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Old 10-29-2016, 06:04 AM
John F. John F. is offline
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Default Thumb Joint Arthritis - Anybody have surgery?

The joint at the base of my left thumb has gotten slowly worse over the last few years. It's gotten to the point where I hardly play guitar anymore (no barre chords, and it just hurts to play), and a few other mundane daily tasks have gotten hard to do. The Dr. tried cortisone and it only helped for about 2 weeks.

I went back to the Dr. last week, and he recommended surgery. The pre-op orders say "Arthroplasty CMC joint tendon transfer flexor carpi raidialis." The surgery is scheduled for 12/27, then 6 weeks in some sort of cast/splint, then PT, then hopefully my thumb will work again. He said he basically cuts out the thumb joint, and replaces it with tendons or whatever (from me--nothing mechanical).

Anybody here have this done? I'd really like to hear about it.

Thanks-

John
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Old 10-29-2016, 06:24 AM
jdinco jdinco is offline
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I have the same problem on my right thumb. Dr said surgery is the best solution, but until the thumb started closing/pulling in I could put it off, he gave me a shot in the joint and it has not bothered me since. A temp solution I know, but it really helped the pain. I can see the thumb "pulling in", so I expect surgery in a year. If it goes too long, they can't fix it. The thumb joint is the most common area for arthritis.
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Old 10-29-2016, 06:33 AM
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Yes... exact procedure 8 months ago.
95% strength and mobility are back. 100% pain free

PM your phone number and I will tell you all about it.

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Old 10-29-2016, 06:43 AM
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It's interesting that they had to open up your forearm. Did they do a tendon transfer or something? I have to admit I'm not familiar with the details of that surgery.
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Old 10-29-2016, 06:56 AM
Wyllys Wyllys is offline
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Best of luck to you!

I have experienced some thumb joint pain as you describe as well as other situations for which folks commonly seek surgical relief (carpal tunnel, back pain) but have had success just doing the PT which normally follows surgery, relying on chiropractic, massage, accupuncture and diet.

It has worked out that...in my case...I've been able to avoid the knife. Knock on wood.
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Old 10-29-2016, 07:25 AM
musicman1951 musicman1951 is offline
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My wife (piano player) had it done a few years ago and her immediate response was, "Don't do it!" Needless to say, her experience was not as successful as the one the Godfather had.

Good luck.
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Old 10-29-2016, 10:55 AM
dadio917 dadio917 is offline
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Probably shouldn't do this post because it sounds dumb, but will anyways.

I was starting to think about talking to a surgeon about my left thumb and middle finger trigger pain. Did some PT and got exercises. One thing that worked was to rub it with a wine cork....or maybe it was the wine?

Anyways...about a year ago I heard David Ludwig on science Friday talk about his research on diet and describe the eating style he recommended in a new book called "the always hungry diet". I had been trying to loose a few pounds and also improve my blood work so gave it a try. For me it translated into cutting out most processed grains and eating a little more fat.

So both my wife and I lost about 10 pounds and I was amazed at my last blood test. Triglycerides went down by 2/3, good cholesterol up and bad down.

here's the thing relative this thread....a month ago I was talking to someone else trying the diet and he mentioned the arthritis pain in his hands had dropped by 80%. I then realized that mine had as well. I'd say my pain level was 7/10 and now maybe 2/10 when stressed and often not noticeable. I thought it was from PT but now believe its the diet. I've since read that many people on paleo diets notice a similar effect.

I've not found any scientific studies so maybe its a fluke and I don't know how long it will last since aging never stops. But its manageable now and am very happy about it.
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Old 10-29-2016, 07:04 PM
DanleyJ DanleyJ is offline
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I, too, have a similar issue with both thumbs. My right thumb has been a problem on and off for over a year. Hasn't really caused any major issues except occasionally when finger picking. My left thumb started up about a month ago and has gotten so bad I cannot hook my thumb over the neck for F shaped chords. So I work around this but barring chords and placing my thumb tip against the center of the guitar neck causes a lot of pain. I cannot bend at the first joint without pain. Some slow squeezing exercises help to loosen up the joint but its only temporary relief. I think I've got a doctor's visit in my near future and I'm not crazy about what may be ahead. I would also like to hear more from anyone who is going through this, too.
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Old 10-30-2016, 05:20 AM
godfreydaniel godfreydaniel is offline
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I have CMC joint arthritis in my left thumb. An occupational therapist my wife knows (my wife's a physical therapist) recommended this brace, and it''s been a big help for me:

http://www.push.eu/products/hand-bra...humb-brace-cmc

It's a very compact brace. With practice I've been able to play while wearing it. Figuring out the correct size brace you need is important. My wife was able to do that for me. There may be instructions on the website link, or if you're seeing a PT or OT you might discuss the brace with them.

It's not a cure, and I may need surgery at some point, but that surgery scares me and I'd like to avoid it as long as possible.

