Picture of two hands giving a thumbs up.

Thumb Pain

how to relieve thumb joint pain

Body Part:
Hand

Equipment:
Osteopressure Tool

Level:
Beginner

Roland Liebscher-Bracht in a white shirt is kindly smiling.

Roland Liebscher-Bracht

Germany’s trusted pain specialist

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Roland & Petra

THE PAIN SPECIALISTS

Over 30 years of research and hands-on experience make the Liebscher & Bracht pain therapy what it is today: an outstanding approach to naturally treating pain conditions. Making use of the mechanics of the body, it offers people the chance to free themselves of their discomfort by using unique and incredibly useful techniques. All this happens without having to rely on medication or operations.

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Liebscher & Bracht PDF Guide and Exercises about Thumb Arthritis.
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Discover the best exercises to treat your pain - for free! Join over 2.5 million people worldwide who are already using our unique therapeutic techniques. Download our FREE PDF guide with 6 simple exercises for Thumb Arthritis and see the results for yourself! Start your pain-free life now.

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How to Relieve Thumb Joint Pain: Exercises for Basal Joint Arthritis

Basal joint arthritis is a form of osteoarthritis at the base of the thumb. The basal joint is the second most common area of osteoarthritis in the hand. 1) The condition is also known as thumb arthritis and carpometacarpal osteoarthritis. Basal joint arthritis causes pain, stiffness, swelling, a weakened grip, and decreased range of motion. Our exercise routine can help reduce pain and regain mobility. All you need is the conical handle with the pointed attachment from our Osteopressure tool set. If you don’t have our tool, use a whittled cork. Jump to our exercises or keep reading to learn about the causes and symptoms of basal joint arthritis. 

The Basal Joint

The basal joint attaches the metacarpal bone of your thumb to the trapezium bone of your wrist. Also called the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint, the basal joint gives your thumb its unique and wide range of motion; your thumb is the only digit that can touch the tips of your fingers. The basal joint allows your thumb to pivot and swivel and provides the strength your thumb needs to grip, hold, and pinch. These movements are smooth and easy because of a protective tissue called cartilage that covers the ends of the metacarpal and trapezium bones. Healthy cartilage is strong, even, and flexible. Basal joint arthritis erodes the cartilage, making the surface rough. This leads to pain and joint damage.

What Causes Basal Joint Arthritis?

Basal joint arthritis is a result of the ageing process. As you get older, the cartilage covering the ends of your bones wears down. You might develop basal joint arthritis if you’ve experienced a hand injury, like a broken thumb.

Although it’s not as common as osteoarthritis in the basal joint, rheumatoid arthritis may develop. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease; your immune system attacks the lining of your joints, leading to joint pain and inflammation.

Symptoms of Basal Joint Arthritis

The most common symptoms of basal joint arthritis are pain, tenderness, and stiffness in the fleshy pillow at the base of your thumb. Symptoms may be mild at first and intensify with time. Additional signs of basal joint arthritis are:

  • Fine motor skills like turning doorknobs or keys, fastening buttons, pulling zippers, and opening or closing containers are painful or, in severe cases, impossible.
  • A weakened grip.
  • A decreased range of motion.
  • The joint at the base of your thumb looks larger, or there’s a bony protrusion.
  • You’ve stopped using your thumb to avoid pain.

Risk Factors

Because basal joint arthritis is linked to ageing, the chances of developing the condition increase as you get older. You may be at risk of basal joint arthritis if:

  • You have arthritis in other joints.
  • Arthritis runs in your family.
  • Your joints are hypermobile (joint laxity).
  • You were assigned female at birth.
  • You are overweight or obese.
  • Your thumb joint is continually under stress because of your job.
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thumb joint pain exercises

Roland Liebscher-Bracht is pressing the Osteopressure tool into his right hand

Exercise 1: Osteopressure for the Thenar Eminence

  • Turn the palm of your affected hand towards the ceiling.
  • Take hold of your affected hand with your opposite hand. 
  • Place your thumb at the base of your affected thumb.
  • Wiggle your affected thumb back and forth; feel around with your opposite thumb to locate the point where your muscles are flexing.
  • Next to the muscle, you’ll feel a bone. Press the Osteopressure tool here.
  • Be mindful that you’re pressing the bone and not the muscle.
A woman is pressing her hand onto the Osteopressure tool
  • Put the Osteopressur tool on the floor or a table.
  • Place your affected hand on top of the Osteopressure tool so the tip is against the area you just pressed.
  • Put your opposite hand on top of your hand and press.
  • Press for 2 minutes.
  • As soon as you feel the pain subside, reposition your hand so that you are pressing the bone from a different angle.
  • Finish.
  • Repeat on the other hand if necessary.
A woman is pulling her left thumb backward.

Exercise 2: Thumb Stretch

  • Straighten the arm of your affected hand. 
  • Rotate your arm outward so your palm is facing up.
  • Bend your wrist down to a 90° angle.
  • Reach under your hand with your opposite hand. Grab your thumb and pull back.
  • You’ll feel a stretch in your thenar muscles, which are the muscles surrounding the affected joint.
  • On each exhale, intensify the stretch by pulling your thumb a bit further back.
  • Stretch for about 3 minutes.
  • Slowly release your thumb and wiggle your fingers.
  • Finish, and repeat on the other hand if necessary.

Your Routine For Relieving Pain

Do our exercises for basal joint arthritis 6 days a week and leave 1 day for rest. When your pain subsides, and you regain your range of motion, you can adjust how often you exercise. 

Sources & Studies

  • ↑1 Weiss, A. C., & Goodman, A. D. (2018). Thumb Basal Joint Arthritis. The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 26(16), 562–571. https://doi.org/10.5435/JAAOS-D-17-00374

Get More Exercises For Thumb Arthritis

Download our FREE PDF GUIDE and start relieving thumb arthritis pain now.
Liebscher & Bracht PDF Guide and Exercises about Thumb Arthritis.
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