in your thumb
- carpal tunnel syndrome - aching pain with numbness or difficulty gripping things
- trigger thumb - soreness at base of your thumb with a clicking noise when you move it
- a broken thumb - sudden sharp pain and swelling, usually from an injury
How you can ease thumb pain
There are things you can do to help ease a sore thumb.
Do
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rest your thumb when you can
-
put an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas) in a towel and place it on your thumb for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours
-
take off any jewellery if your thumb looks swollen
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avoid activities that cause the pain - for example, typing, using vibrating tools for work, or playing an instrument
-
wear a splint to support your thumb and ease pain, especially at night - you can get these at most pharmacies
-
consider taping something like a pen or lollipop stick to your thumb - this will keep it in place until you can get a splint
-
use gadgets or tools to make difficult or painful tasks easier - for example, to open jars or chop vegetables
Don't
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do not use ibuprofen in the first 48 hours after an injury
-
do not use heat packs or have hot baths for the first 2 to 3 days after an injury
-
do not lift heavy objects or grip anything too tightly
A pharmacist can help
Your pharmacist can tell you:
- what painkiller to take
- the best splint to support your thumb and ease pain - flexible rubber splints are useful if you need to use your thumb
- if you need to see a GP
Non-urgent advice: Contact your GP if:
- the pain is severe or stops you doing normal activities
- the pain is getting worse or keeps coming back
- the pain has not improved after treating it at home for 2 weeks
- you have tingling or loss of sensation in your hand or thumb
- you have diabetes - hand problems can be more serious if you have diabetes
Emergency action required: Go to an injury unit or emergency department (ED) if you:
- have severe pain
- feel faint, dizzy or sick from the pain
- heard a snap, grinding or popping noise at the time of the injury
- cannot move your thumb or hold things
- notice a change in the shape or colour of your thumb
What we mean by severe pain
Severe pain:
- always there and so bad it's hard to think or talk
- you cannot sleep
- it's very hard to move, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, wash or dress
- you cannot work due to the pain
Moderate pain:
- always there
- makes it hard to concentrate or sleep
- you can manage to get up, wash or dress
Mild pain:
- comes and goes
- is annoying but does not stop you from doing things like going to work
Content supplied by the NHS and adapted for Ireland by the HSE
