1. Pain at the base of the thumb
- Author
-
David Dickson, Robert Farnell, and Claire C L Dickson
- Subjects
musculoskeletal diseases ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Postmenopausal women ,business.industry ,Pain ,General Medicine ,Osteoarthritis ,Thumb ,Pain management ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,body regions ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Carpometacarpal joint ,Finger Joint ,medicine ,Physical therapy ,Humans ,Pain Management ,Finger joint ,Female ,Joint Diseases ,business ,Physical Examination - Abstract
The bottom line A woman in her 60s presents with progressive pain at the base of her thumb, which is exacerbated by writing, lifting pans, and turning door handles. Osteoarthritis at the base of the thumb (the carpometacarpal joint) is common, usually idiopathic, and mostly affects postmenopausal women. The joint is subjected to considerable forces, particularly during pinching and gripping, making it prone to osteoarthritis. Take a focused pain history: ### Alternative or concomitant diagnoses to consider
- Published
- 2015