thumb pain and problem

For 3 weeks I have had a pain at the base of my thumb, especislly to the touch. My thumb pops in and out and trying to pince my thumb and finger is painful, strength and mobility are limited. I went to my family physician 2 weeks ago, xray showed no fracture, he out it in a brace and said to wear it for 2 weeks. It has only gotten more painful, still pops in and out. He didn't seem to take me very seriously. ANy ideas what is wrong?

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Well, without a clinical evaluation it would be difficult to determine the cause of your symptoms. Possibilities that may need to be considered include stress fractures, dislocations, inflammations, injuries to ligaments/ tendons, degeneration, neuro-muscular/ vascular causes etc. I would suggest getting this evaluated by an orthopedician for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.
Hope this helps.

Take care!