Hi there!
I'm a new Ph.D. student in the US and thus far have been writing up to one hundred pages of material in a week for my courses on top of chalkboard work while teaching students. I've always gripped pens and pencils very hard and held them improperly and not had any success with breaking these habits. Before my graduate program began this had only caused fatigue and occasional discomfort during longer writing sessions, but I believe it is now causing some notable problems with the thumb of my right (writing) hand.
Several weeks ago, I noticed that the distal phalange of my right thumb appeared to be pushing out from the joint between this bone and the proximal phalange. After rest, especially when I first wake up each morning, the distal phalange is stiff in the joint and will basically only stay in one of two positions. Cracking it repeatedly appears to loosen the joint and restore mobility, but a long enough period of inactivity (which basically only happens when I'm sleeping) leads to the thumb returning to its stiff state. The problem appears to be more pronounced now than it was when I first noticed it, if only marginally so, and I do have decreased mobility at the joint. If I "flex" the distal phalange into the extreme position where it is on the palm of my hand, I also experience a pinching sort of pain. The latter is mild for now, but I am concerned that this and the other problems will only increase with time. As such, I would like to get it checked out and, if possible, fixed before further stress intensifies the problem.
Having searched for this a number of times since first noticing it, I have yet to come up with any terminology for it or receive any recommendations about what sort of specialist to go see with about it. The closest common problem that people seem to have is a form of arthritis that affects the next joint in the hand. I've also only been able to identify one common term for a "hand specialist" in the US -- "orthopedic hand specialist" -- but no doctor in my area appears to use that term. Is there a particular type of "hand doctor" that I should consult for this? At this point, I'm basically trying to find the equivalent of a podiatrist for my hands...Any recommendations?
Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide!