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Old 08-27-2016, 10:56 PM
Daveyo Daveyo is offline
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Default Weird question,anyone sprain their thumb before?

I seem to have sprained my thumb and it is healing very slowly
Frustrating, I want to play guitar ,but I can only play open chords, no barre.
this happen to any one before? and any advice on how to heal it faster?
Dave
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Old 08-27-2016, 11:20 PM
5th Element 5th Element is offline
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I sprained my thumb earlier this year (just got into playing acoustic, got over-eager and pushed a little too hard). What worked for me was ice, arnica gel, and letting it heal without aggravating it further. That meant taking it real easy with the guitar for the first week or so, then ramping back up slowly. Every case probably is a little different. The main thing is to not make it worse.
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Old 08-27-2016, 11:58 PM
gmm55 gmm55 is offline
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Disclaimer: I am not a doctor.

I have a lot of repetitive strain in my hands, which is for all intents and purposes, sprains that have healed poorly, often through mistreatment (read as being treated with very old fashioned conventional medical practices that still continue, but are not accepted by newer practitioners) Through reading the opinions of more up-to-date orthopedic surgeons, I have distilled some information that was vital to me. Stay away from NSAID's, as they interfere with the healing process of injured tendons and ligaments, which are notoriously slow to heal. If you need painkillers, Tylenol is best (if you're not allergic) as it is not an NSAID. Cold might occasionally be called for in acute cases, but even then only in the first 24 hours or when there is a great deal of swelling. After acute phase, what you want is good blood circulation to the area of injury, and good circulation is reduced with applying ice, because blood vessels constrict and reduce flow. Heat is best as blood vessels dilate and increase blood flow to the injured area. Rest is recommended.

Last edited by gmm55; 08-28-2016 at 12:07 AM.
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Old 08-28-2016, 06:25 AM
buddyhu buddyhu is offline
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When you say "I seem to have sprained my thumb", it gets me to wondering whether you have actually sprained it. When I have sprained my thumb, it hurt in a very noticeable way when I injured it. Whereas there have been other painful sensations in recent years that feel similar to a sprain, but are not (e.g. temporary inflammation of a joint related to repetitive motion, muscle tension, and/or initial onset of mild arthritis).

The best remedy depends entirely on what is actually going on in your hand. But, as a general rule, applying heat or cold (or alternating the two) to make things feel better (and to address inflammation) is probably good, though if you use it to "push through" discomfort, even that might not be smart.

I think it is time for you to do some research about your symptoms in order to get a more precise guess about what is going on, and to become educated about the range of treatments that you may wish to try.
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Old 08-28-2016, 07:31 AM
DCCougar DCCougar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daveyo View Post
I seem to have sprained my thumb and it is healing very slowly...
My left thumb has been "sprained" for, like, the past year, apparently due to repetitive motion. I finally went in and had it x-rayed. Yep, there's a bit of a problem in the joint. The "pad" keeping the two bones apart is worn down. One bone has slipped out of alignment a bit. The ortho doc said to get a thumb brace and gave me a 2-week prescription for meloxicam, an anti-inflammatory. Another option is to have a steroid shot into that joint. The final option is surgery. The pain is not completely gone, but I think it's better. And I can actually play the guitar with the thumb brace. I can play longer even without it. The thumb get a heck of a lot of use and torque.
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