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Thumb pain

  • 1.  Thumb pain

    Member
    Posted 03-15-2023 15:42

    Greetings all.

    I'm starting to have to deal with arthritis. Last year I got a titanium hip, which is working very nicely, but now my right thumb, the joint at the base of the thumb (Carpometacarpal CMC Joint), is starting to complain frequently. (RIP David Andersen)

    My doc just suggested wearing some kind of "thumb spica splint" to help manage flashes of pain. I googled this. My immediate reaction is that I think it would be a hindrance because I use my hands, both of them, all the time, when I play or tune or repair as well as all the normal uses of my right thumb. Do any of you use some kind of hand brace for arthritic thumb pain? 



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    Jason Kanter
    Lynnwood WA
    (425) 830-1561
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  • 2.  RE: Thumb pain

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-15-2023 17:45

    I haven't used a thumb splint in many years, but they can be very helpful. Even if you find it "too much hassle" when you're doing certain things (tuning, typing, whatever) you may benefit from wearing it at other times - usually including while you're asleep. Most important is REST. A few decades ago, suffering from tendonosis (which is more severe than tendinitis) in my wrists, thumbs, and elbows, I elected to get an MA in Chinese literature rather than stare at a wall for years. After getting the degree, my body had healed up pretty well, and I went back to my trade.  



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    Patrick Draine RPT
    Billerica MA
    (978) 663-9690
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  • 3.  RE: Thumb pain

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-15-2023 17:48
    Hi Jason, 

    I too have joint pain in three fingers of my right hand, though not the thumb, which is osteoarthritis due to repetitive stress, mainly from tuning. I don't know anything about splints, but for pain relief, I can recommend Voltaren. 

    Voltaren is a gel whose active ingredient is diclofenac, an NSAID which targets arthritis, and both relieves pain and reduces inflammation and swelling. It absorbs and works quickly, is non-greasy, and has very low odor. 

    It's available over the counter in a 1% concentration. There are stronger formulas of 2.3% and 3%, but getting these is somewhat tricky. I get the 2.3% from Canada (via a friend) where it's otc and cheaper (at about $35) than the 1% that's available otc in the states. I got a prescription from my doc for 3%, but my insurance refused to cover any part of it, and I was offered the "opportunity" to buy it cash for $1,200! Um, no thanks ... (muttering about highway robbery) ... 

    Anyway, it does work well, and IHTH. 

    Mark Schecter, RPT
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  • 4.  RE: Thumb pain

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-15-2023 19:43

    Also, I hope you have a Reyburn impact lever for uprights, and a Levitan C-lever for grands. Be kind to your body.



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    Patrick Draine RPT
    Billerica MA
    (978) 663-9690
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  • 5.  RE: Thumb pain

    Posted 03-16-2023 09:59

    My Dr recommended Turmeric oils for joint treatment of inflammation. He is the Chief Medical Officer and cervical surgeon at Barrow Brain and Spine in Phoenix. They are one of the top 50 hospitals in the the world. Internally you take curcumin. 

    For a nsaid use Ben Gay. The menthol has salicylic acid which is aspirin. It's the natural form.



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    Keith Roberts
    owner
    Hathaway Pines CA
    (209) 770-4312
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  • 6.  RE: Thumb pain

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-16-2023 19:28

    Jason, 

    Since others have already broached the idea of things that can be taken to relieve your arthritic pain, I will add that since I started taking MSM, glucosamine/chondroitin and hyluronic acid (in addition to the fish oil and turmeric I was already taking), I am able to do most everything that I could do before the arthritis set in, pain free.

    YMMV

    Alan 



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    Alan Eder, RPT
    Herb Alpert School of Music
    California Institute of the Arts
    Valencia, CA
    661.904.6483
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Thumb pain

    Posted 03-17-2023 22:01
    I have had CMC arthritis for years now.  I ve had cortisone shots in both hands and it helps for about 6 months.  I also get arthritis gloves from Medicare that are very comfortable and I use them even when I golf.

    CBC oil works as well as Asper cream .
    It s a pain to get old but you got to keep moving.



    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Thumb pain

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-16-2023 10:35
    It would be worthwhile to consult THE TRIGGER POINT THERAPY WORKBOOK, Jason. Thanks are due to the late Clair Davies for his work in creating this guide to pain relief. There are a number of muscles in both the hand and forearm that could contribute to your pain symptoms. And pain can also be referred from remote points, e.g., the scalenes which connect certain vertebrae to the first rib can pull the rib against the collarbone, squeezing the nerves and blood vessels which pass between them. This can cause finger numbness.

    Bob Anderson, RPT
    Tucson, AZ




  • 9.  RE: Thumb pain

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-16-2023 11:22

    For those who don't know, Clair Davies was an RPT and rebuilder here in Lexington, KY. His book was the fruit of his own difficulty with work related pain. His daughter Amber Davies is a massage therapist specializing in trigger point techniques and has updated the book twice I believe.



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    John Pope
    University of Kentucky School of Music
    Lexington, KY
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    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Thumb pain

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-16-2023 11:39

    Clair also wrote a series of Journal articles on the subject.



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    John Pope
    University of Kentucky School of Music
    Lexington, KY
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    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Thumb pain

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 03-18-2023 00:20

    You might want to contact Scott Johnson RPT in Auburn CA: scottj@johnsonpianoservice.com I know that he has a similiar bass of the thump problem and think he uses a splint when he tunes. Contact him. I'm quite sure that he can be helpful. He should be in the directory if you want to give him a call.



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    Tremaine Parsons RPT
    Georgetown CA
    (530) 333-9299
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    Original Message