Since I know what size brace I need, I was able to order a second one on Amazon. I've been using the brace for over a year.
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Old 10-30-2016, 05:56 AM
DCCougar DCCougar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Godfather View Post
Yes... exact procedure 8 months ago.
95% strength and mobility are back. 100% pain free....
Sounds like an excellent result! But man, I don't get your x-ray at all, lol. It looks like the thumb is completely dislocated. (?) I also don't get what the pins are doing....?

But yeah, I've had left thumb pain for about a year. I finally went in to an orthopedist. With an x-ray, he saw the problem right away. The base of the thumb joint has slipped down a bit, apparently because the "pad" between the bones has worn down. I've been wearing a thumb brace I picked up from the pharmacy, which helps, but it's not a cure. Yeah, I can actually play guitar with it, but I don't wear it all the time. Doc said the next step is the cortisone shot. That's not really a cure either, but rather just relief. The last resort is surgery, where they clean out the joint and replace the "pad" with something.

Seems like you use your thumb for EVERYTHING.
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Old 10-30-2016, 10:05 AM
godfreydaniel godfreydaniel is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DCCougar View Post
Sounds like an excellent result! But man, I don't get your x-ray at all, lol. It looks like the thumb is completely dislocated. (?)
I think it appears dislocated because they remove the carpal bone that meets the thumb. That's where they put the wadded tendon.

Here's some information on surgical procedures on the arthritis.org website:

http://www.arthritis.org/living-with...ry-options.php

Last edited by godfreydaniel; 10-30-2016 at 10:18 AM.
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Old 10-30-2016, 10:31 AM
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my wife had a joint replacement. Not a musician. Probably 6 or more months ago. It used to be a regular complaint, but since the surgery it never comes up in conversation, so I guess that's a huge success
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Old 10-30-2016, 11:10 AM
aknow aknow is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dadio917 View Post
Probably shouldn't do this post because it sounds dumb, but will anyways.

I was starting to think about talking to a surgeon about my left thumb and middle finger trigger pain. Did some PT and got exercises. One thing that worked was to rub it with a wine cork....or maybe it was the wine?

Anyways...about a year ago I heard David Ludwig on science Friday talk about his research on diet and describe the eating style he recommended in a new book called "the always hungry diet". I had been trying to loose a few pounds and also improve my blood work so gave it a try. For me it translated into cutting out most processed grains and eating a little more fat.

So both my wife and I lost about 10 pounds and I was amazed at my last blood test. Triglycerides went down by 2/3, good cholesterol up and bad down.

here's the thing relative this thread....a month ago I was talking to someone else trying the diet and he mentioned the arthritis pain in his hands had dropped by 80%. I then realized that mine had as well. I'd say my pain level was 7/10 and now maybe 2/10 when stressed and often not noticeable. I thought it was from PT but now believe its the diet. I've since read that many people on paleo diets notice a similar effect.

I've not found any scientific studies so maybe its a fluke and I don't know how long it will last since aging never stops. But its manageable now and am very happy about it.

The only reason it may sound dumb, is because most people don't regard food as powerful resources which can increase or decrease inflammation. The suggestion/theory to consume more fat/and avoid grains is absolutely correct. American grains are completely toxic and cause inflammation, especially to the joints.
I am the type of person who can keep a small bottle of Tylenol for 10 years. Last year I began having such intense and sharp finger/thumb pains (both hands), I was sure I would have to give up guitar, golf, and work.
I consulted a hand surgeon who recommended surgery, (no surprise).
I went to my chiropractor/nutritionist who performed a number of manipulations to my wrist, shoulder, and neck. Then he tested me for fats, and said I needed something called evening primrose oil. Taking the EPO, each day the pain was reduced, and the snapping/locking of my right 3rd/4th fingers was gone upon awakening on the 4th day. Within 2 weeks, all of the pain and stiffness was gone! I'm still taking the EPO, and it was a great reminder about how complicated and simple nature is.
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Old 10-30-2016, 02:43 PM
blue blue is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aknow View Post
American grains are completely toxic and cause inflammation, especially to the joints.
Nah. Everything is interconnected and much more complicated than diet book authors claim. Grains produced in the US are not "completely toxic"
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Old 10-30-2016, 04:49 PM
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Godfather Godfather is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DCCougar View Post
Sounds like an excellent result! But man, I don't get your x-ray at all, lol. It looks like the thumb is completely dislocated. (?) I also don't get what the pins are doing....
The results have been positive... as in, I am pain free now...however, I do have limited mobility when trying to span 5 frets between the first and fourth fingers, a small price to pay for the final outcome.

The X-ray shows a void where the trapezium (small wrist bone at the base of the thumb) was removed. The tendon that was severed from my forearm was rolled and put in place of the trapezium. (hence the name anchovy procedure for this particular operation)

The pins are drilled through the thumb bone and anchored into the finger bone to hold the thumb bone in position while the tendon gets used to its new home and to aide in the healing process. They were removed, say yanked out with Vise Grips, after six weeks.

I tried the brace and several cortisone injections over a period of two years to no avail. Things had gotten so bad, I could not hold my cell phone without a lot of pain.

Yes the surgery was painful and I was quite sore for several weeks, but I had to get it done. Would I do it again? In a word, yes.
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