You should try to practice the exercises 10 times each, 4 times per day. Lift your thumb upwards so that it lifts off the table.Īll photos with kind permission of ©Physiotec™ Lastly put your hand flat on the table palm downwards Try to take your thumb out as wide as you can and feel it stretching gently.ĥ. Next point your hand forward as shown in the picture. Move your thumb sideways away from your palm as far as you can and feel it stretching gentlyĤ. Hold your hand upright palm facing away from you Repeat the same exercise as described above while touching your thumb to your middle finger, then your ring finger and finally your little finger. Each time hold the stretch 10 seconds.ģ. Now slide your thumb down this finger as far as possible until you feel it stretching. Touch your thumb to the tip of the index finger on the same hand. Now straighten this joint as if you were doing the thumbs up motion. Hold your thumb with your other hand so that all you can move is the end joint.īend the end joint of your thumb as far as you can and feel it stretching. The exercises below will help you to regain full function, flexibility and strength.ġ. It is possible you may suffer symptoms for up to three months.Īfter 72 hours it is very important you try to start using your hand normally again especially when doing everyday tasks like washing, dressing and eating. However, everyone recovers from injuries at different rates and it is dependent on the severity of the injury and the presence of any other medical problems. If you follow this basic advice your injury should take around six weeks to heal. It is important to note that smoking may also delay the healing process. What not to doĬonsuming alcohol, massaging the injured area and applying heat can all be detrimental in the early stages of healing and therefore should be avoided. In this position point your hand towards the ceiling then open and close your hand as this will further help to reduce any swelling. If you have swelling in your thumb, sit on a chair and place your elbow on cushions so that it is level or slightly higher than your shoulder. Unless otherwise advised the bandage should be removed when you go to bed at night because when you are asleep you cannot monitor these symptoms. It is important this is removed if you develop any signs of poor circulation such as tingling, numbness, blueness of the skin of the thumb and increasing pain. You may have been given a special compression bandage to wear to help control swelling in your thumb. the area becomes excessively painful, numb or tingles.the area becomes white, blue or blotchy.where you can feel hot and cold.ĭo not apply an ice pack to an area that has poor circulation.ĭuring ice application check the skin every five minutes and discontinue its use if: Only use an ice pack on areas that have normal skin sensation i.e. Whichever method you choose it is important that you wrap the ice in a damp towel, in order to prevent it from ‘burning’ the skin. There are many different ways in which ice can be applied however it believed crushed ice, in the form of frozen peas for example, is the most effective. Ice will help reduce the pain in your thumb and so should be applied for 10 – 15 minutes. Ensure you continue to move your fingers and wrist as normal as it is common for these joints to quickly become stiff. The most important initial treatment is aimed at controlling the pain and swelling by following the principles of RICE: R – RestĬomplete rest is not advisable but it is important that you prevent putting the thumb under strain in the early stages of healing. What should I do in the first 72 hours after the injury? If you have allergies or conditions which prevent the use of pain relieving or anti-inflammatory medication, please seek advice from your doctor or a pharmacist. To manage your pain it is advised that you regularly take simple pain relief which can be brought over the counter. What are the symptoms?Ī soft tissue injury to the thumb may result in: Injuries to the soft tissue surrounding the thumb are usually caused by a forceful stretch when landing awkwardly on the hand or direct blow for example when playing ball sports. The term soft tissue refers to muscles, ligaments and tendons that surround and support our joints. If after reading it you have any concerns or require further explanation, please discuss this with a member of the healthcare team. It is not intended to replace the discussion between you and the healthcare team but may act as a starting point for discussion. Most of your questions should be answered by this leaflet. This leaflet has been produced to give you general information about your injury. Need some help choosing a language? Please refer to Browsealoud Supported Voices and Languages. You can translate this page by using the headphones button (bottom left) and then select the globe to change the language of the page.
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